What to know about Quantico, likely spot of Hegseth's urgent meeting

Driving the news: The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that Hegseth will address senior U.S. military leaders next week, but shared no other details.

• The meeting has little precedent. Several military and congressional officials were bewildered by the move, Axios' Colin Demarest writes.
• The invitations were sent worldwide to leaders in the Middle East, Europe and Indo-Pacific for the Tuesday meeting, per the Washington Post.

Here's what to know about the base.

What is Quantico?

The big picture: Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Marine Corps Base Quantico — or, simply, Quantico — is an educational hub and military installation for the Marines and FBI.

• The base — which calls itself "Crossroads of the Marine Corps" — houses the U.S. Marine Corps' Combat Development Command, which develops strategy for Marine combat.
• The Alfred M. Gray Marine Corps Research Center at Quantico focuses on equipment development.
• The base previously was home to the Marine Corps Brig, a military prison, which closed in 2011.
• It's also home to the FBI Quantico academy, which inspired the ABC television series "Quantico" in the mid-2010s, and a DEA training facility.

A brief history of Quantico

The base was founded as "Marine Barracks Quantico" by the commandant of the Marine Corps in 1917, per the base's website.

• Thousands were trained there during World War I. Military tactics and equipment were developed during the early 20th century, and it was also home to the Fleet Marine Force, a special forces group within the Department of the Navy, the website says.
• After the FMF left in 1941, Quantico became a central hub for individual Marine education.
• Quantico trained 15,000 lieutenants and other officers for World War II, the website says.

The base was re-designated as Marine Corps Development and Education Command (MCDEC) in 1968 and then as the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC) in 1987 to develop plans and concepts for the Marine Corps.

• The FBI Quantico academy and the Quantico Brig military prison were added to the base in 1972.
• Quantico expanded in the '90s, per its website, adding the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in 1995 to develop and test new combat techniques.
• "War games and experiments produce new tactics and technologies to make the Marine war-fighter ever more capable," per the website.

The Quantico Brig military prison was closed in 2011.

• Past detainees include John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate former President Ronald Regan, and Chelsea Manning, a former Army analyst sentenced to 35 years for leaking classified military files.

Quantico received another name change in 2015, going from Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico to the MCINCR-MCB Quantico title it has today.

Importance of Quantico

Hegseth's urgent meeting is unprecedented. But Quantico has been celebrated throughout its history.

What they're saying: "From the NCOs to the officers here, you guys help form our young people into United States Marines, and that is, I think, the best thing the Marine Corps does for the United States of America," Vice President Vance said in a March speech at the base.

• "I refer to Marine Corps Base Quantico as a village," U.S. Marine Corps Col. Michael L. Brooks said in 2024, "and I do that on purpose. It's not all about the capabilities, but those [people in Quantico] who involve themselves; they insert themselves into what needs to be done in support of the village."
• Former President Truman praised Quantico's military tactics and teachings in a 1953 speech at the base.

More from Axios:

• The Pentagon's bunker mentality
• The growing list of military ousters under Trump 2.0
• The Pentagon's dramatic divorce from D.C. orthodoxy