Camp David
Naval Support Facility Thurmont, popularly known as Camp David, is a mountain based military camp in Frederick County, Maryland used as a country retreat and for high alert protection of the President of the United States and his guests.
First known as Hi-Catoctin, Camp David was originally built as a camp for federal government agents and their families, by the WPA, starting in 1935, opening in 1938. In 1942 it was converted to a presidential retreat by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and renamed U.S.S. Shangri-La. Camp David received its present name from Dwight Eisenhower, in honor of his grandson, Dwight David Eisenhower II.
The camp is very isolated and quiet. The compound consists of several cabins hidden throughout the woods, connected only by both small mulch and paved walking paths. These cabins are all named after various trees, plants, and flowers. There is only one main road on the compound, essentially cutting the camp in two parts: one side in which the Marines live (the other branches live off-camp), eat and train; and the other side consisting of all the guest cabins and presidential recreational facilities.
Navy operations
Camp David is a United States Navy installation, commanded by a Naval Commander. Sailors are mostly Seabees and most officers are in the civil engineering field. The Navy Seabee Detachment performs maintenance and beautification. The sailors must undergo a "Yankee White" level background check, which involves passing the most rigorous background check conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD). The sailors are hand-picked for their service at Camp David, and are among the best of the U.S. Navy. Some of the sailors include: grounds and maintenance personnel, electricians, carpenters, corpsmen, and the President's cooks (culinary specialists).
The Camp is alleged to be one of the most secure facilities in the world, as reported by a Department of Defense journal in 1998. The facility is guarded by one of the United States Marine Corps' most elite units, MSC-CD (Marine Security Company, Camp David). Each Marine is hand-picked from the infantry field and sent through a battery of psychological and physical tests. Selected Marines must then undergo specialized security training at the Marine Corps Security Forces School in Chesapeake, Virginia. The candidates then report to the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., where they provide protection for the barracks, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Naval Operations. Assuming a Marine successfully completes his "pre-assignment" in Washington, they still must undergo the "Yankee White" background check. Only then is the candidate eligible for assignment to Camp David. After twelve months of service at Camp David, a Marine is awarded the Presidential Service Badge. Tours of duty at Camp David typically last for 18 months.
Presidential use
Every president since Franklin Roosevelt has made use of Camp David. Roosevelt hosted Sir Winston Churchill in May 1943. Dwight Eisenhower held the first cabinet meeting there. John F. Kennedy and his family often enjoyed horseback riding and other recreational activities. Kennedy often allowed White House staff and cabinet members to use the retreat when he or his family was not there. Lyndon Johnson often met with important advisors at the retreat and hosted Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt. Richard Nixon was a frequent visitor and did much to add and modernize the facilities. Gerald Ford often rode his snowmobile around Camp David and hosted Indonesia President Suharto. Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David Accords here in September 1978 between Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Ronald Reagan visited the retreat more than any other president. Dorothy Bush Koch, the daughter of George H.W. Bush was the first person ever to be married there in 1992. Bill Clinton increasingly used Camp David more as his tenure in office progressed, and hosted Great Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair on several occassions in addition to numerous celebrities. George W. Bush hosted dignitaries including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007.
Analogous facilities
Analogous facilities include: Residences of Queen Elizabeth II:
Windsor Castle, official country and weekend residence.
Sandringham House, private country residence.
Balmoral Castle, private country residence in Scotland.
Chequers, country residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Retreat Building, the official Retreat Residence of the President of India.
Harpsund, country residence of the Prime Minister of Sweden
Harrington Lake, country residence of the Prime Minister of Canada
Marienborg, summer residence of the Prime Minister of Denmark
Kultaranta, summer residence of the President of Finland
Lohn, country estate of the Swiss Federal Council outside Bern.
Mansion House, summer residence of the President of the Philippines
Palacio de Marivent, summer residence of the King of Spain in Palma de Mallorca.
Hacienda Hato Grande, country residence of the President of Colombia
Pavillon de la Lanterne (subsidiary structure of the Palace of Versailles), country residence of the President of France, Fort de Brégançon, summer residence, Chateau de Rambouillet, guest residence, Domaine National de Marly and Domaine de Souzy-la-Biche, weekend residences
Isla La Orchila, Naval Facility with Presidential Residence, President of Venezuela
the Papal Residence at Castel Gandolfo, summer residence of the Pope
Granja do Torto, country residence of the President of Brazil
Novo-Ogaryovo and Zavidovo, country residences of the President of Russia.
The Lodge is the official residence and Kirribilli House is the harbour side residence of the Australian Prime Minister in Sydney.
Gallery
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Translation
The phrase "Camp David" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Catalan, Czech, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish.
Translation(s) in other languages: Arabic: كامب ديفيد, Bulgarian: Кемп Дейвид, Persian: کمپ دیوید, Hebrew: קמפ דייוויד, Egyptian Arabic: كامب ديفيد, Japanese: キャンプ・デービッド, Russian: Кемп-Дэвид, Chinese: 戴维营.
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