The National Training Center (NTC) and Fort Irwin occupies 1,200 acres in a remote part of the Mojave Desert. Over 35 miles from the nearest town, the NTC is the only training area in the United States with enough land to conduct full brigade-on-brigade armored combat training. The area was designated as the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range in 1941 and later renamed Camp Irwin in honor of Maj. Gen. George LeRoy Irwin, commander of the 57th Field Artillery Brigade in World War I. Fort Irwin has been pivotal in training the armed forces for every conflict since World War II and played an important role in the exploration of space. Today, the National Training Center at Fort Irwin serves as the premier training area for US forces preparing to deploy to combat areas anywhere in the world.