| 3rd | Top United States military bases |
| 22nd | Top United States federal agencies |
| Naval Support Facility Thurmont | |
|---|---|
|
Catoctin Mountain Park Frederick County, Maryland, USA |
|
 Main Lodge at Camp David during the Nixon administration, February 9, 1971 |
|
| Type | Military base |
| Built | 1935 |
| Built by | Works Progress Administration |
| Current owner |
United States Navy |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Occupants | President of the United States |
| Events | Camp David Accords |
Naval Support Facility Thurmont, popularly known as Camp David, is a mountain-based military camp in Frederick County, Maryland used as a country retreat 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.[1] 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.[2]
Contents |
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).
Every president since Franklin Roosevelt has made use of Camp David. Roosevelt hosted Sir Winston Churchill in May 1943.[3] 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.[4] Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David Accords here in September 1978 between Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.[3] 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 British Prime Minister Tony Blair on several occasions in addition to numerous celebrities. George W. Bush hosted dignitaries including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2007.[4] Barack Obama made the camp's Evergreen Chapel his primary place of worship, as George W. Bush had done before him.[5]
Analogous facilities include:
 George H. W. Bush meets with his National Security advisors in the Laurel Lodge conference room on August 4, 1990. |
 George W. Bush meets with his advisors at Camp David on January 17, 2004, while preparing for his State of the Union address. |
 From Camp David, Vice President Dick Cheney and members of the Interagency Team on Iraq participate in a video teleconference with President George W. Bush in Baghdad, Iraq. |
 President George W. Bush and Chief of Staff Josh Bolten walk together with the President's dog, Barney, at Camp David, July 21, 2007. |
 Shinzo Abe and George W. Bush at Camp David in 2007. |
 Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, and Anwar Sadat at Camp David, September 7, 1978. |
 Menachem Begin poses at Camp David, 1978. |
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 Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat with U.S. president Jimmy Carter at Camp David in 1978. |
 President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, and Jimmy Carter meet at the beginning of the Camp David Summit in 1978. |
 Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter, and Menachem Begin meet on the Aspen Lodge patio of Camp David on September 6, 1978. |
 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan walk at Camp David in 1986. |
 British Prime Minister Thatcher and President Reagan sitting in Aspen Lodge, 1986 |
 David Eisenhower (age 12), grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, poses with sign at presidential retreat named in his honor, 1960 |
 Main Lodge during Eisenhower administration, 1959 |
 President Dwight D. Eisenhower meets with his Cabinet at Laurel Lodge, 1955 |
Prodell, Nathan M. USMC. Former Corporal of the Guard at Camp David during the Clinton Administration
Coordinates: 39°38′54″N 77°27′54″W / 39.64833°N 77.465°W
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   | History of Camp David: A brief history of the Presidential mountain retreat and its famous guests by David Johnson - Camp David | A History of the Presidential Retreat |
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