Fort Cavazos (Now Fort Hood): The Complete 2026 PCS & Base Guide

Fort Cavazos (Now Fort Hood): The Complete 2026 PCS & Base Guide

By the BaseNeed Team — military family resources, updated 2026

So you got orders to Fort Cavazos — the sprawling Central Texas Army post better known for its tanks, its 1st Cavalry Division patch, and, lately, a name that keeps changing. Whether your orders say Fort Cavazos or Fort Hood, you're heading to one of the largest active-duty armored installations in the United States, and a good PCS starts with knowing what you're walking into. This 2026 guide covers everything a moving family needs: the name-change confusion, on-post housing and waitlists, 2026 BAH, Killeen ISD schools, the surrounding towns, the weather, and a realistic timeline for your first month. Read it once, bookmark it, and you'll arrive far ahead of where most families do.

> Affiliate disclosure: BaseNeed is reader-supported. Some links below are Amazon affiliate links, and we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you buy through them. We only suggest gear we'd hand a friend who's about to PCS.

Is It Fort Cavazos or Fort Hood in 2026? (The Name Change, Explained)

Here's the short answer: as of 2026, the installation's official name is Fort Hood — but the story is more tangled than that, and it's the number-one source of confusion for incoming families.

For decades the post was Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. In May 2023, following the congressional Naming Commission's work to strip Confederate names from military bases, it was redesignated Fort Cavazos in honor of General Richard E. Cavazos — a Texas native, Korea and Vietnam combat veteran, former III Corps commander, and the U.S. Army's first Hispanic four-star general. It was a name the local community largely embraced.

Then the pendulum swung back. In 2025 the current administration moved to restore the original base names, and on June 11, 2025, the post was officially redesignated Fort Hood again — this time honoring a different Hood to sidestep the Confederate connection: Colonel Robert B. Hood, a Kansas-born World War I artillery officer who earned the Distinguished Service Cross for battlefield heroism in France. A redesignation ceremony was held at III Armored Corps Headquarters on July 28, 2025.

The saga isn't fully over. In June 2026, the House Armed Services Committee voted 29–27 to change the name back to Fort Cavazos — but that measure has only cleared committee. It would still need to pass the full House, clear the Senate, and be signed into law before anything changes again. Until that happens, the gates, official letterhead, and DoD systems read Fort Hood.

What does that mean for you as an incoming family? Practically, not much — your orders, DEERS, and TRICARE will all work regardless of which name is printed. But you'll hear both names used interchangeably, GPS and older documents still say Fort Cavazos, and a few things on the ground (like Richard E. Cavazos Elementary School in Killeen ISD) still carry the Cavazos name. When in doubt, use whatever name your orders use, and don't be surprised when a neighbor calls it "the Great Place," an older nickname that predates all of this.

Where Is Fort Cavazos? Location, Size, and Getting Around

Fort Cavazos sits in the heart of Central Texas, wrapped around the city of Killeen in Bell and Coryell counties. At roughly 214,000 acres, it's one of the largest military installations in the world by land area and among the biggest by population, with tens of thousands of active-duty soldiers plus their families, civilians, and contractors.

Geography is one of the post's biggest quality-of-life perks. You're about 60 miles north of Austin (an easy day trip for live music, tech jobs, and the airport), roughly 50 miles from Waco, and about 150 miles from both Dallas–Fort Worth and San Antonio — close enough to make almost all of Texas a weekend option. The nearest commercial airport is Killeen–Fort Hood Regional Airport (GRK), which shares a runway with the post's own Robert Gray Army Airfield; for more flight options, Austin–Bergstrom International (AUS) is about 75 minutes south.

The installation has multiple gates, including the main gate off T.J. Mills Boulevard in Killeen, plus the East Gate, Bernie Beck Gate, and West Fort Cavazos gates near Copperas Cove. Where you choose to live off-post will largely be decided by which gate is closest to your unit's motor pool or headquarters — Central Texas traffic is manageable by big-city standards, but a smart gate choice can shave 20 minutes off your daily commute.

Units Stationed at Fort Cavazos

Fort Cavazos has been an armor-and-artillery powerhouse since World War II, and it remains the Army's premier heavy-force installation. If you're reporting in, you'll likely fall under one of these major commands:

• III Armored Corps — the corps headquarters has called the post home since 1954 and oversees much of the Army's conventional combat power.
• 1st Cavalry Division — the famous "First Team," with its unmistakable yellow-and-black horse-head patch. With more than 20,000 soldiers, it's one of the Army's premier armored divisions, and its brigades include the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team ("Ironhorse"), the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade ("Air Cav"), the Division Artillery ("Red Team"), and the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade ("Wagon Masters").
• 3rd Cavalry Regiment — the "Brave Rifles," a combined-arms regiment of cavalry, aviation, and support squadrons.
• First Army Division West — which trains and mobilizes Reserve and National Guard formations across the western United States.
• 36th Engineer Brigade, 48th Chemical Brigade, and the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade round out the post's major tenant units.

This is a high-tempo installation. Fort Cavazos units rotate regularly to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, deploy in support of European and CENTCOM missions, and cycle through gunnery at the post's massive live-fire ranges. Building a deployment plan early matters here — our pre-deployment checklist for military readiness walks through the powers of attorney, family care plans, and financial prep you'll want in place before your soldier's first rotation.

PCSing to Fort Cavazos: A Step-by-Step Timeline

A smooth move to Fort Cavazos comes down to sequencing. Here's the timeline that keeps families sane:

1. 60–90 days out: Log in to the Defense Personal Property System (move.mil) and schedule your household goods shipment or register your Personally Procured Move. Decide early whether you're going with a government move or a DITY/PPM — our DITY move (PPM) rates and weight-ticket guide breaks down how to actually get paid for hauling your own stuff.
2. 45–60 days out: Contact the Fort Cavazos Housing Services Office to get on the on-post waitlist (more on that below), and start scouting off-post rentals in Killeen and Harker Heights so you have a backup. Confirm your weight allowance so you don't blow past it — see our PCS weight allowance limits by rank.
3. 30 days out: Build your PCS binder with orders, medical and school records, pet vaccination paperwork, and every receipt. If you've never assembled one, copy our PCS binder checklist of what to include — it's the single highest-return hour you'll spend.
4. Moving week: Confirm Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) reservations near the post, hand-carry valuables and documents, and photograph high-value items before the packers arrive.
5. First week in: Report to your unit, finish in-processing at the Soldier Readiness Center, enroll kids in Killeen ISD, register vehicles, and update DEERS. File your travel voucher promptly — and don't forget to claim your Dislocation Allowance.

> Popular pick: A durable, tabbed PCS document organizer keeps orders, medical records, and receipts in one grab-and-go folder during the move. View on Amazon

That DLA is real money that too many families leave on the table — our Dislocation Allowance (DLA) 2026 rates by rank shows exactly what you're owed and how to claim it.

Fort Cavazos Housing: On-Post Neighborhoods and Waitlists

On-post family housing at Fort Cavazos is privatized, operated by Cavalry Family Housing (a Lendlease community) with property management through WinnResidential Military Housing Services. There are more than 6,000 homes spread across roughly a dozen neighborhoods, ranging from two-bedroom townhomes to five-bedroom single-family houses. Recognizable communities include Comanche III, Heritage Heights, Patton, McNair, Wainwright, and Venable Village, and a multi-year, several-hundred-million-dollar redevelopment plan has been adding brand-new homes — including a fresh neighborhood for junior enlisted soldiers slated to finish in early 2026.

The big thing to understand about Fort Cavazos housing is the waitlist. For popular bedroom counts and neighborhoods, waits can stretch weeks or months, and your priority is based on your rank, dependents, and application date — which is exactly why you apply the moment you have orders, not after you arrive. Living on post has real advantages: you typically forfeit your BAH but pay no separate rent or utility bill, you're minutes from work and the commissary, and kids can walk to on-post schools.

One honest caveat: like many privatized housing programs nationwide, Fort Cavazos has faced maintenance and mold complaints in recent years, including a high-profile lawsuit. That's not a reason to avoid on-post housing — plenty of families are happy there — but it is a reason to do a careful move-in walkthrough, document every issue with photos on day one, and keep a written record of every maintenance request. If a home doesn't feel right, you're allowed to decline it and stay on the list.

Fort Cavazos BAH 2026: What Your Housing Allowance Covers

If you live off post, your Fort Cavazos BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) is the number that shapes your whole budget. BAH is set by the military housing area — Fort Cavazos falls in the Killeen/Bell County MHA — and it's tied to your rank and whether you have dependents. The good news for 2026: rates rose meaningfully, with the E-5 with-dependents rate climbing about 7% over the prior year.

Here are sample 2026 monthly BAH rates (with dependents) for the Fort Cavazos area:

Rates without dependents are lower, and figures update annually, so always confirm your specific number before you sign a lease — you can run it in seconds with our BAH calculator or the official DoD tool. Because Central Texas rents often sit below these allowances, many Fort Cavazos families intentionally rent under budget and pocket the difference, or use it to buy a home with a VA loan. If buying is on your radar, start with our VA loan first-time home buyer guide — the Killeen market is one of the most VA-friendly in the country.

Living Off-Post: Killeen, Harker Heights, and Copperas Cove

Most Fort Cavazos families live off post, and Central Texas gives you genuinely different flavors of community within a 30-minute radius. Here's how the main options compare:

Killeen is the default for a reason — it's affordable, it's closest, and it has the deepest pool of rentals and military-friendly landlords. Harker Heights is the popular "step up," with newer construction and a more suburban feel. Copperas Cove suits families assigned to units near the west-side gates. Belton and Salado trade a longer commute for small-town charm and strong schools, and Temple is worth the drive if proximity to a major medical center matters to your family. Whatever you choose, look for landlords who understand military clauses and PCS timelines.

Fort Cavazos Schools: Killeen ISD and On-Post Options

Education is a top question for moving families, and the good news is that Fort Cavazos schools are well established. Children who live on post attend campuses within the Killeen Independent School District (KISD), one of the larger districts in Texas and one with deep experience serving highly mobile military kids.

On post you'll find several elementary schools plus Audie Murphy Middle School and an on-post Early College High School — a standout program run with Central Texas College that lets students graduate with both a diploma and an associate degree, tuition-free. On-post elementary campuses include schools like Oveta Culp Hobby and Venable, and yes, there's still a Richard E. Cavazos Elementary carrying the general's name.

Off post, your district depends on where you land: Killeen ISD covers Killeen and Harker Heights, while Copperas Cove ISD, Belton ISD, Salado ISD, and Temple ISD serve their respective communities and each have strong campuses. Because military children change schools an average of six to nine times before graduation, use the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children to smooth enrollment, records transfers, and course placement. Every Killeen-area district has a School Liaison Officer and dedicated military-family counselors — lean on them early. Families managing an IEP or special needs should also loop in the Exceptional Family Member Program before arrival; our EFMP enrollment and assignments guide explains how to keep services continuous through a PCS.

Things to Do Near Fort Cavazos

Central Texas is more fun than its flat reputation suggests, and there's plenty to do near Fort Cavazos on a soldier's schedule and budget. Two lakes anchor the outdoor scene: Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Right on Belton Lake, the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area (BLORA) is an on-post-run gem with mountain-biking trails, camping, horseback riding, fishing, paintball, and a summer swim beach — a cheap, easy weekend for the whole family.

Golfers have options too, from the post's own Courses of Clear Creek (including a kid-friendly short course) to Killeen's Stonetree Golf Club and the Hills of Cove out in Copperas Cove. For a slower pace, the Miller Springs Nature Center in Belton offers miles of trails along the Leon River, and the historic village of Salado delivers boutiques, wineries, and a genuinely charming main street.

When you want city energy, Austin is only about an hour away — live music, professional sports, museums, and endless food — with Waco (and the Magnolia empire) even closer to the north. It adds up to a location where a well-timed weekend can feel like a real getaway without burning a ton of leave.

Fort Cavazos Weather: What to Expect (and Pack) for Central Texas

Central Texas runs on a humid subtropical climate, which in plain English means long, punishing summers and short, mild winters. From June through August, highs routinely push past 100°F, and it's not unusual to string together many triple-digit days in a row. Winters are gentle — freezes are brief and occasional, and measurable snow is rare — but spring can bring severe thunderstorms, hail, and the occasional tornado warning, so it's worth knowing your rental's safe room.

Practically, that means you'll want your air conditioning working before you unpack, sun protection for kids and pets, and a plan for keeping cars cool. Don't over-pack heavy winter gear; do bring plenty of breathable clothing, and budget for a summer electric bill if you're renting off post.

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If your household includes furry members, the heat is a real planning factor for both the drive in and daily life; our guide to PCSing with pets covers travel, vet records, and keeping animals safe in a Texas summer.

Key Takeaways

• The name is officially Fort Hood again as of June 2025, honoring WWI Colonel Robert B. Hood — but "Fort Cavazos" is still everywhere, and a 2026 congressional effort could flip it back.
• Apply for on-post housing the day you have orders. Waitlists are the biggest housing headache, and priority is tied to your application date.
• 2026 BAH rose about 7% for the area — but confirm your exact rank and dependent status before signing any lease.
• Killeen ISD runs the on-post schools and is highly experienced with military kids; use the interstate compact and School Liaison Officers.
• Location is the hidden perk: an hour to Austin, lakes and golf nearby, and affordable off-post living in Killeen, Harker Heights, and Copperas Cove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it Fort Cavazos or Fort Hood in 2026? Officially, it's Fort Hood. The post was redesignated Fort Cavazos in 2023, then reverted to Fort Hood on June 11, 2025, this time honoring World War I Colonel Robert B. Hood. In June 2026 a House committee voted to change it back to Fort Cavazos, but that has not become law, so Fort Hood remains the official name for now. Both names are used interchangeably in daily life.

Where is Fort Cavazos located? It's in Central Texas, surrounding the city of Killeen in Bell and Coryell counties — roughly 60 miles north of Austin, 50 miles from Waco, and about 150 miles from both Dallas and San Antonio.

What units are stationed at Fort Cavazos? Major commands include III Armored Corps, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, First Army Division West, the 36th Engineer Brigade, the 48th Chemical Brigade, and the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

How much is BAH at Fort Cavazos in 2026? Sample 2026 with-dependents rates run about $1,695 for an E-5, $1,920 for an E-6, and $2,340 for an O-3 per month. Rates without dependents are lower and change yearly, so verify your exact figure with the official BAH calculator before leasing.

Is on-post or off-post housing better at Fort Cavazos? It depends. On-post is convenient and bundles rent and utilities into your BAH with no separate bill, but waitlists can be long. Off-post living in Killeen, Harker Heights, or Copperas Cove is often less than your BAH, letting many families bank the difference or buy with a VA loan.

What to Do Next

1. Confirm your reporting date and start your move. Schedule household goods or your PPM at move.mil as soon as your orders are final.
2. Get on the housing waitlist today. Call the Fort Cavazos Housing Services Office and apply — then line up an off-post backup in Killeen or Harker Heights.
3. Run your real BAH number. Use our BAH calculator so you're shopping for homes with an accurate budget.
4. Build your PCS binder and claim your entitlements. Assemble documents now and file for DLA and travel reimbursements the week you arrive.
5. Enroll the kids and register vehicles. Contact Killeen ISD (or your off-post district) and knock out DEERS, TRICARE, and vehicle registration during in-processing.

More From BaseNeed

• PCS Binder: The Complete 2026 Checklist of What to Include
• PCS Weight Allowance 2026: Household Goods Limits by Rank
• DITY Move (PPM) 2026: Rates, Weight Tickets, and How to Get Paid
• Dislocation Allowance (DLA) 2026: Rates by Rank and How to Claim It
• PCS With Pets: 11 Truths About Military Moves (2026 Guide)
• VA Loan First-Time Home Buyer: The Complete 2026 Guide
• Explore more installation guides on our military bases hub

Sources and Resources

• U.S. Army Fort Cavazos — official garrison site
• Fort Cavazos — DoD Military Installations (Military OneSource)
• Killeen Independent School District
• Defense Travel Management Office — BAH rates & calculator
• move.mil — PCS and household goods moves
• Cavalry Family Housing — Fort Cavazos on-post housing

BaseNeed is built by and for the military community. We keep our guides current as rates, names, and policies change — but always confirm the details that affect your family with your chain of command, your installation offices, and official DoD sources before you make a move.

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• → DITY Move (PPM) 2026: Rates, Weight Tickets, and How to Get Paid — 14 min read read
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