EPDOCONUS Bainbridge

• EPDOCONUS Bainbridge refers to the Enlisted Personnel Distribution Office, Continental United States, once located at Naval Training Center Bainbridge in Maryland. • The facility operated during World War II and the Cold War, serving as a key personnel processing and distribution hub for the U.S. Navy. • At its peak, the center processed thousands of sailors, ensuring their assignments to ships and shore installations across the country and overseas. • Bainbridge was named after Commodore William Bainbridge, a hero of the War of 1812 and former captain of the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides"). • During the 1950s and 1960s, EPDOCONUS Bainbridge played a significant role in supporting the rapid expansion of the Navy in response to global tensions. • The base included not only EPDOCONUS but also training schools, a hospital, and recreational facilities, making it a self-contained military community. • Many sailors remember Bainbridge as their first stop after boot camp, where they received their permanent duty assignments and awaited transportation. • Stories from veterans recount the anticipation and camaraderie experienced while waiting at Bainbridge, as well as the uncertainty of new assignments during wartime. • The base was decommissioned in the late 1970s, but its legacy remains in the memories of those who passed through its gates and in Navy administrative history. • Today, the site of the former EPDOCONUS Bainbridge is largely redeveloped, but historical markers and reunions continue to honor its military service and significance.