Camp David
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Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 100 kilometers or 60 miles NNW of Washington, D.C. in Thurmont, Frederick County, Maryland. It is officially known as Naval Support Facility Thurmont and technically a military installation; staffing is primarily provided by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
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]Franklin D. Roosevelt and renamed Shangri-La. Camp David received its present name from Dwight D. Eisenhower, in honor of his grandson, David.[2] In 1942 it was converted to a presidential retreat by
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[edit] Presidential use
Every president since Franklin Roosevelt has made use of Camp David. Roosevelt hosted Sir Winston Churchill in May 1943.[3] Harry S. Truman rarely visited Camp David, because his wife Bess found it "dull". Dwight EisenhowerJohn 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 B. 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 Indonesian President Suharto.[4] Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David Accords there 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 used Camp David more as his tenure in office progressed, and hosted then British Prime Minister Tony Blair on several occasions in addition to numerous celebrities. George W. Bush hosted dignitaries, including then 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]
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Camp David is a U.S. 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.
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, Marine Security Company, Camp David (MSC-CD). 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.
[edit] Gallery
 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. BushJosh Bolten walk together with the President's dog Barney and Chief of Staff 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. |  Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter, and Menachem Begin meet on the Aspen Lodge patio of Camp David on September 6, 1978]] |  President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, and Jimmy Carter meet at the beginning of the Camp David Summit in 1978. | |
 |  John F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Caroline Kennedy (riding 'Tex') |  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 |
