Fort Chaffee
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Fort Chaffee is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Fort Smith, located one mile southeast of Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Arkansas River flows eastward along the northern border of the post. Interstate 40 is five miles to the north on the opposite side of the river. Fort Chaffee is primarily used as a training facility by regional National Guard and Reserve Corps units as well as active military units from other installations. Fort Chaffee currently houses no active units.
Fort Chaffee has twice served as a primary center for housing foreign refugees, first, holding Vietnamese following the fall of Vietnam in 1975, and again, in 1980 with Cubans following the Mariel Boatlift. Riots among the Cubans were a key factor in Governor Bill Clinton's loss of the office in 1980.
In recent years, Fort Chaffee has forfeited large portions for land to the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA), an organization with the purpose of stimulating the local economy.
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