By Cpl. Jesse Gonzales, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (June 30, 2025) — Fort Leonard Wood invites the community to join in celebrating the Fourth of July with events planned throughout the day.
The fun kicks off with the Patriotic 5K Color Run scheduled to start at 9 a.m., at the Davidson Fitness Center. Early registration for this event is $15 and $20 the day of.
The main celebration is slated to begin at 4 p.m., on Gammon Field with many activities, including military equipment displays and demonstrations, bounce houses, slides, games, a petting zoo, pony rides, a car show, the KC Disc Dogs, concerts featuring Craig Campbell and Canaan Smith and the largest fireworks display in the area, according to Eli Wilson, Community Activities manager with the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
All activities, not including vendors, are slated to stop at 8 p.m., and at 9:05 p.m., the 50-gun Salute to the Nation ceremony is scheduled to begin followed by the fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.
“This is our largest event for the local community,” Wilson said. “We just want people to come out and have a good time, and we also want to thank everyone who helped make this happen.”
Fort Leonard Wood’s Fourth of July celebration is free and open to the public. Concessions and a $5-unlimited-activity wristband will be available for purchase.
Personal coolers and pets are not allowed.
According to Rick Vise, physical security officer with the Directorate of Emergency Services, those attending the event without a Department of Defense identification card will need to present a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or provide additional documentation to gain access to Fort Leonard Wood.
“Visitors with a REAL ID compliant driver’s license may proceed to the gate to have their card scanned for access,” Vise said. “Those without a REAL ID compliant driver’s license may do the same but must also provide the security guard at the gate with approved supplemental documentation.”
Approved forms of supplemental documentation can be found on Fort Leonard Wood’s access control website.
“The additional documentation must be the original and not a copy, and each adult must have an approved form of ID to gain access,” Vise said.
For more information about Fort Leonard Wood’s Fourth of July celebration, visit MWR’s website.
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About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 80 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains nearly 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission