Camp Eustis, named for Brigadier Abraham Eustis, an artillery officer and veteran of the War of 1812, was established in 1918 as part of the US buildup in World War I. Camp Eustis was a replacement center for nearby Fort Monroe, a coast artillery fortification. In 1923 Camp Eustis became Fort Eustis, and garrisoned by infantry and artillery units. In 1931 the fort was also used as a Federal prison, mainly for bootleggers, and used for a time as a WPA facility.

In 1940 the primary military role returned, and the Fort became an anti-aircraft training center and coast defense center. Eustis was also the location of the formation of the Caribbean Regiment of the British Army, in 1943, with Britain being under enormous pressure and none of the island possessions of the United Kingdom being considered suitable in that time of war.

After the war, Eustis became a transportation hub (coastal defense artillery being out of date) with a mission of keeping the Army rolling. Eustis units became expert at supplying and delivering by any surface vehicle, road, rail, rotor, or raft. This was a period of expansion for Eustis, adding housing, warehousing, and storage facilities.

Since World War II Eustis has maintained units for overland transport, air transport, and port or river water transport. The US Transportation School was located here until 2010, the study of logistics being the basic activity of military professionals. In the 1950s Eustis added an internal railroad system to shift loads internally and to base terminals. Recently the fort has gained the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, with a mission of training forces in modern doctrine and new weapons development, resolving both doctrine and weapon.