Camp Shanks comprised one of three staging areas on the eastern seaboard. The other two, Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, and Camp Kilmer in New Brunswick, NJ, when combined with Camp Shanks, made the area the largest staging area in the world. One of the primary functions as a staging area was to ensure each soldier and WAC left the U.S. fully equipped before crossing the Atlantic.
Camp Shanks played a pivotal role as part of three major military bases on the eastern seaboard, working in conjunction with Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn and Camp Kilmer in New Jersey to create the world's largest staging area. A key function of this facility was to guarantee that every soldier and WAC departed the U.S. fully prepared for their journey across the Atlantic.