The New England state of Massachusetts is known for its colonial and pilgrim heritage. Massachusetts is rich in American history and culture. Below are the military bases in Massachusetts and their locations.
Map of Military Bases in Massachusetts
Camp Curtis Guild
Camp Curtis Guild is an Army National Guard base that was established during World War I. It was named after the former governor of Massachusetts, Curtis Guild Jr. During World War II, the base was used as a Port of Boston staging area, and the soldiers there trained with the Coast Guard. The base was home to a firing range used for training, but after many stray bullets threatened a nearby neighborhood, an indoor training firing range was built in 1998. Today, Camp Curtis Guild is home to 15 different training areas.
Fort Edwards
In 1931, the National Guard began searching for a larger training base, and it dedicated Fort Edwards in 1938. The new base was used as a training facility during World War II and was deactivated when the war was over. It wasn’t until the start of the Korean War that Fort Edwards was reactivated and used as a training camp once again. During Hurricane Katrina, the camp housed 2,500 refugees from New Orleans. Today, Fort Edwards has two National Guard training centers, both designed to look like Middle East villages. These training sites help soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq familiarize themselves with the surroundings they’ll encounter.
Fort Devens
Fort Devens was opened in 1917, and it was used as a demobilization fort during World War I. During World War II, the camp was used to house prisoners of war from Germany and Italy. In 1996, the base was officially deactivated, but it is still used as an Army Reserve base.
Natick Army Soldier System Center
The Natick Army Soldier Systems Center was established in 1949. Even though the base is designated as an Army base, it is operated by the Department of Defense. The DOD uses the System Center to supply uniforms, food, and other services to all branches of the military. It is also used to train soldiers and test supplies in all kinds of diverse weather conditions, including extreme hot and cold temperatures, high altitudes, and fierce winds.
Hanscom Air Force Base
The Hanscom Air Force Base began as the Bedford Airfield in 1941. After World War II, the Bedford Airfield was renamed the Hanscom Air Force Base, in honor of Laurence G. Hanscom, a civilian pilot who was killed in a plane crash. Although the base played a key role in the Gulf War, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission was going to close in 1994, but after local petitions, the base stayed open. Today, the base’s permanent unit is the 66th Air Base Group, and they support worldwide Air Force operations.
Westover Joint Air Reserve Base
The Westover Joint Air Reserve Base was established just before World War II, and it was named after General Oscar Westover, who was an officer in the Army Air Corps during the 1930s. During the Cold War, a SAC Command Bunker named “the Notch” was built on the base. In 2005, the base absorbed Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy Reserve bases in New England, and in 2015, the Westover Joint Air Reserve Base organized an airshow to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
Coast Guard Stations in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is home to 40 Coast Guard Stations, 11 of which are still active. The oldest Coast Guard stations were built in 1872, and two of those stations, Station Chatham and Station Race Point, are still active, making them 144 years old. Other active Coast Guard Stations in Massachusetts include Station Woods Hole, Station Gloucester, Station Boast, and Station Cape Cod Canal.
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