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49-416: Because of its flexible deployment options and ability to operate at high altitudes, BACN can enable air and surface forces to overcome communications difficulties caused by mountains, other rough terrain, or distance. BACN provides critical information to all operational echelons and increases situational awareness by converging tactical and operational air and ground pictures. For example, an Army unit on

98-538: A Massachusetts Air National Guard F-86 fighter from Hanscom crashed into a Haverhill, Massachusetts neighborhood killing 2 children. Note: Station placed on standby status: 1 Jan-to Apr 1944; discontinued, 12 Aug 1945; disposed, 8 Mar 1946; transferred to Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 21 Aug 1946; leased from Commonwealth of Massachusetts to US Government, 1 Jul 1947, flying facilities are property of Commonwealth of Massachusetts with USAF not having exclusive use. Source: The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

147-465: A BACN-light payloads affixed to aircraft with hardpoints), could provided layered BACN “bridging” connections and Tactical Data Link (TDL) services to war-fighters in an EMS-contested battlespace, without deploying a specific BACN aircraft. For example, in the Pacific – where infrastructure is limited – a “BACN-mesh” concept could be employed to create real-time battlespace pictures, proving useful when

196-755: A Massachusetts-born pilot and aviation enthusiast who had been a reporter for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Hanscom had died in February 1941, in an aircraft accident in Saugus, Massachusetts, while he was lobbying vigorously at the State House for the establishment of the airport at Bedford. Later in the war, the Bedford Army Air Field served as a site for testing new radar sets developed by MIT 's Radiation Laboratory. It

245-487: A controversial program within the DoD. This is caused by a number of issues including the personality clashes between the service people who conceived the project back in late 2004 and the traditional acquisition bureaucracy. This was particularly true between requirements developers at the former Air Force Command and Control Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Center at Langley AFB, Virginia and their acquisition partners at

294-426: A full range of outpatient and inpatient services. TRICARE Insurance Tricare is a health insurance option for all eligible military beneficiaries to Active-Duty service members and retired veterans. Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Basic housing allowance (BAH) is a United States–based allowance, that helps uniformed service members with housing compensation based on housing costs in local housing markets when

343-455: A near-peer adversary attempts localized jamming across the EMS. A "BACN-mesh" concept, if properly employed with numerous smart node equipped aircraft, would "create a complex, impregnable, and mutually reinforcing communication network with multiple relay nodes." Military deployment Military deployment is the movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around

392-687: A pilot, aviation enthusiast, and State House reporter who was killed in a plane crash at Saugus, Massachusetts . Hanscom was a reporter for the Boston Globe , Worcester Telegram & Gazette and the Wilmington (MA) News. Hanscom was active in early aviation, founding the Massachusetts Civil Air Reserve . At the time of his death, Hanscom had been lobbying for the establishment of an airfield in Bedford. The base

441-1015: A reconnaissance classification. The aircraft was later re-designated as the E-11A under the special electronics installation category. The Global 6000 was selected due to its high service ceiling (up to 51,000 ft) and long flight duration (up to 12 hours). These flight characteristics are critical in providing unified datalink and voice networks in the mountainous terrain encountered in the current theater of operations. Additional E-11As have been deployed to increase availability and flexibility. These have been used in operations in Afghanistan. BACN payloads have also been developed, installed, and operated on special variant EQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft to provide unmanned long endurance high altitude communications coverage. The combination of BACN payloads on E-11A and EQ-4 aircraft gives planners and operators flexibility to adapt to mission needs and increase coverage in

490-556: A service to the DOD for the foreseeable future. With the increasing likelihood of a contested electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) in an era of great power competition, the idea of a "BACN-mesh" was proposed by Professor Jahara Matisek (and former E-11 BACN pilot) at the US Air Force Academy, as a way of pursuing new multi-domain war-fighting options against near-peers. Specifically, Prof. Matisek suggests that smart node pods (i.e.

539-470: A straining experience. These traumatizing combat events cause the deployed to have PTSD symptoms along with worsened deployment attitudes and sleep. Injury A soldier's health consequences with major military engagement. Many deployed soldiers will be deployed in stressful combat zones which can cause bodily injury and ill health. Many deployed soldiers during the U.S. Civil War fell to health problems such as irritable hearts and nostalgia. An irritable heart

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588-744: A temporary lodging facility. Since July 1992, Hanscom and the Electronic Systems Center (ESC) have been part of the Air Force Materiel Command . In 1994 the Air Force designated ESC as the Air Force Center of Excellence for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I). The 3245th Air Base Group was redesignated the 647th Support Group on 1 October 1992, and then the 647th Air Base Group (647th ABG) on 1 October 1993. The 647th ABG

637-640: A universal translator, or gateway, that makes the tactical data links work with one another. BACN also serves as an airborne repeater , connecting tactical data link equipped military units that are not within line of sight of one another. Interoperability between airborne networking waveforms has been a persistent challenge. There have been multiple systems developed to address the challenge to include Air Defense Systems Integrator (ADSI), Gateway Manager, and Joint Range Extension (JRE) product lines. However, those product lines were separately funded/maintained and had interoperability concerns of their own. The solution

686-434: Is described as shortness of breath, heart palpitations, headaches, diarrhea, dizziness, and sleep disturbances. Nostalgia was classified as soldiers who would have a loss of appetite, diarrhea, and chronic fever. Many retired soldiers experience traumatic brain injury from combat environments. primary source: military families during deployment Family support may be important for soldiers while on deployment. It can help

735-413: Is headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The host unit at Hanscom is the 66th Air Base Group (66 ABG) assigned to AFMC. A portion of the base is listed as a census-designated place by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes. The resident population as of 2020 was 1,516 at the 2020 census . A non-flying base, Hanscom Air Force Base is named after Laurence G. Hanscom (1906–1941),

784-693: Is the single center responsible for total life cycle management of Air Force weapon systems The 66th Air Base Group performs host unit functions of the base, supporting the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. Hanscom also supports the Massachusetts National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Massachusetts Wing Civil Air Patrol , MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MITRE Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, and various other companies and groups related to

833-673: The Bedford School District . The base has an agreement with Bedford School District to educate high school students. High school students living on the base who are not dependents of active duty military personnel are sent to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District . The census-designated place is physically divided between the following school districts: Lincoln School District (elementary) and Lincoln-Sudbury School District (secondary) in

882-622: The Department of Defense . Flying and notable non-flying units based at Hanscom Air Force Base. Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Hanscom, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Hanscom School, the on-post K-8 school , is operated by the Lincoln School District . High school students who are dependents of active duty military personnel are sent to Bedford High School of

931-532: The Electronic Systems Division (ESD) was established at Hanscom Field in order to consolidate the management of the Air Force's electronic systems under one agency. Since that time, the ESD (re-designated the Electronic Systems Center in 1992) has been the host organization on the base. The 3245th Air Base Wing was redesignated as the 3245th Air Base Group on 1 July 1964, remaining responsible to

980-479: The 3245th Air Base Wing was organized to undertake routine support around the base. The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense computer system, completed in the early 1960s, revolutionized air defense and also contributed significantly to advances in air traffic control systems. As the SAGE system matured, the Air Force developed a number of advanced command, control and communications systems. In 1961

1029-699: The 38th Engineering Installation Wing (by then a group) was reassigned. New Air Force standards caused the 66th Air Base Wing, because of its size, to be redesignated the 66th Air Base Group. In June 2011, the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate moved from Hanscom to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and the Space Vehicles Directorate moved to Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, closing more than 60 years of laboratory presence on Hanscom. The Electronic Systems Center as an organization

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1078-505: The Air Force's electronic and geophysics laboratories in Cambridge started to migrate out to its own new facilities in Bedford in 1954. The airfield's runways were reconfigured and expanded in 1953, and new hangars, headquarters and facilities were built. To provide test and evaluation for Lincoln Lab's new "Cape Cod" experimental air defense system, Hanscom's 6520th Test Support Wing logged thousands of hours of flying time. In April 1960,

1127-541: The Center, and to support its expanded mission. Subsequent reorganizations changed the groupings, but all the above organizations (though renamed) except the 38th EIW remained under Hanscom's reporting chain. In 2004, ESC was reorganized into a named wing, group and squadron unit, to better reflect the organization of the Air Force as a whole. In 2006, the wings, groups and squadrons were given numbered designations. In 2010, ESC reverted to an organization of program offices and

1176-737: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts leased the Bedford airport to the War Department for use by the Army Air Forces . Fighter squadrons trained there in 1942 through 1943. The 85th Fighter Squadron and the 318th Fighter Squadron , who trained at Bedford on the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk , went on to combat in North Africa and Europe. In February 1943, the airport was renamed Laurence G. Hanscom Field in honor of

1225-434: The ESD. While Hanscom's role in system acquisition flourished after the 1950s, its operational mission gradually diminished. As of September 1973, all regular military flying operations at Hanscom ceased. The following year the Air Force terminated its lease of the airfield portion of Hanscom Field, which reverted to state control, but retained the right to use the field. The Air Force re-designated its own acreage surrounding

1274-499: The Electronic Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom AFB , Massachusetts, part of Air Force Materiel Command . BACN divides military planners and acquisition bureaucrats on two main fronts. First, how will an "Airborne Network" evolve beyond the existing tactical data links on today's platforms. Second, the BACN effort presupposes that the capability will initially be "outsourced" to commercial companies that will provide an "airborne network" as

1323-536: The MIT and Harvard wartime laboratories were dissolved, the Army Air Forces aimed to continue some of their programs in radar, radio and electronic research. It recruited scientists and engineers from the laboratories, and its new Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (AFCRL) took over MIT's test site at Hanscom Field. By 1950, the Air Force was working closely with MIT to develop a new air defense system for

1372-562: The Massachusetts Legislature authorized the purchase of a large tract of farmland spanning the borders of the towns of Bedford, Lincoln, Concord and Lexington for a Boston Auxiliary Airport. Funds to build the new airport were contributed by the federal government, which had appropriated $ 40 million to build 250 new civil airports across the United States that could serve for future national defense. In mid-1942,

1421-531: The adjoining towns of Lincoln , Concord and Lexington . The facility is adjacent to Hanscom Field which provides general aviation and charter service. Hanscom AFB is a part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center , one of six centers under Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the single center responsible for total life cycle management of Air Force weapon systems and

1470-456: The battlespace to near 24/7 operations. The effectiveness of BACN has increased the demand for more EQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft to be created and installed with BACN to be utilized in the field. The BACN system continues to be a high in-demand system that the Air Force will more than likely continue to use for many years to come. Northrop Grumman has also developed BACN pods that can be temporarily mounted to other various aircraft. BACN has been

1519-408: The chances of the soldier experiencing PTSD, depression, and sleep disturbances. Children are just as involved as the deployed and the spouse. Parents who deal with less stress can help their children have a more positive experience throughout the military deployment. Emotional support is crucial for the child as it can influence the child's behavior. One way to help the family to have involvement during

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1568-475: The continental United States. Expanding its facilities at Hanscom Field was a step to accomplishing this massive project. After some negotiation, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts agreed in May 1952 to cede land on one side of the airport to the federal government and to give a 25-year renewable lease on the airfield itself. The first buildings for the new MIT Lincoln Laboratory at Hanscom were completed in 1952, and

1617-590: The deployed soldiers to reduce strains and have a more positive deployment attitude/experience. Not only are the deployed soldiers influenced, but their families and children are also affected. Family involvement during deployment While the active member in the military is away on deployment it is important for them to have support from their family. The soldiers' lives back home can directly impact how their experience during deployment will be. Dealing with combat stress as well as family-related issues (poor communication, financial issues, and unstable support) increases

1666-503: The deployment can include writing letters and postcards. Keeping strong communication can resolve stress and have a higher chance of a positive experience for all involved. This military -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hanscom afb Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located predominantly within Bedford, Massachusetts , with portions extending into

1715-774: The deployment, especially when they are participants in combat environments. Depression and PTSD can also be co-existent with lack of sleep, these are all linked with combat stressors. PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder has many symptoms such as anxiety, avoidance, depressive moods, and physical health issues. Many active members would gain PTSD when they experienced combat events such as witnessing destruction (homes/villages being destroyed), fire attacks (artillery rocker fire, small arms fire), seeing human remains, and being ambushed. Active-duty members also recall disturbing memories and images that cause physical reactions (such as heart palpitations and trouble breathing) when they are reminded of

1764-511: The field as the Laurence G. Hanscom Air Force Base. In 1977 the name was shortened to the present Hanscom Air Force Base. The base saw a second wave of construction during the 1980s. The Electronic Systems Division put up four new systems management engineering facilities (the O'Neill, Brown, Shiely and Bond buildings). For base personnel, there were new service facilities—medical, youth and family support centers—as well as additional housing and

1813-422: The government quarters are not provided. Dental Insurance TRICARE dental program (TDP) is voluntary. It is a dental care benefit for eligible for all active-duty service members as well as their families. GI Bill The 9/11 GI bill (chapter 33 benefits) is an education benefit program specifically for members who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Depending on the individual's situation,

1862-664: The ground currently sees a different picture than an aircrew, but with BACN, both can see the same picture. On 22 February 2010, the US Air Force and the Northrop Grumman BACN Team received the 2010 Network Centric Warfare Award from the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement. On 27 January 2020, a USAF E-11A crashed in Afghanistan , killing both crew members on board. Individual tactical data links, such as Link 16 and EPLRS , are part of

1911-415: The larger tactical data link network, encompassing tactical data links, common data links, and weapon data links. Most military platforms or units are equipped with a tactical data link capability tailored to their individual missions. Those tactical data link capabilities are not necessarily interoperable with one another, preventing the digital exchange of information between military units. BACN acts as

1960-526: The node is continually moving. The BACN prototype was originally developed and tested in 2005–2008 on the NASA WB-57 high altitude test aircraft during Joint Expeditionary Force Experiments and other experimentation venues. The last two flying WB-57s were used for this mission in Afghanistan. BACN was also deployed for testing on a Bombardier Global 6000 and originally designated as the RC-700A under

2009-423: The program can include coverage of tuition fees, a monthly housing allowance, a books and supplies stipend, yellow ribbon payments, a college fund, rural benefit payments, and transferability to eligible immediate family members (spouse and children). Depression Throughout the deployment, troops are monitored to see if any depressive symptoms arise. Many active-duty members may gain depressive symptoms throughout

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2058-427: The world. more benefits listed on the military benefits page When Military deployment begins the active member can gain numerous benefits throughout their military career Many of which can be passed down to their immediate family (spouse and children). VA Medical Benefits This program provides a Medicare Benefits package by The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), available to all enrolled Veterans allowing

2107-487: The world. There are numerous groups within the military, these groups include (1) Army , (2) Navy , (3) Air Force , (4) Marine Corps , (5) Space Force , and (6) Coast Guard . These groups can be deployed overseas or in combat zones, as well as be redeployed very easily after deployment has already occurred. They are a liquid asset to the US, giving the US the ability to react to emerging threats and disasters in regions around

2156-538: Was an "Objective Gateway" which would serve as a Universal Translator to make data from one network interoperable with another. In 2005, the USAF's AFC2ISRC and ESC created BACN as an Objective Gateway technology demonstrator to provide voice and data interoperability between aircraft in a single battle area. The four key principles were The BACN first flight was November 2005 at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, CA. BACN

2205-470: Was named in his honor on 26 June 1941. Hanscom Field , a civilian general-aviation airport adjacent to the Air Force Base, and Massport are the primary operators of the air field and runways. Less than one percent of the air traffic at Hanscom Field is military aircraft. Hanscom Air Force Base began its existence while the United States was considering its entry into World War II . In May 1941,

2254-546: Was realigned in July 2012, and became a part of the newly created Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The B-25 bomber which crashed into the Empire State Building on 28 July 1945, took off from Hanscom. On 8 August 1962, a US Air Force KC-135A tanker crashed on approach to runway 11, destroying the aircraft and killing all three members of the flight crew. On June 30th 1964,

2303-687: Was successfully demonstrated in Joint Expeditionary Force eXperiment (JEFX) 2006 and JEFX 2008 and selected for field deployment. Getting critical air support to troops in contact with the enemy supports both troops on the ground and in the air. This project is not limited to combat operations. It has provided the World Food convoy commander with “comms-on-the-move.” This capability allows convoys to stay in continuous contact with air support and with command channels in complex or adverse terrain, while mitigating exposure to attacks as

2352-647: Was then inactivated on 1 October 1994, and its mission taken up by the 66th Air Base Wing . The Standard Systems Group at Gunter Annex, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; the 38th Engineering Installation Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla.; the Materiel Systems Group at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and lastly the Cryptologic Systems Group at Kelly AFB, Texas; were all attached to ESC between 1993 and 1996 in order to consolidate related functions in AFMC under

2401-401: Was this secondary wartime activity at Hanscom that gave rise to the base's postwar role. Since 1945 Hanscom has emerged as the Air Force's center for the development and acquisition of electronic systems. The base has also played a significant role in the creation of a national high-technology area around Route 128. World War II established the key military importance of radar. In 1945, when

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