Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation located in western Cape Cod in Barnstable County , Massachusetts . It was named after Major General Clarence Edwards , commander of the 26th Division in World War I . The base is currently the home of portions of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment , of the Massachusetts Army National Guard .
117-546: In 1931, the National Guard deemed Camp Devens to be too small to meet their needs and began to look for a new training area, and two years later Cape Cod was identified as having a suitable environment to build a new camp. Camp Edwards was officially dedicated in 1938. In 1940, the U.S. Army leased Camp Edwards as a training facility as part of its mobilization strategy for World War II. The Army undertook significant construction which helped to expand Camp Edwards from
234-704: A C-47 transport plane, which had taken off from Otis, suffered a mid-air collision over Camp Edwards with an F-94B , resulting in the deaths of all 12 men aboard the planes (10 on the C-47 and two on the F-94B). In 1954, Congress authorized the transfer of the camp from the Department of the Army to the Department of the Air Force , for the purpose of operating a military airfield. The Army still used its usual areas while
351-482: A 47-acre commercial site within the former Fort Devens. This facility is to be used for development and manufacture of fusion power equipment and plants, none of which were yet in commercial use anywhere worldwide as of 2021. The following military units are based at this location: On December 21, 1989, Fort Devens was listed as superfund because historic underground storage tanks /fuel depots had contaminated soils with heavy metals and petroleum products. In 2016,
468-562: A brutal and punishing campaign of reprisal which resulted in the deaths of about 6,000 Native Americans and thousands more being sold into slavery in the West Indies. This war was the bloodiest, in terms of the percentage of the population that died in it, in American history. More than 10% of the total population (native and colonial) of New England perished. The economic, social, and political consequences of King Philip's War (named after
585-778: A central organ of the New England revolutionary fighting force during the early American Revolution and a major component in the Continental Army under George Washington . It is currently headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base and commanded by Major General Gary W. Keefe. Massachusetts National Guard soldiers and airmen are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army and Air Force , and identical ranks and insignias are utilized. National Guardsmen are eligible for all US military awards in addition to state awards . Soldiers and Airmen are held to
702-555: A citizens' petition for Devens to become a legally incorporated town . Efforts to make Devens the state's 352nd town failed on the local level in 2006. As of 2018, Devens is "a regional enterprise zone and census-designated place in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County," (see Fort Devens (CDP), Massachusetts ). In March 2021, Commonwealth Fusion Systems established
819-463: A confined environment, along with collective training and pre-mobilization requirements for deploying units, and will allow soldiers to train in the close quarters combat skills faced during overseas combat deployments. The range will also be available for use by other Department of Defense and federal agencies to better prepare them for room clearing operations. The Tactical Training Team is a team of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) whose primary mission
936-559: A day. The project was completed in a mere 125 days (September 1940 to January 1941) and served as the national prototype for other camps built during World War II , using the 700 series drawings. The station was located on Weaver Street. In January 1941, the 26th Infantry Division, which was recently federalized, consisted entirely of Massachusetts National Guard members. Over the next 3 months, its ranks filled up with members from New York and New England . Starting for 7 months in April 1941,
1053-610: A disc golf course, and a golf course. Veterans of the Army Security Agency have also expressed interest in building a museum there as Fort Devens was their principal training facility for nearly 25 years. Devens became a United States Army Reserve installation under the command the Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) with an Army Reserve, Massachusetts Army National Guard and Marine Corps Reserve presence. In 2007
1170-544: A driver training area, and the following specialized facilities: Camp Devens Fort Devens is a United States Army Reserve military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley , in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts . Due to extensive environmental contamination it was listed as a superfund site in 1989. Most of the fort's land
1287-726: A major component of the Continental Army throughout the Revolution. After the British seizure of Eastport and Castine, Maine in 1814 there was great concern that the British would attack other cities on the New England coast. Massachusetts militia units were called into service to reinforce coastal fortifications protecting Boston and other locations. The 181st Infantry Regiment (United States) , 182nd Infantry Regiment (United States) , 101st Field Artillery Regiment and
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#17327941080701404-469: A mixture of rubble and complete structures. The layout includes a residential area, school, marketplace, and worship area. Soldiers learn how to clear rooms and buildings in built-up areas, conduct house-to-house searches by foot in hostile urban areas and distinguish between the characteristics of an innocent civilian and an embedded insurgent aiming to do harm. The MOUT also includes a building used for training classes and after-action review sessions. The site
1521-749: A new training area. People who supported and were against the military on the Cape made their voices heard to the Commonwealth and the War Department in 1935 when Governor James Curley signed a bill establishing a Military Reservation Commission. In September, the War Department approved acquisition of up to 200,000 acres (810 km) on Cape Cod for the purpose of military training. In 1936, troops began setting up camp and began training. These soldiers were often equipped with World War I era equipment, wooden guns, and Enfield rifles. This reality reflected
1638-464: A new training center in the area. This was dedicated in 2011 as the David S. Connolly Armed Forces Reserve Center . The three buildings total 280,000 square feet and are on 57 acres. It also supported 650 Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers and Marines, and included space to store nearly 800 military vehicles. The total cost was $ 100 million. In January 2011 a group of Devens residents filed
1755-497: A permanent US Army post in 1931. However, during the depression , construction was slow; most of the work was done by the Works Progress Administration . A few years later, Fort Devens Army Airfield was established. In 1940, at the onset of World War II , Fort Devens was designated a reception center for all men in New England who would serve one year as draftees. A massive $ 25 million building project
1872-411: A role in the technologically advanced national defense Semi Automatic Ground Environment , which was under the command of North American Aerospace Defense Command . Otis AFB served as a node in gap-filler radar and flight support. In 1959, the Air Force constructed a counterpart to the Army's Nike missiles, and CIM-10 BOMARC anti-aircraft missiles were installed on a site northwest of the airfield. Otis
1989-446: A rustic military post to a small city, overflowing with new GIs. The new plan called for new capacity to house 30,000 soldiers and was completed in just four months. At the peak of the construction, 30 buildings were completed every day. During the war, the camp functioned as a sending off point for troops as well as a training ground for anti-aircraft and amphibious units . By mid-1944 the training centers were relocated to Florida , but
2106-403: A staging area for meetings and public affairs events when arriving or leaving from the airfield. In 1973, the Army began its withdrawal from Camp Edwards. Otis Air Force Base was also closed this year. In 1975, Otis reopened as Otis Air National Guard Base and all operations on the land occupied by Otis and Camp Edwards came under the control of the new Massachusetts Military Reservation. In 1978,
2223-545: A wide range of tailored training including Warfighter Exercises, Virtual Battlefield Trainer (VBT) and multi-agency table top exercises. The BSC has also been used as an Emergency Operations Center during disaster responses. Plans are in place as of 2010 to construct a 7,540-square-foot (700 m) Live Fire Shoot House that will permit all Massachusetts Army National Guard personnel to perform essential combat tasks that will improve their readiness posture prior to mobilization. The facility will support small arms familiarization in
2340-707: Is designed to augment and work closely with the Massachusetts Army National Guard's Pre-Deployment Training Assessment and Evaluation (PTAE) Team, which is responsible for ensuring that units deploying into combat are validated in all training standards as directed by First Army. Areas of TTT expertise include combatives; weapons; communications; calling for and adjusting indirect fire; combat lifesaver techniques; air assault operations; military operations on urban terrain; IED defeat techniques; operations in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environments; and all leader tasks. All members of
2457-541: Is located at Fort Dix , New Jersey, and whose Commanding General serves as the Senior Commander for Ft. Devens. The units with the original 94th Regional Readiness Command were realigned with similar commands along the East Coast. The base still remained an active training site for Reserve and National Guard Forces as well as regional law enforcement agencies. The Army announced in 2008 that it would build
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#17327941080702574-621: Is named in honor of Maj. Jeffrey R. Calero of Queens Village, N.Y. Calero, a member of Operational Detachment Alpha 2132, C Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed in action in Afghanistan on October 29, 2007. Other recently planned, modified or additional elements of Camp Edwards' training facilities include the following: A Battle Simulation Center with a JANUS hardware and software suite, flexible room configuration, built-in PA, DVD, and power point systems; supports
2691-495: Is named in honor of Sgt. Michael J. Kelley of Scituate, Mass. Kelley, a member of E Battery (Target Acquisition) of the 101st Field Artillery, was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 8, 2005. Designed to meet the training requirements of a company-sized unit in an urban environment, Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Site Calero includes 48 buildings constructed from connex containers up to two stories high, with
2808-587: Is that when National Guard units were called into Federal service during the First World War, they were better prepared than their forebears in previous wars. During the First World War, the 26th Division (nicknamed the "Yankee Division") was formed from units of Massachusetts National Guard. The division spent 210 days in combat and participated in the St. Mihele and Meuse-Argonne offensives. Additionally, Guard units were mobilized for coastal defense at forts in
2925-464: Is the setting for the play "Court-Martial at Fort Devens" by Jeffrey Sweet . Based on a true story, it tells of two Black WACs at the fort during World War II who went on strike after facing prejudicial treatment, and were subsequently court-martialed . Notes Bibliography Massachusetts National Guard The Massachusetts National Guard is the National Guard component for
3042-519: Is to provide national guard soldiers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to close with and destroy the enemy in the Global War on Terror. The TTT also remains ready and available to assist other units and organizations from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, law enforcement personnel and first responders in all areas of tactical training. The TTT
3159-424: The 26th Infantry Division or the 241st Coast Artillery . The 241st Coast Artillery was disestablished in 1944. The 181st Infantry Regiment patrolled the coasts of Massachusetts and other locations in New England. The Massachusetts Army National Guard reorganized in 1946 after five years of active duty. The 26th Infantry Division was the largest formation; however, there were now two major non-divisional units in
3276-560: The Army Security Agency Training Center & School (ASATC&S) from April 1951 to 1996. In the 1950s or 1960s the fort was home to the 56th Air Defense Artillery Brigade , part of 1st Region, Army Air Defense Command . On 15 February 1958 the 2d Infantry Brigade was reactivated at Fort Devens, Massachusetts as the Pentomic 2nd Infantry Brigade with its own shoulder sleeve insignia . It spent
3393-637: The Army of Observation whose purpose was to ensure that the British did not travel to locations outside of Boston which they occupied. The Army of Observation fought the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. General George Washington assumed command of the Army of Observation at Cambridge in July 1775 and the militia units then became units in the newly formed Continental Army . Massachusetts regiments were
3510-592: The Cold War , Camp Edwards remained active and continued training troops. During the Korean War , the base was activated and troop levels approaching World War II were again seen at the base. In 1958, the Atomic Energy Commission recommended that nuclear waste reprocessing be conducted at the camp. It never happened. Deactivated in 1946 and moved to caretaker status by the Army, Camp Edwards
3627-685: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts . Founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, it contains the oldest units in the United States Army . What is today's Massachusetts National Guard evolved through many different forms. Originally founded as a defensive militia for Puritan colonists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony , the militia evolved into a highly organized and armed fighting force. The Massachusetts militia served as
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3744-557: The Confederate States Navy died as a prisoner of war at Fort Warren in 1863. He was originally buried at Fort Warren but his remains were moved to Deer Island and Governors Island in Boston Harbor before being moved to Fort Devens in 1939. In 2002 his remains were finally returned to his home state of Florida. The Jack Benny Program broadcast on December 20, 1942 was recorded at Fort Devens. The fort
3861-731: The First World War , Second World War , Korean War , Gulf War , the War in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan . The National Guard is technically commanded by the governor, who is assisted by the state adjutant general when not federalized , who holds the rank of major general . National Guard members, as with all other Reserve Components , train one weekend a month and conducts Annual Training (15–30 days). The now deactivated Massachusetts State Defense Force (MSDF)
3978-883: The Mexican War the Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers was formed. It served from January 1847 to July 1848. Its first commander was former congressman and future United States attorney general Caleb Cushing . At the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, Massachusetts Militia units were mobilized to serve in the Union Army . From April to December 1864 at total of 27 Unattached Companies Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were called to active service to garrison coast defense forts in Massachusetts. Most of these companies were drawn from existing units of
4095-593: The "shot heard round the world" and the beginning of the American Revolution. While the Lexington militia retreated in the face of superior British forces, militiamen continuously engaged the British as they retreated from Concord back to Boston later the same day. After the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, Massachusetts militia units were called into service, along with militia units from New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island, to form
4212-498: The 102d Air Fighter Wing was transitioned into the 102nd Intelligence Wing, with Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod remaining at the reservation. Though the 102d AFW and its fleet of fighter jets were relocated to Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, the retention of the entities and the continued sharing of key operating costs such as base security, road maintenance, snow removal, water, utilities and sewage treatment ensured
4329-486: The 1918 flu pandemic . Approximately 850 soldiers, mostly privates, died at the camp during 1918 from the Spanish flu . In 1918, it became a separation center for over 150,000 troops upon their return from France. Put on inactive status, it served next as a summer training camp for National Guardsmen, Reservists and ROTC cadets. In 1920, following years of debate regarding preparedness for another global war, passage of
4446-633: The 26th left Camp Edwards to participate in the Carolina Maneuvers and the Coastal Patrol, while other National Guard and Army Divisions came to train the camp. The 26th returned to Camp Edwards on December 6, 1941, with the expectation of completing their year of service soon. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent declaration of war by the United States , resulted in extension of federal service for
4563-777: The 595th Medical Company and the 46th Combat Support Hospital, the 46th CSH was inactivated July 15, 1994. Finally, the 624th Military Police Company was stationed until the post closed. Headquarters, Army Readiness Region I and Readiness Group Devens were also located there in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The mission was to assist the training of reserve component units, state National Guard and Army Reserve units in New York and New England. Other subordinate Readiness Groups were located at Secena Army Depot and Fort Hamilton in NYC. Exact establishment dates and/or inactivation dates could not be found. The U.S. Army post which resided at Fort Devens
4680-517: The 6th saw action in Puerto Rico. All units were demobilized by May 1899. The Dick Act of 1903 brought into being the National Guard in its current form. In exchange for federal funding, state militia units could join the National Guard with the obligation to serve in the event of a federal emergency. The name National Guard was applied to units receiving Federal financing and subject to Federal mobilization and regulation. The primary result of
4797-548: The 772nd Military Police Company are four of only twenty Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812 , as they gained the campaign credit through their antecedent units' service. The Massachusetts Militia Law of 1840 brought significant changes to the Massachusetts Militia. The first change was that it drew a distinction between the enrolled militia and the volunteer militia. The enrolled militia
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4914-522: The 84-acre Shepley's Hill landfill site out of the groundwater remediation. As of 2022, there is ongoing groundwater remediation at the former Moore Army Airfield and the former Shepley's Hill Landfill in addition to long-term groundwater monitoring at four petroleum contaminated sites. Fort Devens has a cemetery which has the graves of U.S. military personnel, their dependents and about 20 German and Italian prisoners of war who died there either during or shortly after World War II. A number of graves predate
5031-536: The Air Force and Army are the entities charged with remediation efforts, the Massachusetts National Guard has been working to modify its systems in an environmentally responsible manner while maintaining the rigid standards and requirements of military training. In 1998, Congressman William Delahunt proposed closing Camp Edwards. In 1999, Governor Paul Cellucci proposed turning the northern 15,000 acres (6,000 ha), which includes Pine Hill ,
5148-418: The Air Force expanded. Between 1951 and around 1956, the Air Force constructed numerous new hangars and other buildings on the south side of Otis. Otis became one of three Air Defense Command bases in the northeast, the others being Hanscom Air Force Base and Ethan Allen Air Force Base . Air Defense Command built a series of fighter alert hangars at Otis in the 1940s and 1950s. Otis fulfilled its role through
5265-640: The Air Force returned with the Perimeter Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System , more popularly known as PAVE PAWS. This new facility was known as Cape Cod Air Force Station . In 1986, an artilleryman from the Connecticut Army National Guard overloaded a gun and the shell overshot the target by over a mile, hitting U.S. Route 6 . No one was injured in the incident, although a two foot wide crater that
5382-659: The Allies began the invasion of North Africa in December 1942, the US Army built a prisoner-of-war camp for captured German soldiers. The camp, located at the south end of the runway, housed up to 2,000 POWs at a given time, many of whom were from Rommel's famed Afrika Korps . The prisoners worked around Camp Edwards much of the time, but were also sent to work in the area's farms and cranberry fields. German prisoners also assisted in salvaging millions of board feet of lumber after
5499-573: The Army started looking for PFAS , which it detected in groundwater and in the municipal water supply wells for Devens and the Town of Ayer. In May 2021, Restoration Advisory Board community members were concerned about PFAs making their way into the Nashua River , especially with water from the river being used to irrigate crops in communities downstream. They also discussed progress of the pump and treat system to get dissolved arsenic and iron at
5616-508: The Boston and New Bedford areas. After the First World War, the 110th Cavalry Regiment , still horsed cavalry, was established. It was assigned in the 1920s to the 23rd and then after July 1924 to the 22nd Cavalry Division . From May to October 1940 the regiment was broken up and reorganized as coastal and field artillery. As in the First World War, Massachusetts National Guard units were called into Federal service. Most units were either in
5733-696: The COVID-19 pandemic. Camp Edwards in the Massachusetts Military Reservation , Cape Cod, Massachusetts is the major training site for Army National Guard units. Armories for the MA ARNG include Hudson Armory . Current units of the Massachusetts Army National Guard include the following: Former Units: Otis Air National Guard Base and Barnes Air National Guard Base are the major Massachusetts Air National Guard bases. The Massachusetts National Guard Museum and Archives
5850-599: The Camp Edwards TTT are NCOs recently returned from deployments in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, have held leadership positions, and are qualified instructors meeting all US Army standards. On 20 September 2014, three Afghanistan military officers visiting Camp Edwards went missing at Cape Cod Mall during an event where they were to be introduced to American culture. They were later found trying to enter Canada while asking for asylum near Niagara Falls . Includes two 60-foot (18 m) rappel towers, an obstacle course,
5967-461: The Dick Act was that the state militias were transformed into better trained, better equipped and more professional military forces. The National Defense Act of 1916 built upon the Dick Act by requiring National Guard units to increase their number of annual training assemblies (commonly called "drills") from 24 to 48 and the number of annual training days from 5 to 15. The result of these reforms
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#17327941080706084-495: The Massachusetts Army National Guard. An example of Theater Immersion Training, TTB is designed to rapidly build combat-ready units by simulating military environments encountered during missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Balkans. Soldiers live in tents with modular units provided for shower and sink facilities, and the base is surrounded by barriers filled with dirt and barbed wire, entry control points and guard towers. The base
6201-444: The Massachusetts Army National Guard. Since the late 1970s, Massachusetts Military Reservation, which sits atop the primary drinking water aquifer serving Cape Cod, has been the site of the nation's largest government-mandated and -funded environmental cleanup project. Decades of unchecked use and disposal of explosives, ammunition, fuels and chemicals, as well as sewage runoff, resulted in multiple contaminated groundwater plumes. While
6318-544: The Massachusetts Militia. The military history of Plymouth Colony began in February 1621 when Captain Myles Standish was named commander of the colony's militia - then consisting of every able bodied adult male in the colony. On October 2, 1658 the militia companies of each town were organized into a regiment under the command of Major Josiah Winslow who served until he was elected governor on June 3, 1673, when he
6435-658: The Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. Terms of service ranged from 90 days to one year and all of the companies had been demobilized by July 1865. During the Spanish–American War six Massachusetts Volunteer Militia regiments were called into Federal service between May and July 1898. The regiments were the 2nd , 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th infantry regiments and the 1st Heavy Artillery regiment. The 2nd, 8th and 9th regiments engaged in combat in Cuba and
6552-558: The National Defense Act established an important role for the citizen army. In 1927, appropriations were made for permanent construction of buildings, but the stock market crash nearly called a halt. Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers , of Lowell, recognized the economic significance of Camp Devens to this largely agricultural community. In 1929, Robert Goddard briefly used the post for his rocket operations. In 1931, through her efforts, Camp Devens became Fort Devens,
6669-537: The National Guard received more Federal funding and evolved into a better trained, better equipped and more professional force. The National Guard was in a high state of readiness when units were activated to serve in the Gulf War of 1990 to 1991. The end of the Cold War resulted in force restructuring and reductions. As a result, the Army decided to downsize the 26th Infantry Division into a brigade, and put it under
6786-644: The Otis vicinity was devastated by a hurricane in September 1944. 4 sawmills were supposed to be built at the base to cut up this lumber. The 1114th SCU maintained security and managed the camp throughout the war. By the end of the war, the POW camp had received, processed, and repatriated up to 5,000 POWs. By June 1944, Camp Edwards had expanded to an area of 21,322 acres (8,629 ha), capable of accommodating 1,945 officers and 34,108 enlisted personnel. In its last act of
6903-651: The Regional Training Institute relocated to Camp Edwards from Camp Curtis Guild in Reading in 1986. From 1972 until 1986, Camp Edwards had been the site for the MMA's annual two-week training period. Since the academy's relocation and its re-designation as the RTI, all activities including the two-week training period have been conducted at Camp Edwards. Its functions include the officer candidate school for
7020-443: The United States. This emphasizes the Guard's dual role as both and state and national military force. In its mission as a state organization, the National Guard can be called on by the Governor to assist in national disasters and public safety emergencies. In its national role, the National Guard can be mobilized for active service with the United States Armed Forces. Units of the Massachusetts National Guard have been mobilized during
7137-411: The Vietnam era (1965-1972) service in the National Guard was used by tens of thousands of men as a means of avoiding being drafted into the active Army and, probably, being sent to fight in Vietnam. While this enabled the National Guard to fill its personnel requirements there was a diminishing of readiness as many members of the Guard had a low level of motivation for military service. In the early 1980s
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#17327941080707254-439: The Wampanoag sachem that led them) would echo into the following centuries. As time progressed, larger towns would usually have more than one militia company and the companies of adjacent towns would be organized into regiments commanded by colonels. The regiments, in turn, were organized into brigades commanded by brigadier generals. In 1692 Plymouth Colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and its militia became part of
7371-407: The aim of turning Devens into a residential and business community. The Bureau of Prisons used its land for the Federal Medical Center, Devens , a prison hospital. Since the closing of the military base, many of the existing buildings have been renovated or reconstructed; housing developments now exist, along with a growing business park, a new hotel, restaurants, several public and private schools,
7488-430: The camp remained as a hospital, prisoner-of-war camp, and holding area for AWOL (Absent With Out Leave) soldiers being sent overseas until the end of the war. With the end of the war, Camp Edwards was deactivated. The Air Force took control of nearby Otis Field in 1948, and Otis Air Force Base was born. During the Korean War, the camp was reactivated to train troops. After the war, the camp was again deactivated. The camp
7605-438: The cape's south coast and the Scorton Neck Firing Range in Sandwich on the cape's north coast. The Scorton Neck range was used for antiaircraft and other training with weapons ranging from .22-caliber small arms to 90-mm antiaircraft guns . The types of weapons used at the Popponesset range are unclear. Reportedly, Scorton Neck was in use for a period of 110 days and Popponesset for 60 days. Another anti-aircraft training center
7722-451: The command of the 29th Infantry Division. On 1 September 1993, the division was inactivated, and the 26th Infantry Brigade remained in its place, based in Springfield. The 3rd and 43rd brigades, 26th Infantry Division were inactivated, and the 86th Infantry Brigade was put under the command of the 42nd Infantry Division . On 1 October 1995, the brigade was formally designated the 26th Brigade, 29th Infantry Division. The divisional cavalry
7839-437: The command was dissolved in April 1944. The "Convalescent Hospital" was established at Camp Edwards in 1942. In addition to serving wounded coming back from both theaters, the hospital became famous for its convalescent trains that crossed the country and for its WAAC training program for New England nurses. Over 2500 nurses stopped for training at Camp Edwards before going overseas between 1942 and 1944. A mock German village
7956-465: The commander of the 26th Division in World War I, Major General Clarence Edwards. In 1940, the biggest construction project in the camp's history began when the Army leased Camp Edwards. Construction was completed under the command of Major Thomas Waters, of the 68th AA Regiment. The Walsh Construction Company of New York was the company chosen to build the initial 1300 buildings in the cantonment area. These buildings were to house over 30,000 men. The goal
8073-428: The core of the Antiaircraft Artillery Training Center, Camp Edwards , one of seven such U.S. Army facilities in World War II. This was activated 28 March 1942 as part of the Army Antiaircraft Command . The Camp Edwards center trained 42 anti-aircraft battalions before it was deactivated in July 1944. Camp Edwards had at least two firing ranges at satellite camps in 1941–1942, the Popponesset Firing Range in Mashpee on
8190-422: The country's defensive perimeter. The 551st operated the EC-121 Constellation that were modified to conduct long-range flights over the Atlantic Ocean . Other Air Defense Command units conducting air defense missions from Otis AFB at this time included the 4707th Air Defense Wing , the 33rd Fighter Wing , and the 58th and 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Otis AFB played
8307-472: The crews and aircraft of the 33rd Fighter Interceptor Wing , whose headquarters were established at Otis. The 564th Air Defense Group , consisting of the 58th and 437th Fighter Squadrons, was also based at and conducted missions from Otis. The 564th was later redesignated the 33rd Air Defense Group . In 1955, the Air Defense Command's 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing was assigned to Otis Air Force Base to conduct reconnaissance missions and expand
8424-402: The division through 1945. In 1941, the 101st Observation Squadron was inducted into federal service and moved to Otis Field. The first concrete runways were laid in 1942 and expanded in 1943 because of the advancements of allied aircraft. The field became an important anti-submarine base because of its proximity to the ocean, and subsequently the Army placed the 14th Antisubmarine Squadron at
8541-444: The duel and his remains were later discovered in a walled off part of Fort Independence is not true. In reality, Drane was later promoted to captain and continued to serve in the Army until his death in 1846. Massie was originally buried at Fort Independence, and his remains were relocated to Fort Devens, along with others buried at Forts in Boston Harbor, in the 1950s after the forts were closed. Lieutenant Edward John Kent Johnson of
8658-459: The field from November 1942 until July 1943. The Navy took over all anti-submarine missions in October. On February 2, 1942, a massive fire swept through a garage on the base. This fire destroyed 125 vehicles, including 40 which were new. This was the only massive fire to ever occur at the base. A coast artillery battalion (anti-aircraft) was stationed at Camp Edwards from 1942 to 1944. It formed
8775-634: The fort had a population of 306 enlisted personnel, 2,151 reservists, 348 civilians, and 1,399 family members, and maintained 25 ranges, 21 training areas, and 15 maneuver areas on nearly 5,000 acres (20 km ) of land. It was home to the United States Army Base Camp Systems Integration Laboratory as well as the United States Army System Integration Laboratory . Part of the former area of
8892-477: The fort's establishment as they were relocated after the closure of several coast defense forts in Boston Harbor after World War II. The oldest grave is that of 1st Lieutenant Robert F. Massie of the Corps of Artillery , who was killed in a sword duel with First Lieutenant Gustavus S. Drane at Fort Independence , in Boston Harbor, on Christmas Day 1817. The legend that Lieutenant Drane mysteriously disappeared after
9009-419: The headquarters of the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which was responsible for the command and control of Army Reserve units throughout New England, as well as providing Army Reserve support for Federal Emergency Management Agency operations in the New England region, was disbanded under the consolidation of forces and buildings within the area came under the control of the 99th Regional Support Command, which
9126-481: The highest point on Cape Cod, into a state conservation area. This was met by protests from those in the Massachusetts National Guard and the proposal was later dropped. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) voted in 2005 to close Otis Air National Guard Base, a move that would have affected all tenants at Massachusetts Military Reservation. An agreement was ultimately brokered whereby
9243-498: The isolationist policy of the American people. Between 1935 and 1940, Massachusetts and the federal government, primarily using Works Project Administration funds, constructed 63 buildings (all but Buildings 102 and the old Williams Hospital have since been demolished) and two, 500-foot (150 m) wide turf runways at Otis Field. The project was the largest WPA project in state history, employing over 600 workmen. In 1938, Governor Charles F. Hurley dedicated Camp Edwards, named after
9360-477: The military base is now home to Federal Medical Center, Devens , a federal prison for male inmates requiring specialized or long-term medical or mental health care. Camp Devens, named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens , was established on September 5, 1917, as a temporary cantonment for training soldiers during World War I . About 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land was leased then later purchased from 112 owners who sold 230 parcels of land in
9477-508: The missions carried out at Camp Edwards would continue. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina , Camp Edwards was opened to 250 evacuees from the New Orleans area. They were housed in aging but unoccupied military barracks, which were updated in short order with new mattresses, furnishings and linens, and served meals at three nearby dining halls. On June 7, 2008, two new training facilities were dedicated in honor of fallen soldiers from
9594-511: The next five years training in northern Massachusetts and Cape Cod . The Brigade was prepared to support the Marines landing in the 1958 Lebanon crisis but did not deploy. The 2d Infantry Brigade was inactivated on 19 February 1963 at Fort Devens; in 1962 when it was reflagged as 2d Brigade, 5th Infantry Division . It was reactivated on 23 October 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and moved (with
9711-620: The only ones in the Northeast other than those at Fort Drum and Fort Dix , are meant to simulate a middle-eastern town. Camp Edwards' beginnings can be traced back to 1908 when the Massachusetts State Militia practiced weekend and annual training in the Shawme-Crowell State Forest . The area was looked at in 1931 when the National Guard deemed Camp Devens to be too small and began to look for
9828-699: The organization and leadership of the militia. Three years later the Hampshire Regiment was raised in Springfield, MA ; today's 104th Infantry Regiment traces its origins to that unit. During King Philip's War (1675-1678), 25 of New England's 90 towns were attacked and pillaged by native tribal warriors and a further 17 colonial towns such as Springfield and Scituate were burnt to the ground. Approximately 3,000 colonists perished. A colonial force of about 1,000 militiamen (mostly from Massachusetts but also from Plymouth Colony and Connecticut) fought
9945-559: The rank of captain. After December 13, 1636, this changed. That day that the Massachusetts militia was organized into the North, South, and East Regiments. Today's 181st Infantry Regiment, 101st Field Artillery Regiment , and 101st Engineer Battalion (United States) respectively trace their origins to these three regiments. The militia companies were nominally under the command of the colonial governor, but, in practice, operated as independent units. The regimental organization did much to improve
10062-426: The rate of 10.4 new buildings every day. It was a reception center for war selectees and became a demobilization center after the war. As one of 16 temporary cantonments, Camp Devens processed and trained more than 100,000 soldiers. Three divisions (the 12th , the 26th and the 76th ) were activated and trained at Devens during the war. In 1918, Camp Devens, was afflicted by the late 1918 deadly second wave of
10179-406: The re-authorization bill concerning the guard and it was deactivated. The Massachusetts National Guard has helped to administrate the COVID-19 vaccine in places such as Springfield, East Boston, and Danvers to civilians. Up to 250 members of the Massachusetts National Guard were activated and trained to drive school transport vans, known as 7D vehicles after a mass shortage of bus drivers due to
10296-402: The regiment was further decimated when a battalion from Fort Devens was reflagged as the 3d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and sent to Korea to join the 1st Cavalry Division . The 7th Infantry deployed to San Francisco, California and sailed for Japan on 20 August 1950, arriving on 16 September 1950 to marry-up with the 15th Infantry Regiment and the division headquarters. Fort Devens hosted
10413-653: The rest of the Division) to Fort Riley , Kansas in January 1964. From 1968 to 1995, Fort Devens was the home of the 10th Special Forces Group . It also served as a training center for members of the Army Reserve and National Guard. Fort Devens was the home of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), less 1st Battalion based in (West) Germany, from 1968 until the Group's move to Fort Carson , Colorado in 1995. It
10530-403: The same uniform, physical fitness, and marksmanship standards as their Active Duty counterparts. Soon after the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony , efforts were made to organize the colony's militia. All male residents between the ages of 16 and 60 were required for service. These militiamen would be well trained and well armed. Each militiaman would be trained in the same manner which
10647-863: The southern coast of Cape Cod. Camp Cotuit (soon nicknamed Camp Candoit ) was in Cotuit . Camp Havedoneit was in Osterville and was also a maintenance facility including the Crosby Yacht boatyard. Camp Washburn was on Washburn Island in Falmouth . Training was also conducted on Martha's Vineyard . The 36th Infantry Division and the 45th Infantry Division were the divisions initially involved in training. Those divisions later fought in several European campaigns, including amphibious assaults in Sicily and Salerno, Italy in 1943. The first seasickness pill
10764-445: The state: the 182d Infantry Regimental Combat Team and the 104th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade . The Guard was still in the process of rebuilding when the Korean War broke out in June 1950. The 26th Division was considered for active duty, but eight non-divisional units were ordered into active duty as part of the Army's expansion instead. In 1963 the 26th Cavalry was created to provide the divisional reconnaissance squadron. During
10881-610: The towns of Ayer , Harvard , Lancaster and Shirley by the federal government. Some was fine farmland along the Nashua River and other was "sprout" land where trees had been cut leaving stumps. The Fort's siting was due primarily to its location at a major hub of the rail network in New England. Construction, by the largest labor force assembled in the United States, to build an entire city for 10,000 requiring barracks, training buildings, water and sewer systems, raced at
10998-474: The war, Camp Edwards was the location of a Temporary Separation Center for discharging returning GIs. More than 12,900 men were discharged from the armed forces from 1945 to 1946. After the war, it was not uncommon for soldiers to train on local beaches firing artillery rounds into the sea. These rounds were blanks due to the fact that they were usually firing into the Cape Cod Canal entranceway. During
11115-665: Was Camp Wellfleet in eastern Cape Cod. The Amphibious Training Center (initially the Amphibious Training Command) was activated at Camp Edwards under Army Ground Forces command on 22 May 1942, followed shortly by the Engineer Amphibian Command under the United States Army Corps of Engineers on 10 June 1942. The Amphibious Training Center was initially commanded by Colonel Frank A. Keating . The amphibian command
11232-505: Was a major difference between the training of Elizabethan militias which maintained well trained units ( trainbands ) alongside less well trained and less well armed groups of militia. Another major difference between the New England militias and their counterparts in England was these militiamen were allowed to nominate and select their own officers. New England society at the time was organized around congregational lines and this method
11349-506: Was a state military force which could be mobilized by the governor to augment the National Guard. The MSDF was composed of former members of the United States Armed Forces who live in Massachusetts and serve on a voluntary basis unless called to active duty. The MSDF's three major specialties were administrative support, professional support and medical support. Upon entering office in 2016 Governor Baker declined to sign
11466-668: Was also tested by the divisions. In fall 1942 Camp Edwards was "winterized", with the Amphibious Training Center and the brigades in training relocated to Camp Carrabelle (later Camp Gordon Johnston ) in Carrabelle, Florida . By December 1943, the Engineer Amphibian Command had largely accomplished its purpose with the training of the 4th Engineer Special Brigade and replacements for the deployed brigades. A small supply staff remained until
11583-450: Was also the home of the 39th Engineer Battalion (CBT) until the 39th was inactivated in 1992. The 39th Engineer (CBT) was reactivated in 2014 at Fort Campbell , Kentucky . The Army Security Agency Training Center & School (ASATC&S) was established at Devens in April 1951. In 1976 it became known as the U.S. Army Intelligence School, Devens, or USAISD, and was moved to Fort Huachuca, Arizona in 1996. The 36th Medical Battalion including
11700-473: Was begun, including more than 1200 wooden buildings and an airfield. The 1st , 32nd , and 45th Divisions trained at Devens during the war. Devens also housed a prisoner-of-war camp for German and Italian prisoners from 1944 to 1946. It was designated as early as 1942 for detaining enemy aliens of Italian, German and Japanese birth. The 7th Infantry Regiment , 3rd Infantry Division was located at Fort Devens from 1946 to 1950. Already at reduced strength,
11817-583: Was changed to support an invasion of North Africa in December 1942 . Initially eight Engineer Amphibian Brigades, redesignated as Engineer Special Brigades in May 1943, were planned to be trained, five of these at Camp Edwards in 1942. This was scaled back, and eventually six brigades were trained, four at Camp Edwards. Three of the six deployed to Europe; the other three to the Pacific. Three satellite camps were established for training, all of them in beach areas on
11934-399: Was commanded by Colonel Daniel Noce , with Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Trudeau as his chief of staff. Camp Edwards was selected for being an established post close to beaches. Although it was recognized that it would be unsuitable for training in winter, the initial concept was that training would be concluded by November 1942. Planning originally envisioned an invasion of Europe in 1942 , but
12051-438: Was constructed at Edwards in 1942. This was one of the first instances of training for urban warfare. The East Coast Processing Center was established in October 1943. It was the first such facility in the United States. The center housed men who were AWOL prior to shipping them overseas. Most men stayed for a month before being shipped out. Between 1943 and 1945, more than 40,000 men were processed through this center. After
12168-708: Was killed in Kajaki , Afghanistan by a roadside bomb during a combat patrol. He was part of Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group . The Massachusetts National Guard is divided into the Massachusetts Army National Guard and the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Officers in the Guard hold two commissions - one from the Governor of Massachusetts and the other from the President of
12285-639: Was never reactivated for the Vietnam War, but training did go on occasionally. Camp Edwards was subject to a closure attempt in the 1990s, but survived after objections from the military community. During Hurricane Katrina , the camp was utilized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency , opening up to 2,500 refugees. Today, the Camp is home to two training centers for National Guard troops. These training centers, which are
12402-463: Was officially closed in 1996 after 79 years of service. The Base Realignment and Closure process for land distribution for all parcels on the former Fort Devens allowed the Federal Bureau of Prisons , Shriver Job Corps , Massachusetts National Guard , Massachusetts Veterans and MassDevelopment to acquire the land. The bulk of the land was purchased by MassDevelopment for $ 17 million with
12519-568: Was one of eight such facilities in the country. The site was run by the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron . As a result of John F. Kennedy becoming president in 1961, Otis became an important stop for Air Force One due to the proximity of the Kennedy Compound in nearby Hyannisport , called the "Summer White House" during his tenure in office. Kennedy maintained office space in Building 102 and used Building 110 (Kennedy Cottage) as
12636-411: Was reorganized into the 26th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division . In 2008, the 26th IBCT was reorganized as the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB), a combat support brigade, located at Camp Curtis Guild , MA. In 2005 the long-serving 104th Infantry Regiment was inactivated, followed by the 102nd Field Artillery Regiment in 2006. On October 29, 2007, Major Jeffrey R. Calero
12753-499: Was retitled into the 110th Cavalry , but then disestablished in 1996. In 2004, the 26th Brigade transitioned into the 26th (Yankee) Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Numerous Massachusetts National Guard units have been called into Federal service to serve in both Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021 and in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq from 2003 to 2011. In 2005 the 26th Infantry Brigade
12870-535: Was simply a list of able bodied men age 18 to 45 which would only be called upon in time of war. There was no military training requirement for members of the enrolled militia. The volunteer militia, named the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (MVM) were those individuals who joined MVM and conducted regular training. The MVM was organized into three divisions with two brigades each. Each brigade consisted for two or three regiments. Regiments were organized into companies which would be from one or more municipalities. During
12987-548: Was sold off in 1996, but the cantonment area of the post was retained by the Army as the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area (RFTA). Fort Devens was reactivated in May 2007, though no units of active Army have been located there. The Devens Range Complex operates on property in Lancaster , south of Route 2, for live-fire training with small arms, machine guns, grenades, and rockets. In 2011,
13104-550: Was succeeded by Major William Bradford the Younger . On June 2, 1685, Plymouth Colony was divided into three counties (Plymouth, Barnstable and Bristol) and each county had its own regiment of militia. Upon the merger of the colonies, the Plymouth Colony militia became a brigade within the Massachusetts Militia. Prior to the American Revolution, Massachusetts' armed citizens were organized into two major elements. There
13221-488: Was the "regular" militia, which consisted of all white males age 16 to 60, and the minutemen who were better trained and equipped and who could react more quickly to an emergency - theoretically on a minute's notice. In the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, the militia company of Lexington, commanded by Captain John Parker , confronted British forces heading to Concord to search for stores of munitions. This led to
13338-418: Was three inches deep occurred. Camp Edwards has continued to provide training for Army National Guard units across the nation. It has recently been talked about as being the home for a new Department of Homeland Security training center. This would be the second known one for Edwards, the first being the mock German village set up during World War II. Formerly known as Massachusetts Military Academy (MMA),
13455-426: Was to be extended to the militia as well. This nominating process extended all the way to the nomination of province-wide commanders, whose selection needed only General Court assent for outside approval. A company of men had a minimum of 64 soldiers and was to be drilled 6 days a year. Up until the mid-1630s, each town had its own militia company (also known as "trained bands") which was commanded by an officer with
13572-462: Was to have the area finished by the beginning of 1941 when the 26th Infantry Division began a year of training. A railroad spur was built from Falmouth and a constant procession of trucks transporting material to the camp began. Peak of construction occurred in November 1940, with 18,343 employees working three shifts, a weekly payroll in excess of one million dollars, and completion of 30 buildings
13689-505: Was used primarily for Air National Guard and Army National Guard training. The runway was also extended to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) and the 101st Observation Squadron was reactivated as the 101st Fighter Squadron . In 1948, the Air Force obtained Otis Field, renaming it Otis Air Force Base . Camp Edwards was reactivated in 1950 for troop training support for the Korean War, with levels approaching that of World War II. On April 9, 1952,
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