Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
in
Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. Its shire town is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands (some adjacent islands are in Duke ...
. Originally the
Massachusetts Military Reservation
The Joint Base Cape Cod is a state-designated joint base created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facili ...
(which was another name for it until 2013) acquired in September 1935, in 1938 it was named after Major General
Clarence Edwards, commander of the
26th Division in World War I.
It is home to the
3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment.
In 1931, the National Guard deemed
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 l ...
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 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 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
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known ...
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 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
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Ex ...
, opening up to 2,500 refugees.
Today, the Camp is home to two training centers for National Guard troops. These training centers, which are the only ones in the Northeast other than those at
Fort Drum
Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, on the northern border of New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home ...
and
Fort Dix, are meant to simulate a middle-eastern town.
Units assigned
*
Massachusetts National Guard (1908–Present)
*
3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation (???-Present)
*
104th Infantry Regiment - ARNG Recruit Sustainment Battalion
*
101st Field Artillery Regiment
The 101st Field Artillery ("Boston Light Artillery") regiment is the oldest field artillery regiment in the United States Army with a lineage dating to 13 December 1636 when it was organized as the South Regiment. It is one of several National ...
Past
*
Amphibious Training Center (1942)
*
Engineer Amphibian Command (1942–1944)
*
East Coast Processing Center (1943–1945)
Army
*1st through 4th Engineer Amphibian Brigades, redesignated as
Engineer Special Brigade
Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II. Initially designated engineer amphibian brigades, they were redesignated engineer special brigades in 1943. The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engine ...
s in May 1943 (1942–1943)
*1114th SCU
*
![Steeplechase2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Steeplechase2.jpg)
504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
The 504th Infantry Regiment, originally the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (504th PIR), is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, with a long and distinguished history. The regiment was f ...
(1943)
*68th Coast Artillery Regiment (AA) (1940–1941)
*550th AAA Auto Weapons Bn (1943)
*551st AAA Auto Weapons Bn (1943–1944)
*242nd AAA Group (1952–1953)
*Combat Aircrew Refresher Training Unit (Otis Field)
*
26th Infantry Division
*
36th Infantry Division (1942–1943)
*
45th Infantry Division (1942)
*
37th Engineer Regiment (1942)
*
14th Anti-Submarine Squadron (1942–1943)
*304th Station Hospital (1942-1943)
Marines
*
1st Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division,
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Flee ...
(1977–2000)
Non-military offices
*
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
*
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
*
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...
History
Early training on Cape Cod
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 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 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
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
era equipment, wooden guns, and Enfield rifles. This reality reflected the isolationist policy of the American people.
Between 1935 and 1940, Massachusetts and the federal government, primarily using
Works Project Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, in ...
funds, constructed 63 buildings (all but Buildings 102 and the old Williams Hospital have since been demolished) and two, 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
Charles Francis Hurley (November 24, 1893 – March 24, 1946) was an American attorney and the 54th Governor of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and one of its first Irish-American governors.
Early years
Charles Francis Hurley was born in Cambr ...
dedicated Camp Edwards, named after 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 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 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
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, using the 700 series drawings.
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
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
. Starting for 7 months in April 1941, the 26th left Camp Edwards to participate in the
Carolina Maneuvers
The Carolina Maneuvers were a series of United States Army exercises held around Southern North Carolina and Northern South Carolina in 1941. The exercises, which involved some 350,000 troops, was designed to evaluate United States training, logis ...
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
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...
on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent declaration of war by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, resulted in extension of federal service for the division through 1945.
World War II
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
The 14th Antisubmarine Squadron is a disbanded United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in 1942 as the 519th Bombardment Squadron and flew antisubmarine missions off the Atlantic coast until the Navy assumed its mission. It then mov ...
at 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 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
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. 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 the cape's south coast and the Scorton Neck Firing Range in
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
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 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
The Army Ground Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Service Forces. Throughout their existence, Army Ground Forces were the large ...
command on 22 May 1942, followed shortly by the
Engineer Amphibian Command under the
on 10 June 1942. The Amphibious Training Center was initially commanded by Colonel
Frank A. Keating. The amphibian command was commanded by Colonel
Daniel Noce, with Lieutenant Colonel
Arthur Trudeau
Arthur Gilbert Trudeau (July 5, 1902 – June 5, 1991) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He is best known for his command of the 7th Infantry Division during the Battle of Pork Chop Hill in the Korean War.
Early life and ...
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 was changed to support an
invasion of North Africa in December 1942.
Initially eight Engineer Amphibian Brigades, redesignated as
Engineer Special Brigade
Engineer Special Brigades were amphibious forces of the United States Army developed during World War II. Initially designated engineer amphibian brigades, they were redesignated engineer special brigades in 1943. The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engine ...
s 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 the southern coast of Cape Cod. Camp Cotuit (soon nicknamed Camp Candoit) was in
Cotuit
Cotuit ( ) is one of the villages of the Town of Barnstable on Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on a peninsula on the south side of Barnstable about midway between Falmouth and Hyannis, Cotuit is bounded by t ...
. Camp Havedoneit was in
Osterville and was also a maintenance facility including the Crosby Yacht boatyard.
[Impact of World War II on Falmouth at WoodsHoleMuseum.org, p. 6]
/ref> 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
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
and Salerno, Italy
Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
in 1943. The first seasickness pill 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
Camp Gordon Johnston was a World War II United States Army training center located in Carrabelle, Florida, United States. The site's history is featured at the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum.
History
Camp Gordon Johnston opened in September 1942 as ...
(later Camp Gordon Johnston) in Carrabelle, Florida
Carrabelle is a city in Franklin County along Florida's Panhandle, United States. The population was 2,778 as of the 2010 census. Carrabelle is located east of Apalachicola at the mouth of the Carrabelle River on the Gulf of Mexico.
Geography
C ...
. 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 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 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
Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...
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 the Allies began the invasion of North Africa in December 1942, the US Army built a prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
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 Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
. 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 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 , capable of accommodating 1,945 officers and 34,108 enlisted personnel.
In its last act of 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.
Cold War
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 the Cold War, Camp Edwards remained active and continued training troops. During the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, 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
Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. Radioactive waste is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, rare-earth mining, and nuclear weapons ...
reprocessing be conducted at the camp. It never happened.
Growth of Otis Air Force Base
Deactivated in 1946 and moved to caretaker status by the Army, Camp Edwards was used primarily for Air National Guard and Army National Guard training. The runway was also extended to 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
Otis may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media
** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl''
* Otis (''The Walking Dead''), in the Image Comics ...
. Camp Edwards was reactivated in 1950 for troop training support for the Korean War, with levels approaching that of World War II.
In 1954, Congress authorized the transfer of the camp from the Department of the Army to the Department of the Air Force
The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Sec ...
, for the purpose of operating a military airfield. The Army still used its usual areas while 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
Ethan may refer to:
People
*Ethan (given name)
Places
*Ethan, South Dakota
*Fort Ethan Allen (Arlington, Virginia)
Fiction
*''Ethan of Athos'', 1986 novel by Lois McMaster Bujold
*"Ethan Brand", 1850 short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne
*'' Ethan ...
. Air Defense Command built a series of fighter alert hangars at Otis in the 1940s and 1950s. Otis fulfilled its role through the crews and aircraft of the 33rd Fighter Interceptor Wing, whose headquarters were established at Otis. The 564th Air Defense Group
The 564th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4707th Air Defense Wing, stationed at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was origina ...
, 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 the country's defensive perimeter. The 551st operated the EC-121 Constellation
The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was an American airborne early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft operational in the 1950s in both the United States Navy (USN) and United States Air Force (USAF).
The military version of the Lock ...
that were modified to conduct long-range flights over the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. Other Air Defense Command units conducting air defense missions from Otis AFB
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within Joint Base Cape Cod, a military training facility located on the western portion of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It was known a ...
at this time included the 4707th Air Defense Wing
The 4707th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts where it was discontinued in 1956.
The wing ...
, the 33rd Fighter Wing
The 33rd Fighter Wing, sometimes written 33d Fighter Wing, (33 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant u ...
, and the 58th and 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Otis AFB played a role in the technologically advanced national defense Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of large computers and associated networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image of the airspace over a wide area. SA ...
, which was under the command of North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...
. 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
The Boeing CIM-10 BOMARC (Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center) (IM-99 Weapon System prior to September 1962) was a supersonic ramjet powered long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) used during the Cold War for the air defense of Nor ...
anti-aircraft missiles were installed on a site northwest of the airfield. Otis was one of eight such facilities in the country. The site was run by the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
.
As a result of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
becoming president in 1961, Otis became an important stop for Air Force One due to the proximity of the Kennedy Compound
The Kennedy Compound consists of three houses on of waterfront property on Cape Cod along Nantucket Sound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was once the home of Joseph P. Kennedy, an American businessman, investor, poli ...
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 a staging area for meetings and public affairs events when arriving or leaving from the airfield.
National Guard resumes control
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, the Air Force returned with the , more popularly known as PAVE PAWS. This new facility was known as Cape Cod Air Force Station
Cape Cod Space Force Station is a United States Space Force station located in the northwest corner of Joint Base Cape Cod, United States, on Flatrock Hill in Massachusetts. Cape Cod Space Force Station began construction in 1976 as Cape Cod Mis ...
. In 1986, an artilleryman from the Connecticut Army National Guard
The Connecticut Military Department is a state agency of the government of Connecticut. Its primary components are the
Connecticut Army National Guard, the Connecticut Air National Guard, and four companies of the state militia. The Military Dep ...
overloaded a gun and the shell overshot the target by over a mile, hitting U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
. No one was injured in the incident, although a two foot wide crater that was three inches deep occurred.
Recent years
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
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
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), the Regional Training Institute relocated to Camp Edwards from Camp Curtis Guild
Camp Curtis Guild is a Massachusetts Army National Guard camp located in the towns of Reading, Lynnfield, and Wakefield, Massachusetts. It is named after former Massachusetts governor Curtis Guild, Jr.
During World War II the camp was one o ...
in Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
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
An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country. How OCS is run differs between countries and services. Ty ...
for the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
Environmental & Readiness Center (E&RC)
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 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.
Base closure proposal
In 1998, Congressman William Delahunt
William David Delahunt (born July 18, 1941) is an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Delahunt did not seek re-election ...
proposed closing Camp Edwards. In 1999, Governor Paul Cellucci
Argeo Paul Cellucci (; April 24, 1948 – June 8, 2013) was an American politician and diplomat from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Republican, he served as the 69th governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2001, and as the United State ...
proposed turning the northern 15,000 acres (6,000 ha), which includes Pine Hill, 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 the 102d Air Fighter Wing was transitioned into the 102nd Intelligence Wing, with Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is a United States Coast Guard air station located on Joint Base Cape Cod in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It operates from New York City to the Canada–US border. It was founded in 1970 as a replacement to Coast Gua ...
remaining at the reservation. Though the 102d AFW and its fleet of fighter jets were relocated to Barnes Air National Guard Base
Barnes may refer to:
People
*Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name)
Places
United Kingdom
*Barnes, London, England
**Barnes railway station
**Barnes Bridge railway station
** Barnes Railway Bridg ...
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 the missions carried out at Camp Edwards would continue.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Camp Edwards was opened to 250 evacuees from the 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.
Recent construction
Camp Edwards is adapting to remain a cutting-edge training facility for Massachusetts and the entire Northeast. On June 7, 2008, two new, state-of-the-art training facilities were dedicated in honor of fallen soldiers from 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 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 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 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 state-of-the-art Battle Simulation Center with a JANUS hardware and software suite, flexible room configuration, built-in PA, DVD, and power point systems; supports 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 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 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 highly proficient non-commissioned officers (NCOs) whose primary mission 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 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 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
Cape Cod Mall is a shopping mall in the Hyannis village of Barnstable, Massachusetts. The mall opened in 1970 and was renovated and expanded in the late 1990s, bringing the property to of gross leasable area. It is currently managed and partia ...
during an event where they were to be introduced to American culture. They were later found trying to enter Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
while asking for asylum near Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...
.
Training Support Center (TSC)
Includes two rappel towers, an obstacle course, a driver training area, and the following specialized facilities:
*Call For Fire Trainer (CFFT)- Provides a simulated battlefield for training Joint Fires Observers at the institutional and unit level.
*Indoor Simulated Weapons Training- Includes the Equipment Skills Trainer (EST) and Fire Arms Training System (FATS).
*Leadership Reaction Course (LRC)- A practical exercise facility using 17 stations to build leadership skills, encourage teamwork, develop technical and tactical proficiency, and confidence.
*Virtual Convoy Operations Trainer (VCOT)- Simulates Baghdad and other geo-specific areas for mission rehearsals, leader training, and after-action reviews. Provides 360-degree visibility and weapon engagement area. Exercises include enemy IEDs, RPGs, machine gunners, riflemen, "technical" trucks, mortars, and suicide vehicles.
Notable attendees
* Charles H. Coolidge- medal of honor recipient during WWII
* Bill Mauldin - 45th Infantry Division
*Eddie Waitkus
Edward Stephen Waitkus (September 4, 1919 – September 16, 1972) was a Lithuanian American first baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career (1941, 1946–1955). He played for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the ...
- 544th Engineer Boat & Shore Regiment, 4th Engineer Special Brigade US Army
*Henry T. Waskow
Captain Henry Thomas Waskow (September 24, 1918 – December 14, 1943) was a United States Army officer, with the rank of captain, memorialized in Ernie Pyle's dispatch "The Death of Captain Waskow," which in turn was faithfully portrayed in th ...
- Company B, First Battalion, 143rd Regiment, 36th Infantry Division
See also
*List of military installations in Massachusetts
This is a list of current and former military installations in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Current military installations in Massachusetts Joint facilities
;Bases
* Joint Base Cape Cod (state designation, not federally recognized)
References
External links
Camp Edwards and the 'Foxholes at Sea'
{{Authority control
Installations of the U.S. Army in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Bourne, Massachusetts
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Presidency of John F. Kennedy
Installations of the United States Army National Guard
World War II prisoner of war camps in the United States
Defunct prisons in Massachusetts
Military Superfund sites
1911 establishments in Massachusetts