Fort Allen, officially Fort Allen Training Center, is a
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
military installation
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...
located on a 921-acre facility in
Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico
Juana Díaz (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Jayuya, Ciales, Orocovis and Villalba; east of Ponce; and west of Coamo and Santa Isabel and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Juan ...
.
History
Losey Field was established by the Army Air Corps in 1941 and was used during World War II by fighter & bomber units. It was named for Captain
Robert M. Losey, an aeronautical meteorologist who in April 1940 became the United States' first military casualty in World War II. Units assigned were:
*
4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (13th Composite Wing, 72nd Observation Group) 1 April 1941 – 27 October 1943
*
20th Troop Carrier Squadron (Sixth Air Force Base Command) 10 May–June 1942
*
36th Fighter Group (Headquarters), January 1941-May 1943
:
22d Fighter Squadron, 6 January-13 December 1941 (P-40 Warhawk)
:
23rd Fighter Squadron, 6 January-31 May 1941; 15 November-13 December 1941(P-40 Warhawk)
:
32d Fighter Squadron
The ROMP is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor designed by IBM in the late 1970s. It is also known as the Research OPD Miniprocessor (after the two IBM divisions that collaborated on its inception, IBM Research and the Off ...
, 6 January 1941-19 February 1942; 9 March-14 June 1943 (P-40 Warhawk)
*
417th Bombardment Squadron
The 417th Bombardment Squadron is a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the 25th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico where it was inactivated on 20 June 1944.
History
The squadron was establi ...
(
25th Bombardment Group) 29 May 1943 – 24 March 1944 (B-18 Bolo)
Subsequently:
* 1944: After the departure of the 417th Bombardment Squadron in 1944, the airfield was turned over to Army ground forces.
* 1949: Losey Army Airfield was transferred to
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
(USA) ground forces and became Camp Losey.
* 1950: Camp Losey was renamed Fort Allen.
* 1959: Fort Allen was transferred to the Army's Caribbean Signal Agency.
* 1963: The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(USN) took control of the military post and redesignated as Naval Radio Station Fort Allen, Puerto Rico.
* 1970: The Headquarters & Communications Center of Naval Communication Station (NAVCOMMSTA) Puerto Rico relocated from San Juan to Fort Allen.
* 1980: The U.S. Navy moved the Naval Communication Station Puerto Rico Headquarters & Communication Center from Fort Allen to
Naval Station Roosevelt Roads
Roosevelt Roads Naval Station is a former United States Navy base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site operates today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport.
History
In 1919, future US President Franklin D. Roose ...
.
* 1980: On 16 November 1980 Fort Allen became the home for the
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...
(USAR)
35th Expeditionary Signal Battalion.
* 1981: The
United States Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003.
Referred to by some as former INS and by others as legacy INS, ...
(INS) under a presidential order reconfigured Fort Allen as a processing center for Cuban and Haitian refugees.
* 1983: Fort Allen was officially transferred to the
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
(PRNG). The 35th Signal Battalion, along with other U.S. Army Reserve units remain as tenants.
* 1985: The Puerto Rico National Guard Language Center (PRNGLC) relocated to Fort Allen.
* 1997: The U.S. Navy built a receiver site for the Relocatable
Over-the-horizon radar
Over-the-horizon radar (OTH), sometimes called beyond the horizon radar (BTH), is a type of radar system with the ability to detect targets at very long ranges, typically hundreds to thousands of kilometres, beyond the radar horizon, which is ...
(ROTHR) on government land at Fort Allen.
* 1999: The National Guard
Youth Challenge Program
The Youth Challenge Program is a program for at-risk youth run by the National Guard of the United States, which consists of Youth Challenge Academies (known as YCA's) in each participating state. The stated mission of the Youth Challenge Program i ...
was established on post.
* 2007: Soldiers from the 35th Signal Battalion, 1st Mission Support Command, were deployed from Fort Allen to support
Operation Iraqi Freedom
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
and
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
.
* 2011: The Fort Allen Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) was inaugurated and dedicated posthumously to the 6th
Adjutant General
An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer.
France
In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
of the Puerto Rico National Guard and founder of the Language Center at Fort Allen, Major General
Salvador Padilla Escabi.
Current use
Since the Navy left Fort Allen in 1980 there's been no regular
Active Duty
Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service.
India
The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one ...
military personnel assigned on post, but the
Puerto Rico Army National Guard
The Puerto Rico Army National Guard (PRARNG) — officially designated in Spanish as ''Guardia Nacional Terrestre de Puerto Rico'', but colloquially known as ''Ejército de la Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico'' — is the Army National Guard of the ...
and U.S. Army Reserve do have permanent
Active Guard Reserve personnel present. Fort Allen, while still a federally-owned facility, is operated by the Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG). Its mission is educational in scope and that of providing support to the Puerto Rico Army National Guard and Army Reserve units stationed in southern Puerto Rico. There is not a
Commissary
A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop.
In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...
at Fort Allen but NGX operates a
PX on base for authorized patrons.
Units and tenant units
*
Army National Guard
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
**
191st Regional Support Group
** 240th Military Police Company
** 192nd Support Battalion, C Company (Med)
** 105th Quartermaster Company
** 482nd Chemical Company
** 714th Quartermaster Company
*
U.S. Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
Since July 20 ...
**
35th Expeditionary Signal Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC)
** 5th Brigade, 94th Training Division
** 807th Signal Company
** 613th Military Police Detention Company
** 276th Ordnance Company
** 941st Quartermaster Company
Hernan G Pesquera U.S. Army Reserve Center
LTC Hernan G. Pesquera United States Army Reserve Center (USARC) is located on 39 acres within the grounds of Fort Allen, Puerto Rico. This facility is named after Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel and federal judge
Hernan Gregorio Pesquera.
Armed Forces Reserve Center
On March 4, 2011 a Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) was inaugurated at Fort Allen to relocate the U.S. Army Reserve 8th Multifunctional of the 180th Division and retention office. The Puerto Rico Army National Guard 201st Regiment Multifunctional Training Brigade was located to the Fort Allen Armed Forces Reserve Center. A Unheated storage building was also built. It also has a fitness room, locker rooms, weapons simulator, classrooms and private offices and an armory/vault. The Fort Allen Armed Forces Reserve Center can accommodate 150 Guard and Reserve Soldiers on a rotating basis, 126 military personnel per weekend.
This facility was dedicated posthumously to the 6th Adjutant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) and founder of the Language Center at Fort Allen, Major General Salvador Padilla Escabi.
Officer Candidate School, NCO Academy & Language Center
The Puerto Rico Army National Guard
Officer Candidate School
An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. ...
, NCO Academy and the Language Center for the Puerto Rico Army and Air National Guard recruits are located at Fort Allen.
Over-the-horizon radar
The
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
Relocatable Over the Horizon (ROTHR) receiver site was built in 1997 on government land at Fort Allen as part of a surveillance network which is designed to monitor flights over an area encompassing more than in South America. The (ROTHR) radar consists of 34 antennas and support structure from 71 to tall.
Youth Challenge Program
The National Guard
Youth Challenge Program
The Youth Challenge Program is a program for at-risk youth run by the National Guard of the United States, which consists of Youth Challenge Academies (known as YCA's) in each participating state. The stated mission of the Youth Challenge Program i ...
Community Outreach Youth Program came aboard to Fort Allen in 1999 to intervene and reclaim the lives of 16- to 18-year-old high school dropouts, producing program graduates with the values, life skills, education, and self-discipline necessary to succeed as productive citizens. Participants of the Youth Challenge Program live in Fort Allen during the program.
See also
*
Army National Guard
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
*
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
*
Losey Field
Fort Allen, officially Fort Allen Training Center, is a Puerto Rico National Guard military installation located on a 921-acre facility in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico.
History
Losey Field was established by the Army Air Corps in 1941 and was use ...
*
Military of Puerto Rico
The military defense of Puerto Rico is the responsibility of the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris. Locally, Puerto Rico has its own National Guard, the Puerto Rico National Guard, and its own state defense force, the Puerto Rico State G ...
References
Bibliography
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
*
External links
* http://www.ngycp.org/state/pr_es/contactus.php
* http://www.navy-radio.com/commsta/puerto-rico.htm
* http://www2.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti-archive/msg09149.html
Fort Allen at GlobalSecurity.org
{{USAAF 6th Air Force World War II
Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico
Installations of the United States Army National Guard
Allen, Puerto Rico
Military installations established in 1941
Military facilities in Puerto Rico
1941 establishments in Puerto Rico