Westover Air Reserve Base is an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee and

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Established at the outset of

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 ...

, today Westover is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States, home to approximately 5,500 military and civilian personnel, and covering 2500 acres (10 km²). Until 2011, it was a backup landing site for the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program ...

and in the past few years has expanded to include a growing civilian access airport ( Westover Metropolitan Airport) sharing Westover's military-maintained runways. The installation was named for Major General

Oscar Westover Oscar M. Westover (July 23, 1883 – September 21, 1938) was a major general and fourth chief of the United States Army Air Corps. Early life and career Westover was born in Bay City, Michigan, and enlisted in the United States Army when he ...

who was commanding officer of the

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

in the 1930s. The host unit is the

439th Airlift Wing The 439th Airlift Wing (439 AW) is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command, Fourth Air Force, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. The peacetime mission includes re ...

(439 AW) of the

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...

(4 AF), Air Force Reserve Command. Outside of the AFRC command structure, the 439 AW and Westover are operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC). Due to its location as one of the few remaining active military air bases in the northeast United States, Westover ARB is transitted by many different U.S. military aircraft of all the services. Westover ARB has the longest runway in Massachusetts.

Units

: *

439th Operations Group The 439th Operations Group is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is the flying component of the Twenty-Second Air Force 439th Airlift Wing, stationed at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. The unit's World War II prede ...

: 337th Airlift Squadron : 439th Aerospace Medicine Squadron : 439th Aeromedical Staging Squadron : 439th Operations Support Squadron : 439th Airlift Control Flight * 439th Maintenance Group : 439th Maintenance Squadron : 439th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron * 439th Mission Support Group : 439th Force Support Squadron : 439th Communications Squadron : 439th Logistics Readiness Squadron : 439th Civil Engineering Squadron : 439th Security Forces Squadron : 58th Aerial Port Squadron : 42nd Aerial Port Squadron Civil Air Patrol: *

Westover Composite Squadron Westover Composite Squadron is a squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, the auxiliary of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Massachusetts Wing Civil Air Patrol and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. The squadron i ...

, NER-MA-015,

Massachusetts Civil Air Patrol The Massachusetts Wing Civil Air Patrol (abbreviated MAWG), commonly referred to as "Mass Wing", is the highest echelon of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its headquarters is located at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedfor ...

U.S. Army Reserve: *

302nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade The 302nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a unit of the U.S. Army Reserve based in Massachusetts. Organization It is a brigade of 2,200 Soldiers housed at a variety of locations throughout New England, New York and Pennsylvania. The 302nd MEB con ...

*304th Transportation Company (Cargo) *655th Regional Support Group *382nd Military Police Battalion (CS) *287th Medical Detachment, 804th Medical Brigade *226th Transportation Company (Railway Operating)(assigned to the 757th Transportation Battalion (Railway), Milwaukee, WI; battalion and all subordinate units inactivated by September 2015) Navy: *Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 Marine Corps: *Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, Detachment B *Marine Air Support Squadron 6 Military Entry Processing Command (DOD): *Springfield Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS)

History

The field was constructed in anticipation of

. In 1951, Air Defense Command arrived, but then turned over the base in 1955 to Strategic Air Command, which sent the 4050th, later

499th Air Refueling Wing The 499th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) unit that was last active at Westover AFB, Massachusetts in June 1966. The wing was first activated as the 499th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces, w ...

, to operate from the base. The

99th Bombardment Wing The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...

arrived in 1956. In case of nuclear war, an alternate SAC command bunker, called The Notch, was constructed deep within nearby Bare Mountain. From 1954 to 1962 the Stony Brook Air Force Station in

was a nuclear weapons Operational Storage Site for

Air Materiel Command Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command wi ...

(AMC-OSS), one of five in the U.S. During this period Stony Brook was the home of the 3084th Aviation Depot Group, part of the 3079th Aviation Depot Wing. In 1962 Stony Brook was transferred to SAC with the 24th Munitions Maintenance Squadron replacing the 3084th, and stored and maintained nuclear weapons for SAC aircraft at Westover until deactivation in 1973. Today, the Stony Brook site is the home of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), Hampden County Jail, and other local businesses. On January 7, 1971, after taking off from Westover Air Force Base a Boeing B-52C Stratofortress (serial 54-26660) of Strategic Air Command crashed into northern Lake Michigan at the mouth of Little Traverse Bay near Charlevoix, Michigan, while on a low-level training flight. All nine crew members aboard were lost. No remains of the crewmen were recovered.

Air Force Reserve

731st Tactical Airlift Squadron - Westover AFB MA

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ruled that Westover would absorb other military units in

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 ...

. The expansion proposed the transfer of all military operations at

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about hal ...

to Westover and the nearby

Barnes Municipal Airport Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Hampden County, Massachusetts, three miles (6 km) north of Westfield and northwest of Springfield. It was formerly Barnes Municipal Airport; the National Plan of Integ ...

. The exception to this decision is the

103rd Airlift Wing The 103rd Airlift Wing (103 AW) is a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard, stationed at Bradley Air National Guard Base at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. If activated to federal service with the United States Air ...

, which will remain at Bradley. A $32 million building project is underway to accommodate the additional 1600 service members required by the plan. The new Armed Forces Reserve Center will host Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy Reserve operations. The Massachusetts Army National Guard will also make its debut at the base. The base celebrated its 75th anniversary with an air show on 16–17 May 2015, where the

Blue Angels The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy.

headlined the 2015

Great New England Air Show Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

. During this time, it was announced that the Westover was in the running for a squadron of the new KC-46A Pegasus. Later that year, it was announced that the base would not be receiving the plane, which instead was given to the

916th Air Refueling Wing The 916th Air Refueling Wing is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. If mobilized, the W ...

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an airplane crash near Norbeck, Maryland, ...

. Westover was also in competition with

Tinker Air Force Base Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, surrounded by Del City, Oklahoma City, and Midwest City. The base, origina ...

and

Grissom Air Reserve Base Grissom Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base, located about north of Kokomo in Cass and Miami counties in Indiana. The facility was established as a U.S. Navy installation, Naval Air Station Bunker Hill, in 1942 and was an active ...

for the plane. The local government credits Westover with spurring development of the Memorial Drive corridor, including several planned hotels and a high-end retail plaza.

Facilities and aircraft

The portion of the Westover complex still under military control covers an area of 2,500 acres (10 km²) which contains two

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concre ...

s: 5/23: measuring and 15/33 measuring ., retrieved 15 March 2007 A new

Air Traffic Control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

tower was constructed in 2002 and the old tower was demolished. As a center for military air operations, Westover Air Reserve Base poses several hazards to local residents. These include air pollution, noise pollution, and water contamination hazards – all of which are shared with similar-sized commercial airports. Westover's extended operations history has produced numerous hazardous waste sites. According to

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 ...

records for the 12-month period ending 31 October 2017, the airport had 16,213 aircraft operations, an average of 44 per day: 64% military, 33%

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

and 3%

air carrier An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in which ...

. There were 40 aircraft at the time based at this airport: 16 military, 11 single engine, 5 multi-engine, 5 jet aircraft, 2 gliders and 1

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

., effective 30 July 2011 Military facilities are under control of Col. Joseph D. Janik, Commander, 439th Airlift Wing. The civilian portion of the airport is run by Michael Bolton, Director of Civil Aviation (an employee of the Westover Metropolitan Corporation).

Previous names

* Northeast Air Base, c. 1 August 1939 * Westover Field, 1 December 1939 * Westover Air Force Base, 13 January 1948 * Westover Air Reserve Base, 1991 * Westover Joint Air Reserve Base, 2003 * Westover Air Reserve Base, 2003

Major commands to which assigned

Northeast Air District The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Cont ...

, Nov 1940 : Re-designated First Air Force, 9 April 1941 *

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...

, 1 February 1946 * Military Air Transport Service, 1 June 1948 * Strategic Air Command, 1 April 1955 * Air Force Reserve, 1 May 1974 – present

Major units assigned

* 10th Signal Platoon, 6 June 1940 – 30 June 1940 * Third Signal Service Co, 30 June 1940 – 22 July 1940 * Detachment Base HQ and 26th Air Base Squadron, 22 July 1940 – 1 December 1940 * 25th Base HQ and Air Base Squadron, 1 December 1940 – 1 October 1941 * 1st Air Force Service Command 1 October 1941 – 5 January 1942 * 34th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1941 – 22 January 1942 *

60th Transport Group The 60th Operations Group (60 OG) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 60th Air Mobility Wing. It is stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California. Established prior to World War II, its predecessor unit, the 60th Transport (later ...

, 21 May 1941 – 20 May 1942 * 13th Bombardment Group, 22 January 1942 – 30 November 1942 * 64th Troop Carrier Group, 6 June 1942 – 20 July 1942 *

301st Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, 30 June 1942 – 3 August 1942 * 326th Fighter Group, 1 November 1942 – 12 October 1943 *

402d Fighter Group 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

, 1 October 1943 – 12 October 1943 * 459th Bombardment Group, 29 October 1943 – 3 January 1944 * 471st Bombardment Group, 28 January 1944 – 10 April 1944 *

386th Bombardment Group 386th may refer to: *386th Air Expeditionary Wing, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to United States Air Forces Central *386th Fighter Squadron or 174th Air Refueling Squadron, unit of the Iowa Air National Guard 185th Air Refuelin ...

, 30 September 1945 – 7 November 1945 *

409th Bombardment Group 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

, 6 October 1945 – 7 November 1945 * 341st Bombardment Group, 6 October 1945 – 7 November 1945 * Army Air Forces (later Air Force) Separation Port, 14 October 1946 – 1 November 1949 * 1st Air Transport Group (Provisional), 15 March 1947 – 1 June 1948 * 2d Air Transport Wing (Provisional), 23 April 1947 – 2 June 1948 * Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, 1 November 1947 – 1 June 1948 * 520th Air Transport Wing, 1 June 1948 : Redesignated

1600th Air Transport Wing The 1600th Air Transport Group is a discontinued United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts. It provided strategic airlift between the Uni ...

, 1 October 1948 – 1 April 1955 *

Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service The 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (21 EMTF) was one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force's Air Mobility Command. It was headquartered at McGuire Air Force Base, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The 21 EMTF was a redesignat ...

, 1 June 1948 – 31 May 1955 * 143d Airways & Air Communications Service Squadron, 1 June 1948 : Redesignated 1917th Airways & Air Communications Squadron, 1 October 1948 : Redesignated 1917th Communications Squadron, 1 July 1961 – 1984 * 8501st Air Transport Group, 27 June 1949 – 19 July 1951 * Squadron VR-6 (US Navy), 3 August 1949 - c. 10 June 1955 *

60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 60th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit that is part of the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; It is tasked with training pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. History World War II Activated in ...

, 1 January 1951 – 18 August 1955 * 3084th Aviation Depot Squadron (Later:) Group, : Stoneybrook AFS djacent to Westover AFBtill 17 March 1954 – 1 November 1954 *

26th Air Refueling Squadron The 26th Air Refueling Squadron (26 AREFS) was a squadron of the United States Air Force that flew the KC-97E/F/G Stratofreighter, An early Cold War air refueling squadron, it primarily supported B-47 Stratojets of the Strategic Air Command Ei ...

, 22 April 1955 – 7 August 1957 *

324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Air Division, stationed at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. It was inactivated on 8 March 1960. History World War II A ...

, 18 October 1955 – 25 June 1958 *

337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 337th may refer to: * 337th Aeronautical Systems Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 337th Air Control Squadron, part of the 33d Fighter Wing, an AETC unit, based at the USAF Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida * 337th Airlift Squadron, part ...

, 18 October 1955 – 25 June 1958 * 384th Air Refueling Squadron, 1 April 1955 – 25 June 1966 * 4050th Air Refueling Wing, 1 April 1955 – 1 January 1963 * Eighth Air Force, 13 June 1955 – 1 April 1970 * 8th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 1 May 1955 – 31 March 1970 * 18th Communications Squadron (Air Force), 8 May 1955 – 30 November 1973 * 57th Air Division, 4 September 1956 – 2 July 1969 *

, 4 September 1956 – 31 March 1974 * 24th Aviation Depot Squadron, 1 January 1957 : Redesignated 24th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 1 January 1960 – 30 September 1972 * 99th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 30 September 1972 – 31 March 1974 *

99th Air Refueling Squadron The 99th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, but is stationed at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It is an Active Associate Unit, an active duty component attached to the Al ...

, 22 August 1957 – 30 September 1973 *

4729th Air Defense Group The 4729th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Boston Air Defense Sector at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was discontinued in 1958. The group was formed t ...

, 8 July 1957 – 25 June 1958 * North Atlantic Communications Region, 2 June 1958 – 1 July 1963 * Air Force Satellite Photo Processing Laboratory : Redesignated 6594th Test Squadron, 26 January 1961 – 10 November 1965 * 76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 February 1961 – 1 July 1963 *

, 15 November 1962 – 25 June 1966 * 337th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 April 1966 : Redesignated: 337th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 1972 : Redesignated: 337th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 October 1987 : Redesignated: 337th Airlift Squadron, 1 February 1992 – present * 905th Military Airlift Group, 1 April 1966 : Redesignated: 905th Tactical Airlift Group, 1972-1 April 1974 * 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron, 15 September 1972 – 15 April 1974 * 901st Tactical Airlift Group, 17 September 1973 – 1 April 1974 * 439th Tactical Airlift Wing, 14 March 1974 : Redesignated: 439th Military Airlift Wing, 1 October 1987 : Redesignated:

, 1 February 1992 – present

References

* * * Maurer, Maurer. ''Air Force Combat Units of World War II''. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ). * Ravenstein, Charles A. ''Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977''. Maxwell Air Force Base,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

: Office of Air Force History 1984. . * Mueller, Robert. ''Air Force Bases Volume I: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982''. Office of Air Force History, 1989.

External links

* * Cowboy 57 (1959) James Steward documentary short on B-52 Crew. Documentary features Westover Air Force Base. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPnW5GIB0JU {{authority control Installations of the United States Air Force in Massachusetts Initial United States Air Force installations Installations of Strategic Air Command Buildings and structures in Chicopee, Massachusetts Airports in Hampden County, Massachusetts 1939 establishments in Massachusetts Military installations established in 1939