Westover Air Reserve Base

Coordinates: 42°11′38″N 72°32′05″W / 42.19389°N 72.53472°W / 42.19389; -72.53472 (Westover ARB)
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Westover Air Reserve Base
AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
05/23 3,534.8 metres (11,597 ft) asphalt/concrete
15/33 2,159.5 metres (7,085 ft) asphalt/concrete
Airfield shared with Westover Metropolitan Airport
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Westover Air Reserve Base (IATA: CEF, ICAO: KCEF, FAA LID: CEF) is an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee and Ludlow, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Established at the outset of World War II, 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).[2] Until 2011, it was a backup landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle and in the past few years has expanded to include a growing civilian access airport (Westover Metropolitan Airport) sharing Westover's military-maintained runways.[3] The installation was named for Major General Oscar Westover who was commanding officer of the Army Air Corps in the 1930s.[4]

The host unit is the 439th Airlift Wing (439 AW) of the Fourth Air Force (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 transited by many different U.S. military aircraft of all the services.[5]

Westover ARB has the longest runway in Massachusetts.

Units

439th Airlift Wing:

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:

  • Massachusetts Civil Air Patrol

U.S. Army Reserve:

  • 302nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade
  • 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),[6] 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 World War II.[7]

In 1951,

99th Bombardment Wing arrived in 1956. In case of nuclear war, an alternate SAC command bunker, called The Notch, was constructed deep within nearby Bare Mountain.[7]

From 1954 to 1962 the Stony Brook Air Force Station in Ludlow was a nuclear weapons Operational Storage Site for Air Materiel Command (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.[8] Today, the Stony Brook site is the home of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), Hampden County Jail, and other local businesses.

On August 12, 1953, a United States Navy Douglas DC-6 crashed after takeoff. All 4 occupants died.[9]

On June 27, 1958, a

USAF Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker stalled and crashed, skidded across the Massachusetts Turnpike, disintegrated and burned. Was attempting a world speed record from New York-London with 3 other USAF KC-135s. All 15 occupants died.[10]

On June 21, 1963, a USAF Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crashed into a wooded hillside nearly 6 miles N of Westover AFB during an instrument approach in heavy rain. One occupant died.[11]

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.[12]

Air Force Reserve

337th Tactical Airlift Squadron
) in front of the Westover Air Force Base Hangar for a 1977 publicity photo

The 2005

Barnes Municipal Airport. The exception to this decision is the 103rd Airlift Wing, which remained at Bradley. A $32 million building project accommodated the additional 1600 service members required by the plan.[13]

The new Armed Forces Reserve Center hosts Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy Reserve operations. The Massachusetts Army National Guard also made its debut at the base.[14]

The base celebrated its 75th anniversary with an air show on 16–17 May 2015, where the

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 at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Westover was also in competition with Tinker Air Force Base and Grissom Air Reserve Base for the plane.[15]

The local government credits Westover with spurring development of the Memorial Drive corridor, including several planned hotels and a retail plaza.[14]

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

Air Traffic Control 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.[17] Westover's extended operations history has produced numerous hazardous waste sites.[18]

According to

air carrier. There were 37 aircraft at the time based at this airport: 16 military, 10 single engine, 4 multi-engine, 3 jet aircraft, 2 gliders and 2 helicopter.[19]

Military facilities are under control of Col. Joseph D. Janik, Commander, 439th Airlift Wing.[20] The civilian portion of the airport is run by Michael Bolton, Director of Civil Aviation (an employee of the Westover Metropolitan Corporation).

Previous names

Major commands to which assigned

Major units assigned

See also

References

  1. ^ "Airport Diagram – Westover ARB/Metropolitan (CEF)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. ^ "About Westover Air Reserve Base". Westover Air Reserve Base. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Westover AFB, Mass - 99th Bomb Wing -  B-52 - NEED INFO". www.strategic-air-command.com. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  4. ^ Bowers, Peter M., "Captain of the Clouds", Airpower, Granada Hills, California, July 1972, Volume 2, Number 4, page 33.
  5. ^ "Presidential aircraft parked temporarily at Westover". 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 757th Transportation Battalion". history.army.mil. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  7. ^ .
  8. ^ "Former Nuclear Weapons Storage Area, Stonybrook, Chicopee, MA". coldwar-ma. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  9. Aviation Safety Network
    . Retrieved on October 4, 2023.
  10. Aviation Safety Network
    . Retrieved on October 4, 2023.
  11. Aviation Safety Network
    . Retrieved on October 4, 2023.
  12. ^ "9 Missing in Bay Shore Crash". Petoskey News Review. 9 January 1971.
  13. ^ The Republican Newsroom (22 March 2008). "Groundbreaking held for new reserve center". masslive. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Westover project good for economy – MassLive.com". Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  15. ^ Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs (29 October 2015). "Seymour-Johnson chosen for first Reserve-led KC-46A basing". Air Force Reserve Command. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  16. PDF
    , retrieved 15 March 2007
  17. ^ "ALLEY CITIZENS FOR A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, Plaintiff, Appellant, v. Edward C. ALDRIDGE, etc., et al., Defendants, Appellees".
  18. ^ "Westover Air Force Base". Hampshire College, Amherst, Mass.: Military Waste Cleanup Project, Institute for Science and Interdisciplinary Studies. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  19. PDF
    , effective September 7, 2023.
  20. ^ "COL. D. SCOTT DURHAM > Westover Air Reserve Base > Display". www.westover.afrc.af.mil. Retrieved 24 November 2017.

External links