Camp Edwards Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation which is located in western Barnstable County , Massachusetts . It forms the largest part of Joint Base Cape Cod , which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod . It was named after Major General Clarence Edwards . It is home to the 3rd Battalion , 126th Aviation . 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 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 units . The camp continued to function this way until the war ended . 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 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 the only ones in the Northeast other than those at Fort Drum and Fort Dix , are meant to simulate a middle - eastern town . 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 era equipment , wooden guns , and Enfield rifles . This really reflected the isolationist policy of the American people . The Construction Years . 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 , 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 the former commander of the 26th Infantry Division , 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 , using the 700 series drawings . So Long Dear , I ' ll Be Home In a Year . 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 , 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 the division through 1945 . Camp Edwards during 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 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 . The Second Battalion 64th Coastal Artillery Regiment ( anti - aircraft ) was placed at the field from 1942 - 1944 . It formed the core of the Anti - aircraft Artillery Training Center , which was composed of 42 battalions before it was deactivated and relocated to Florida in June 1944 . The Engineer Amphibian Command was activated on June 10 , 1942 . It was later renamed Amphibious Training Command . The command began operating at Camp Edwards , being under the command of Brigadier General Frank Keating . Amphibious training was conducted at the nearby Camp Candoit and Camp Havedoneit as well as at Martha ' s Vineyard . The 36th Infantry Division and the 45th Infantry Division were the divisions involved in training . Those divisions later fought in several European campaigns . The first seasickness pill was also tested by the divisions . 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 went AWOL at the time their units were shipped 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 their North African Campaign in 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 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 . In its last act of the war , Camp Edwards was the location of a Temporary Separation Centers for the dischargement of returning GI ' s . More than 12 , 900 men were discharged from the armed forces from 1945 - 1946 . Cold War . After the war , it was not uncommon for soldiers to train on local beaches firing artillery rounds and other things 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 , the base was activated and levels approaching World War II were again seen at the base . In 1958 , the Atomic Energy Commission recommended that nuclear processing be conducted at the camp . It never did happen though . 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 . 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 , 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 baing 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 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 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 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 , the Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center anti - aircraft missile facility , on a site northwest of the airfield as part of a nation - wide surface - to - air defense system . Otis was one of eight such facilities in the country . JFK at Camp Edwards . As a result of John F . Kennedy becoming president in 1960 , Otis became an important stop for Air Force One . Because of the proximity of the Kennedy Compound , called the Summer White House during his tenure in office in nearby Hyannisport . 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 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 was three inches deep occurred . The 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 training center . This would be the second known one for Edwards , the first being the mock German village set up during World War II . Regional Training Institute ( RTI ) , Headquarters , 101st Regiment . Formerly known as Massachusetts Military Academy ( MMA ) , the 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 . 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 proposed closing Camp Edwards . In 1999 , Governor Paul Cellucci 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 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 the missions carried out at Camp Edwards would continue . Hurricane Katrina Relief . 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 . 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 . Tactical Training Base ( TTB ) Kelley . An example of Theater Immersion Training , the 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 . < ref name = " Camp Edwards Training Area / Ranges " > Camp Edwards Training Area / Ranges < / ref > Military Operations in Urban Terrain ( MOUT ) Site Calero . Designed to meet the training requirements of a company - sized unit in an urban environment , the site 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 : Battle Simulation Center ( BSC ) . A state - of - the - art facility 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 . Live Fire Shoot House . 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 . Tactical Training Team ( TTT ) . The TTT 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 . Training Support Center ( TSC ) . Includes two rappel towers , an obstacle course , a driver training area , and the following specialized facilities :