Fort Devens
Encyclopedia
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer
and Shirley
, in Middlesex County
and Harvard
in Worcester County
in the U.S. state
of Massachusetts
. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens
. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is located in Lancaster
. Although closed in 1995, it was reopened the next day as the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area. In 2007, the area was renamed Fort Devens.
The fort has a population of 306 enlisted personnel, 2,151 reservists, 348 civilians, and 1,399 family members. It also maintains 25 ranges, 21 training areas, and 15 maneuver areas on nearly 5000 acres (20.2 km²) of land.
for training soldiers during World War I
. It was a reception center for war selectees and became a demobilization center after the war. Two divisions (the 76th and the 12th) were activated and trained at Devens during the war. Robert Goddard briefly used the post for his rocket operations in 1929. The camp became a permanent installation in 1931 and was named Fort Devens the following year. A few years later, Fort Devens Army Air Field was established.
In 1940, at the onset of World War II
, Fort Devens was designated a reception center for all men in New England who would serve one year as draftee. A massive $25 million building project was begun, including more than 1200 wooden buildings and an airfield. The 1st, 32nd, and 45th Divisions trained at Devens during the war. Devens also housed a prisoner of war camp for German and Italian prisoners from 1944 to 1946. It was designated as early as 1942 for detaining "enemy aliens" of Italian, German, and Japanese birth.
During the Vietnam War
, increasingly popular opposition to the war led to many GIs organizing
. An anti-war bookstore was opened near the fort.
It was the home of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), less 1st Battalion (based in Germany), from 1968 until the Group's move to Fort Carson, Colorado in 1995.
post which resided at Fort Devens was officially closed in 1996 after 79 years of service. The process for land distribution for all parcels on the former Fort Devens allowed the Federal Bureau of Prisons
, Shriver Job Corps, Massachusetts National Guard
, Massachusetts Veterans and MassDevelopment to acquire the land. The bulk of the land was purchased by MassDevelopment for $17 million. MassDevelopment is a quasi-public finance and development authority that has been given the task of turning Devens into a residential and business community. Since the closing of the military base, many of the existing buildings have been renovated or reconstructed; housing developments now exist, along with a growing business park, a new hotel, restaurants, several public and private schools, a disc golf course, and a golf
course. Veterans of the Army Security Agency
have also expressed interest in building a museum there as Fort Devens was their principal training facility for nearly twenty-five years.
and Marine Corps Reserve. The base is currently home to the headquarters of the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which is responsible for the command and control of Army Reserve units throughout New England
, as well as providing Army Reserve support for Federal Emergency Management Agency
operations in the New England region.
The Army announced in 2008 that it would build a new training center in the area. According to the announcement, the three buildings would total 280000 square feet (26,012.9 m²) and be on about 57 acres (230,671 m²). It would also staff 650 Soldiers and Marines and include space to store nearly 800 military vehicles. It was projected to cost $100 million.
In January 2011 a group of Devens residents filed a citizen's petition for Devens to become a legally incorporated town. Efforts to make Devens the state's 352nd town failed on the local level in 2006, and these residents say a legislative solution could be their final option.
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
and Shirley
Shirley, Massachusetts
-Demographics:This article describes the town of Shirley as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here...
, in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
and Harvard
Harvard, Massachusetts
Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several non-traditional communities, such as Harvard Shaker Village and the utopian Transcendentalist center Fruitlands...
in Worcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens
Charles Devens
Charles Devens was an American lawyer, jurist and statesman. He also served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is located in Lancaster
Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
. Although closed in 1995, it was reopened the next day as the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area. In 2007, the area was renamed Fort Devens.
The fort has a population of 306 enlisted personnel, 2,151 reservists, 348 civilians, and 1,399 family members. It also maintains 25 ranges, 21 training areas, and 15 maneuver areas on nearly 5000 acres (20.2 km²) of land.
Early History
The area known as Devens today was originally called Camp Devens, established on September 5, 1917 as a temporary cantonmentCantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
for training soldiers during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was a reception center for war selectees and became a demobilization center after the war. Two divisions (the 76th and the 12th) were activated and trained at Devens during the war. Robert Goddard briefly used the post for his rocket operations in 1929. The camp became a permanent installation in 1931 and was named Fort Devens the following year. A few years later, Fort Devens Army Air Field was established.
In 1940, at the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Fort Devens was designated a reception center for all men in New England who would serve one year as draftee. A massive $25 million building project was begun, including more than 1200 wooden buildings and an airfield. The 1st, 32nd, and 45th Divisions trained at Devens during the war. Devens also housed a prisoner of war camp for German and Italian prisoners from 1944 to 1946. It was designated as early as 1942 for detaining "enemy aliens" of Italian, German, and Japanese birth.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, increasingly popular opposition to the war led to many GIs organizing
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Vietnam Veterans Against the War is a tax-exempt non-profit organization and corporation, originally created to oppose the Vietnam War. VVAW describes itself as a national veterans' organization that campaigns for peace, justice, and the rights of all United States military veterans...
. An anti-war bookstore was opened near the fort.
It was the home of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), less 1st Battalion (based in Germany), from 1968 until the Group's move to Fort Carson, Colorado in 1995.
Closure
The U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
post which resided at Fort Devens was officially closed in 1996 after 79 years of service. The process for land distribution for all parcels on the former Fort Devens allowed the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
, Shriver Job Corps, Massachusetts National Guard
Massachusetts National Guard
The Massachusetts National Guard was founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on December 13, 1636, and contains the oldest units in the United States Army. It is currently headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts and commanded by Major General Joseph C...
, Massachusetts Veterans and MassDevelopment to acquire the land. The bulk of the land was purchased by MassDevelopment for $17 million. MassDevelopment is a quasi-public finance and development authority that has been given the task of turning Devens into a residential and business community. Since the closing of the military base, many of the existing buildings have been renovated or reconstructed; housing developments now exist, along with a growing business park, a new hotel, restaurants, several public and private schools, a disc golf course, and a golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course. Veterans of the Army Security Agency
United States Army Security Agency
The United States Army Security Agency was the United States Army's signal intelligence branch. Its motto was "Vigilant Always." The Agency existed between 1945 and 1976 and was the successor to Army signal intelligence operations dating back to World War I...
have also expressed interest in building a museum there as Fort Devens was their principal training facility for nearly twenty-five years.
Today
Although no longer a very active military installation, Devens is still used by the Army Reserve CommandUnited States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
and Marine Corps Reserve. The base is currently home to the headquarters of the 94th Regional Readiness Command, which is responsible for the command and control of Army Reserve units throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, as well as providing Army Reserve support for Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
operations in the New England region.
The Army announced in 2008 that it would build a new training center in the area. According to the announcement, the three buildings would total 280000 square feet (26,012.9 m²) and be on about 57 acres (230,671 m²). It would also staff 650 Soldiers and Marines and include space to store nearly 800 military vehicles. It was projected to cost $100 million.
In January 2011 a group of Devens residents filed a citizen's petition for Devens to become a legally incorporated town. Efforts to make Devens the state's 352nd town failed on the local level in 2006, and these residents say a legislative solution could be their final option.
Units
The following military units are based at this location:- 94th Regional Readiness Command
- 3411st Military Intelligence Detachment
- 3417th Military Intelligence Detachment
- 3437th Military Intelligence Detachment
- 366th Military Police Detachment (CID)
- Department of the Army Security Guard Director, Adam Kalil (DASG)
- Headquarters Company, 25th Marine Regiment
- Headquarters and Service Company & Weapons Company 1st Battalion, 25th Marines1st Battalion 25th Marines1st Battalion, 25th Marines is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout New England consisting of approximately 750 Marines and Sailors...
- 3rd Battalion (Logistical Support Battalion), 313th Regiment, 174th Infantry Brigade, FIRST ARMY EAST
- 2nd Battalion (Training Support Battalion), 310th Regiment, 174th Infantry Brigade, FIRST ARMY EAST
- Detachment 1 J2/JT, United States Central Command, Army Reserve Element (ARE)
External links
- Fort Devens: Official Web Page of Fort Devens
- devenscommunity.com: information about the current status of redevelopment in Devens
- devenscommittee.org: information for Devens residents