Otis Air National Guard Base
Encyclopedia
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard
installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation
(MMR), a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod
, in western Barnstable County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. It was previously known as Otis Air Force Base prior to its transfer from the active duty Air Force to the Air National Guard. In the community, it is also known as Otis Air Base or more commonly by its old name, Otis Air Force Base. It was named in honor of pilot and Boston surgeon, Lt. Frank "Jesse" Otis
.
, and eminent Boston City Hospital
surgeon, Lt. Frank "Jesse" Otis, a member of the 101st Observation Squadron who was killed on Jan. 11, 1937 when his Douglas O-46A crashed while on a cross-country training mission.
In 1938, the landing field area at Camp Edwards
was named Otis Field in memory of the Boston
flying physician. Ten years later the base was renamed Otis Air Force Base in his honor. Until 1973, it was the largest Aerospace Defense Command
base in the world and is the only base named for a doctor.
During World War II
, the field was known as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Otis and was a subordinate field for Naval Air Station Quonset Point
, Rhode Island.
, the base was a key Aerospace Defense Command
(ADC) installation. Activities ranged from the Air Force's 33rd Fighter Wing (Air Defense) / 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
to the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing and the 4604th Support Squadron
supporting the Texas Tower Radar Plaforms in the Atlantic Ocean.. The 551st flew the EC-121 Warning Star
before moving to Hanscom Air Force Base
in 1969. The 551st was also the first Air Force wing to fly the EC-121. The 33rd flew various fighter jets in conjunction with the 60th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. The expanding mission led to the runways being lengthened in 1960. The base was also home to the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron
, which maintained the BOMARC surface-to-air missiles on the base. The regular air force began leaving Otis in the late 1960s as improvements in radar made the 551st more costly when compared to newer technologies. The 551st and the 60th left Otis when the Air Force began to move the continental air defense mission over to the Air National Guard
.
Strategic Air Command
maintained the 19th Air Refueling Squadron
at Otis AFB flying the KC-97 Stratotanker
After the 19th AREFS Inactivated SAC assigned Detachment 1, 416th Bombardment Wing
/ 41st Air Refueling Squadron
, based at Griffiss AFB, New York
with 2 KC-135 Stratotanker
and 2 99th Bombardment Wing / 99th Air Refueling Squadron
, Westover AFB, Massachusetts
KC-135 Stratotanker
s on 24 Hour Alert Duty.
The Massachusetts Air National Guard
's 102d Fighter Wing, 101st Fighter Squadron including its previous iterations as a fighter-interceptor group, fighter group, air defense wing and fighter-interceptor wing became the lead command at Otis for executing this mission. During the Cold War period from 1964 until 2004, the 102d operated a variety of air defense and tactical fighter aircraft, to include the F-86H Sabre, F-84B/F Thunderstreak, F-100D Super Sabre, F-106A/B Delta Dart and F-15A/B Eagle. The base was also utilized as a stopover for a French Air Force
Mirage IV on the way to French Polynesia
for Operation Tamoure.
(BRAC) action, the Massachusetts Air National Guard
continued to retain an air defense mission, but the 102 FW was directed to transfer its F-15 aircraft to its sister unit, the 104th Fighter Wing
, formerly an A-10 Thunderbolt II
unit of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at Barnes Municipal Airport
/ANGB. All F-15 aircraft were transferred by January 2008 and the 102 FW was redesignated as the 102d Intelligence Wing (102 IW), a non-flying unit at Otis ANGB.
used Otis on many occasions for the landing of Air Force One when he traveled to the Kennedy Compound
in Hyannis
. He would then board an Army or Marine Corps helicopter which would then take him to the compound. It was at the Otis AFB Hospital that his wife, Jacqueline, gave birth to their son Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, who died two days later.
Frank Sargent appointed the Otis Task Force to oversee a phase-down of military activities at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). The major concern of Cape residents was the fate of base property and impacts on the local economy as military activities decreased.
During a period of time when the future of the base was in limbo, ideas were floated that would include the redeveloping of the base into a recreation center of sorts that would rival Disneyland. The state even went so far as to mail out brochures to 1,500 corporations around the world, advertising the redevelopment opportunities of the base.
, Camp Edwards
(an Army National Guard small arms training facility that served as a POW camp during World War II), and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
(which utilizes the Otis ANGB runways). Together they form the Massachusetts Military Reservation
, where 17 other state, federal and private entities operate within its boundaries.
In 1978, the Regular Air Force returned to Otis ANGB with the construction of the Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System (PAVE PAWS) near the Cape Cod Canal
. PAVE PAWS is designed to detect airborne ballistic missiles and monitor orbiting satellites.
Otis ANGB is technically an alternative landing site for the Space Shuttle
orbiter if it ever had to abort its mission during liftoff. However, this is only possible if the orbiter is in a high inclination launch. The comparatively short main runway at Otis also makes its use for this purpose unlikely when compared to other nearby installations such as Westover Air Reserve Base or Pease Air National Guard Base
, both former Strategic Air Command
installations with runways over 2,000 feet longer than Otis.
(FAA)'s Boston Center
contacted the base at 8:34 notifying them of the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11
. Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Duffy and Major Daniel Nash flew F-15
fighters out of the base heading toward New York City to intercept the plane. Conflicting reports say they departed somewhere between 8:46 and 8:52 and also at what speeds they flew (supersonic
versus subsonic.) In the 2006 TV documentary Flight 175: As the World Watched
, both Otis pilots were interviewed and one spoke about their speed being supersonic in their effort to intercept the hijacked airliner headed for New York.
Originally scheduled to be closed by the 2005 BRAC
, Otis ANGB was spared in last minute decisions. However, the 102nd Fighter Wing did lose its F-15 Eagle
and transitioned to a non-flying mission, redesignated as the 102d Intelligence Wing. The only military aircraft currently based at Otis ANGB are those of the Coast Guard, although transient military aircraft continue to use the facility and the Navy has considered it as a place of interest should they decide to base naval forces in the Northeast again.
On November 6, 2009, ground was broken on new facilities for the 102nd Intelligence Wing. The building will eventually replace the temporary facilities that the wing is now operating in.
The airport was a NASA Space Shuttle
launch abort site. It was only able to be used during high inclination launches.
has released new flight procedures that identify the ICAO code KFMH with the name of Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. This does not signify a name change as it has not been officially announced. The FAA sometimes does issue plans that call an airport a different name than is commonly known. With the control of the airfield changing hands, improvements to the lighting system were put in control of the Coast Guard. The base is still known as Otis among locals, but the media reports it as Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod.
in the groundwater, much of the water supply in the surrounding area was converted from wells to municipal water sources.
In towns near the Air Force's PAVE PAWS radar at Otis Air National Guard Base, there was significant concern about possible adverse effects on health of humans resulting from PAVE PAWS radiation. In 1978, the EPA and the US Air Force School of Medicine decided that no such threat to human health was plausible. At the request of local residents, in 1979, two panels formed by the National Research Council reviewed existing data on the radar and on comparable systems: an engineering panel and a biomedical panel. Neither panel found any cause for concern, but the panels did recommend additional studies. The local communities' concerns peaked again in the late 1990s, and another National Research Council panel studied not only previously available data, but also engineering measurements newly gathered by the Air Force, epidemiological data gathered by local public health authorities, and the results of studies on various other systems. The report of this latest NRC panel, issued in 2005, available from the National Academies Press both online and in hard copy, finds no evidence for adverse health effects from PAVE PAWS
. There are nearby clusters of certain types of cancer, but as is often true in cluster studies, there are so many confounding effects that any possible effect due to PAVE PAWS is indiscernible. Further, no plausible causal link to PAVE PAWS
on health of nearby residents has been discovered. Of scientific interest is the possibility that growth rates of vegetation close to the radar and exposed to the direct radar beam may possibly be retarded, but no plausible connection of that possibility to effects on human health is known.
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation
Massachusetts Military Reservation
The Massachusetts Military Reservation, is a military reservation created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facility, and establishing a formal commission to...
(MMR), a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, in western Barnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,902...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was previously known as Otis Air Force Base prior to its transfer from the active duty Air Force to the Air National Guard. In the community, it is also known as Otis Air Base or more commonly by its old name, Otis Air Force Base. It was named in honor of pilot and Boston surgeon, Lt. Frank "Jesse" Otis
Frank Otis
Frank "Jesse" Otis was a Boston surgeon and flight surgeon for the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 101st Observation Squadron who was memorialized after his death when Otis Field was named after him.-Biography:...
.
World War II
According to the 102d Intelligence Wing Public Affairs office, Otis Air National Guard Base is named for pilot, flight surgeonFlight surgeon
A flight surgeon is a military medical officer assigned to duties in the clinical field variously known as aviation medicine, aerospace medicine, or flight medicine...
, and eminent Boston City Hospital
Boston City Hospital
The Boston City Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and .....
surgeon, Lt. Frank "Jesse" Otis, a member of the 101st Observation Squadron who was killed on Jan. 11, 1937 when his Douglas O-46A crashed while on a cross-country training mission.
In 1938, the landing field area at Camp Edwards
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 the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It was named after...
was named Otis Field in memory of the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
flying physician. Ten years later the base was renamed Otis Air Force Base in his honor. Until 1973, it was the largest Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
base in the world and is the only base named for a doctor.
During 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...
, the field was known as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Otis and was a subordinate field for Naval Air Station Quonset Point
Naval Air Station Quonset Point
Naval Air Station Quonset Point was a United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was deactivated in 1974. Next to NAS Quonset Point was Camp Endicott at Davisville, home of the Naval Construction Battalions known as the Seabees. Quonset Point also gave its name to the Quonset hut,...
, Rhode Island.
Air Force usage
During the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the base was a key Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
(ADC) installation. Activities ranged from the Air Force's 33rd Fighter Wing (Air Defense) / 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
60th Fighter Squadron
The 60th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron. It was last assigned to the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida...
to the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing and the 4604th Support Squadron
4604th Support Squadron
The 4604th Support Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 26th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
supporting the Texas Tower Radar Plaforms in the Atlantic Ocean.. The 551st flew the EC-121 Warning Star
EC-121 Warning Star
The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a United States Navy and United States Air Force airborne early warning radar surveillance aircraft. A military version of the Lockheed Constellation, it was designed to serve as an airborne early warning system to supplement the Distant Early Warning Line,...
before moving to Hanscom Air Force Base
Hanscom Air Force Base
Hanscom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of Bedford, Massachusetts. The facility is a joint use civil airport/military base with Hanscom Field which provides general aviation and charter service.The host unit at Hanscom is the non-flying...
in 1969. The 551st was also the first Air Force wing to fly the EC-121. The 33rd flew various fighter jets in conjunction with the 60th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. The expanding mission led to the runways being lengthened in 1960. The base was also home to the 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron
26th Air Defense Missile Squadron
The 26th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed near Otis AFB, Massachusetts...
, which maintained the BOMARC surface-to-air missiles on the base. The regular air force began leaving Otis in the late 1960s as improvements in radar made the 551st more costly when compared to newer technologies. The 551st and the 60th left Otis when the Air Force began to move the continental air defense mission over to the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
.
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
maintained the 19th Air Refueling Squadron
19th Air Refueling Squadron
The 19th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. At the time of its inactivation, it was based at Otis Air Force Base.-Lineage:*19th Air Refueling Squadron...
at Otis AFB flying the KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
After the 19th AREFS Inactivated SAC assigned Detachment 1, 416th Bombardment Wing
416th Bombardment Wing
The 416th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Air Combat Command, being stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 30 September 1995....
/ 41st Air Refueling Squadron
41st Air Refueling Squadron
The 41st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 416th Operations Group, stationed at Griffiss AFB, New York. It was inactivated on 15 February 1993...
, based at Griffiss AFB, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with 2 KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
and 2 99th Bombardment Wing / 99th Air Refueling Squadron
99th Air Refueling Squadron
The 99th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
, Westover AFB, 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...
KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
s on 24 Hour Alert Duty.
The Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
's 102d Fighter Wing, 101st Fighter Squadron including its previous iterations as a fighter-interceptor group, fighter group, air defense wing and fighter-interceptor wing became the lead command at Otis for executing this mission. During the Cold War period from 1964 until 2004, the 102d operated a variety of air defense and tactical fighter aircraft, to include the F-86H Sabre, F-84B/F Thunderstreak, F-100D Super Sabre, F-106A/B Delta Dart and F-15A/B Eagle. The base was also utilized as a stopover for a French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
Mirage IV on the way to French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
for Operation Tamoure.
Air National Guard usage
The Air National Guard's and 101st Tactical Fighter Squadron used Otis when the active duty Air Force was present and shared missions with the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing while operating their own aircraft as indicated in the previous paragraph regarding the Cold War. In 1987, the 102d Fighter Wing (102 FW) transitioned to the F-15C Eagle. Following 2005 Base Realignment and ClosureBase Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) action, the Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
continued to retain an air defense mission, but the 102 FW was directed to transfer its F-15 aircraft to its sister unit, the 104th Fighter Wing
104th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 104th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Barnes Airport, Massachusetts.-Mission:To maintain highly trained, well equipped, and motivated military forces in order to provide combat ready F-15C Eagles aircraft and support elements in response...
, formerly an A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
unit of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at Barnes Municipal Airport
Barnes Municipal Airport
Barnes Municipal Airport , also known as Westfield-Barnes Airport, is a tower-controlled joint civil-military public airport located three miles north of the central business district of Westfield, a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. This airport is owned by City of Westfield...
/ANGB. All F-15 aircraft were transferred by January 2008 and the 102 FW was redesignated as the 102d Intelligence Wing (102 IW), a non-flying unit at Otis ANGB.
UFO sightings
During the 1950s, Otis had quite a few instances of UFOs being associated with it. One of these instances allegedly involved an F-94C Starfire which was said to have vanished along with its radar operator over the base. The pilot reportedly escaped. The incident was mentioned on the History Channel. This alleged incident is controversial, and may never have actually occurred.John F. Kennedy
President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
used Otis on many occasions for the landing of Air Force One when he traveled to the Kennedy Compound
Kennedy Compound
The Kennedy Compound or Hyannis Port Historic District is the name given to six acres of waterfront property on Cape Cod along Nantucket Sound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, United States....
in Hyannis
Hyannis
Hyannis may refer to a location in the United States:* Hyannis, Massachusetts* Hyannisport, Massachusetts* Hyannis, Nebraska...
. He would then board an Army or Marine Corps helicopter which would then take him to the compound. It was at the Otis AFB Hospital that his wife, Jacqueline, gave birth to their son Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, who died two days later.
Closure
In the early 1970s, Otis AFB was marked for closure as part of changing priorities and a nation-wide reduction of military bases in response to cost cutting efforts as the Vietnam War was winding down. In 1973, Governor of MassachusettsGovernor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
Frank Sargent appointed the Otis Task Force to oversee a phase-down of military activities at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). The major concern of Cape residents was the fate of base property and impacts on the local economy as military activities decreased.
During a period of time when the future of the base was in limbo, ideas were floated that would include the redeveloping of the base into a recreation center of sorts that would rival Disneyland. The state even went so far as to mail out brochures to 1,500 corporations around the world, advertising the redevelopment opportunities of the base.
Reopening of the Base
In 1977, Otis AFB was officially redistributed with the establishment of boundary lines which divided the complex into several installations, all within the confines of the original Otis AFB. Established was Otis Air National Guard BaseOtis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
, Camp Edwards
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 the Massachusetts Military Reservation, which also includes Otis Air National Guard Base and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. It was named after...
(an Army National Guard small arms training facility that served as a POW camp during World War II), and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is a United States Coast Guard air station located on Otis Air National Guard Base in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It operates from New York City to the Canadian Border...
(which utilizes the Otis ANGB runways). Together they form the Massachusetts Military Reservation
Massachusetts Military Reservation
The Massachusetts Military Reservation, is a military reservation created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facility, and establishing a formal commission to...
, where 17 other state, federal and private entities operate within its boundaries.
In 1978, the Regular Air Force returned to Otis ANGB with the construction of the Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System (PAVE PAWS) near the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
. PAVE PAWS is designed to detect airborne ballistic missiles and monitor orbiting satellites.
Otis ANGB is technically an alternative landing site for the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
orbiter if it ever had to abort its mission during liftoff. However, this is only possible if the orbiter is in a high inclination launch. The comparatively short main runway at Otis also makes its use for this purpose unlikely when compared to other nearby installations such as Westover Air Reserve Base or Pease Air National Guard Base
Pease Air National Guard Base
Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. Formerly, the base was open as Pease Air Force Base until it was closed in 1991. Before it was closed, it was under the control of the United States Air Force's Strategic...
, both former Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
installations with runways over 2,000 feet longer than Otis.
September 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001, the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA)'s Boston Center
Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center
Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center is located in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. The Boston ARTCC is one of 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the United States....
contacted the base at 8:34 notifying them of the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight from Logan International Airport, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles, California...
. Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Duffy and Major Daniel Nash flew F-15
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
fighters out of the base heading toward New York City to intercept the plane. Conflicting reports say they departed somewhere between 8:46 and 8:52 and also at what speeds they flew (supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
versus subsonic.) In the 2006 TV documentary Flight 175: As the World Watched
Flight 175: As the World Watched
Flight 175: As the World Watched is an American television documentary film that premiered in August 2006 on TLC. It covers the final moments of the passengers and crew on board United Airlines Flight 175, which was the second commercial airliner to strike the World Trade Center, impacted with the...
, both Otis pilots were interviewed and one spoke about their speed being supersonic in their effort to intercept the hijacked airliner headed for New York.
Modern operations
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
, Otis ANGB was spared in last minute decisions. However, the 102nd Fighter Wing did lose its F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
and transitioned to a non-flying mission, redesignated as the 102d Intelligence Wing. The only military aircraft currently based at Otis ANGB are those of the Coast Guard, although transient military aircraft continue to use the facility and the Navy has considered it as a place of interest should they decide to base naval forces in the Northeast again.
On November 6, 2009, ground was broken on new facilities for the 102nd Intelligence Wing. The building will eventually replace the temporary facilities that the wing is now operating in.
The airport was a NASA Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launch abort site. It was only able to be used during high inclination launches.
Name change
On December 22, 2006 in an agreement amongst the Coast Guard, National Guard and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a partnership was created in which the Coast Guard would assume control of the aviation facilities from the Air Force (Runways, taxiways, etc.) while the Air National Guard will manage the utilities (Electricity, water, sewerage, etc.) and the state will fund the emergency services and fire protection. The Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
has released new flight procedures that identify the ICAO code KFMH with the name of Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. This does not signify a name change as it has not been officially announced. The FAA sometimes does issue plans that call an airport a different name than is commonly known. With the control of the airfield changing hands, improvements to the lighting system were put in control of the Coast Guard. The base is still known as Otis among locals, but the media reports it as Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod.
Environmental issues
Military operations in the early years at Otis AFB included the use of petroleum products and other hazardous materials such as fuels, motor oils, and cleaning solvents and the generation of associated wastes. Consistent with practices of other industries at the time, it was common practice for many years to dispose of such wastes in landfills, dry wells, sumps, and the sewage treatment plant. Spills and leaks also occurred. These activities have resulted in serious impacts to the Upper Cape’s groundwater resources. As a direct result of the threats from waste plumesPlume (hydrodynamics)
In hydrodynamics, a plume is a column of one fluid or gas moving through another. Several effects control the motion of the fluid, including momentum, diffusion, and buoyancy...
in the groundwater, much of the water supply in the surrounding area was converted from wells to municipal water sources.
In towns near the Air Force's PAVE PAWS radar at Otis Air National Guard Base, there was significant concern about possible adverse effects on health of humans resulting from PAVE PAWS radiation. In 1978, the EPA and the US Air Force School of Medicine decided that no such threat to human health was plausible. At the request of local residents, in 1979, two panels formed by the National Research Council reviewed existing data on the radar and on comparable systems: an engineering panel and a biomedical panel. Neither panel found any cause for concern, but the panels did recommend additional studies. The local communities' concerns peaked again in the late 1990s, and another National Research Council panel studied not only previously available data, but also engineering measurements newly gathered by the Air Force, epidemiological data gathered by local public health authorities, and the results of studies on various other systems. The report of this latest NRC panel, issued in 2005, available from the National Academies Press both online and in hard copy, finds no evidence for adverse health effects from PAVE PAWS
PAVE PAWS
PAVE PAWS is a United States Air Force Space Command radar system operated by three 21st Space Wing squadrons for missile warning and space surveillance. Operational PAVE PAWS radars are located at:...
. There are nearby clusters of certain types of cancer, but as is often true in cluster studies, there are so many confounding effects that any possible effect due to PAVE PAWS is indiscernible. Further, no plausible causal link to PAVE PAWS
PAVE PAWS
PAVE PAWS is a United States Air Force Space Command radar system operated by three 21st Space Wing squadrons for missile warning and space surveillance. Operational PAVE PAWS radars are located at:...
on health of nearby residents has been discovered. Of scientific interest is the possibility that growth rates of vegetation close to the radar and exposed to the direct radar beam may possibly be retarded, but no plausible connection of that possibility to effects on human health is known.
Schools
Otis was unique because it had its own schools for the students who lived on the base. These schools included:- Edward C. Stone Middle School
- Colonel James P. Lyle Middle School
- Otis Memorial Elementary School.
- Otis Interm #2
- Campbell School
Notable associations
- James M. KellyJames M. KellyJames McNeal "Vegas" Kelly is a NASA Astronaut and a retired Colonel of the United States Air Force.-Education:Born in Burlington, Iowa, James Kelly graduated from Burlington Community High School in 1982. He received a B.S. degree in astronautical engineering from the United States Air Force...
, Astronaut - Daniel James, Jr. 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron437th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 414th Fighter Group, stationed at Oxnard AFB, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1969.-History:...
, and 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron commander - Charles SweeneyCharles SweeneyMajor General Charles W. Sweeney was an officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and the pilot who flew the "Fat Man" atomic bomb to Nagasaki on August 9, 1945...
, commanded BockscarBockscarBockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....
, the B-29 that dropped Fat ManFat Man"Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more...
on NagasakiNagasakiis the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
, later 102nd Air Defense Wing commander. - Raymond S. WetmoreRaymond S. WetmoreRay S. Wetmore was a leading U.S. Army ace of World War II. He was killed after a cross country flight from California.-World War II:...
, 59th Fighter Squadron commander - Ruth Allen, singer
- Arval Roberson-Last commander of Otis Air Force Base, World War II ace
Current units
- 102nd Intelligence Wing
- 101st Air Operations Squadron
- 253rd Combat Communications Group
- 267th Combat Communications Squadron267th Combat Communications SquadronThe United States Air Force's 267th Combat Communications Squadron is an Air National Guard combat communications unit located at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts.-Mission:...
- 202nd Weather Flight202nd Weather FlightThe 202nd Weather Flight is an Air National Guard weather flight that provides meteorological and atmospheric forecasting and observing to both United States Army and United States Air Force agencies....
- Coast Guard Air Station Cape CodCoast Guard Air Station Cape CodCoast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is a United States Coast Guard air station located on Otis Air National Guard Base in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It operates from New York City to the Canadian Border...
- 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation
- Coastal Patrol Squadron 18, Cape Cod Composite Squadron 044-Massachusetts Wing Civil Air PatrolCivil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
USAF
- 1st Special Operations Wing1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
(1969–1972) - 19th Air Refueling Squadron19th Air Refueling SquadronThe 19th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. At the time of its inactivation, it was based at Otis Air Force Base.-Lineage:*19th Air Refueling Squadron...
(Detached from main wing) (1960–1966)- GSU / Detached from the 4050th Air Refueling Wing, Westover AFB, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
(1960–1963) - GSU / Detached from the 499th Air Refueling Wing499th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 499th Air Refueling Wing was an aerial refueling unit located at Westover AFB, Massachusetts. It was inactivated in 1966....
, Westover AFB, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
(1963–1966)
- GSU / Detached from the 4050th Air Refueling Wing, Westover AFB, Massachusetts
- Detachment 1, 99th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, (A KC-135 Satellite Alert unit)
- GSU / Detached from the 99th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Westover AFB, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
(1969–1972)
- GSU / Detached from the 99th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Westover AFB, Massachusetts
- Detachment 1, 416th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, (A KC-135 Satellite Alert unit)
- GSU / Detached from the 416th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Griffiss AFB, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1969–1972)
- GSU / Detached from the 416th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Griffiss AFB, New York
- 102nd Tactical Air Command Hospital
- 119th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (1952–1953)
- 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron26th Air Defense Missile SquadronThe 26th Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 20th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed near Otis AFB, Massachusetts...
(1961–1972) - 50th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (1949–1951)
- 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron437th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 414th Fighter Group, stationed at Oxnard AFB, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1969.-History:...
1952-1955 (First operational unit with the F-94C)
- 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
- 564th Air Defense Group564th Air Defense GroupThe 564th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4707th Air Defense Wing, being stationed at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.-History:...
, 33rd Air Defense Group, 33rd Fighter Interceptor Wing, 33rd Fighter Wing, (Air Defense) (1948–1957)- 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 1948-1959 (F-84B, F-86A, F-94B, F-89D/H/J)
- 59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 1948-1952 (F-84B, F-86A, F-94A/B)
- 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 1948-1950 (F-84B), 1955-1971 (F-94C, First to fly the F-101B Voodoo)
- 81st Fighter Squadron81st Fighter SquadronThe 81st Fighter Squadron is part of the 52d Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It operates the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions.-Mission:...
(1949–1951)
- 4604th Support Squadron4604th Support SquadronThe 4604th Support Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 26th Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command, stationed at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
(Supported Texas Towers,#2,#3,and #4.) - 4707th Air Defense Wing4707th Air Defense WingThe 4707th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division, being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York...
- 4735th Air Defense Group4735th Air Defense GroupThe 4735th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to the Boston Air Defense Sector throughout its existence, being stationed at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
- 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron4713th Defense Systems Evaluation SquadronThe 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 21st Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command at Westover AFB, Massachusetts...
- 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron
- 4735th Air Defense Group
- 4784th Air Base Group
- 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing (1954–1969)
- 960th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron (1955–1969)
- 961st Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron (1955–1969)
- 962d Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron (1955–1969)
- 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron (1961–1962)
- 551st Electronics Maintenance Squadron
- 551st Field Maintenance Squadron
- 551st Periodic (Later: Organizational) Maintenance Squadron
- 551st Air Base (Later: Combat Support)Group
- 551st Air Police (Later: Security Police) Squadron
- 551st Food Service (Later: Services) Squadron
- 551st Installations (Later: Civil Engineering) Squadron
- 551st Motor Vehicle (Later: Transportation) Squadron
- 551st Supply Squadron
- Otis Air Force Base HospitalOtis Air Force Base HospitalOtis Air Force Base Hospital was a former hospital at Otis Air Force Base. With the closure of the base in 1973, the hospital closed. It was the site of the birth of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy. The hospital consisted of a series of connected one-story buildings. The buildings were torn down in the...
- 551st USAF Hospital Squadron
- 553rd Reconnaissance Wing Batcats (1967)
- 553rd Reconnaissance Squadron
- 554th Reconnaissance Squadron
- 553rd Electronic Maintenance Squadron
- 553rd Field Maintenance Squadron
- 553rd Organizational Maintenance Squadron
- Wing unknown
- 617th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (1 Nov 1953-December 1954)
- 622nd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (1 Sep 1953- Dec 1954)
- 630th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (7 Jan 1954-8 Sep 1954)
- 643d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (1 Sep 1953-15 Jul 1954)
- 673rd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (1 Sep 1953-1 Aug 1954)
- 932d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (11 May 1952-Sep 1952)
- Air Defense Command Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
- Boston Air Defense SectorBoston Air Defense SectorThe Boston Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force Air Defense Command organization. Its last assignment was with the ADC 26th Air Division, being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York.-History:...
- Note: The Lockheed YF-12Lockheed YF-12The Lockheed YF-12 was an American prototype interceptor aircraft, which the United States Air Force evaluated as a development of the highly-secret Lockheed A-12 that also spawned the SR-71 Blackbird.-Design and development:...
was supposed to be stationed at Otis. This would have either meant the creation of three new squadrons, or the reuse of the above squadrons.
See also
- Massachusetts World War II Army AirfieldsMassachusetts World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Massachusetts for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- Eastern Air Defense ForceEastern Air Defense ForceThe Eastern Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
(Air Defense Command) - List of UFO sightings
- UFO