Hanscom Air Force Base

Located almost 3 km from Bedford, Hanscom AFB is a combination between a military base and a civilian base. As a military base, the place is under the command of the Air Force Materiel Command. On the other hand, the civilians use it for the Hanscom Field. The place is named in the memory of Laurence G. Hanscom. Hanscom was both a Worcester reporter and a pilot. He passed away in a plane crash in 1941. Unlike most military bases run by the Air Force, this one doesn’t deal with any flying activities at all. Instead, it supports electronic system and research operations.

History

The base was initially established as the Bedford airfield, as the United States territory was “infested” with dozens of similar installations prior to joining World War II. It took the authorities a few months to get an authorization and to build the airfield. The groundbreaking festival was held in the summer of 1941. Soon after the United States joined World War II, the airfield was taken over by the War Department and hosted the 85-th Fighter Squadron. Over the war, the place hosted almost 100 planes in two huge hangars.

As World War II ended, the military base began a tight collaboration with multiple radar operations. In order to support this new mission, the Air Force built the Cambridge Field Station close to the base. It was responsible for recruiting and training hundreds of experts in radio and radar research. Over the years, the place was improved with the Lincoln Lab, SAGE and the Electronic Systems Center. During the ’80s, Hanscom AFB went through some tough times due to the trembling economy of the United States. First, a few housing projects were canceled and over 163 buildings for the inhabitants became history. A few years later, the hosting units were divided into smaller groups, as some of them had to be deployed.

Although the base played a very important role during the Gulf War, it was not taken into consideration in 1994 at the BRAC – Base Realignment And Closure. It was supposed to be closed. However, with a bit of luck and a huge support from the supporting communities, it managed to stay alive.

Some of the most important people who joined and worked for this base include Mark C. Lee, John W. Marchetti, James W. Stansberry and Bruce Sundlun.

Units

These days, Hanscom AFB hosts the 66-th Air Base Group, responsible with the full support for the Electronic Systems Center, whether the operations occur in the United States of America or anywhere else in the world. Some other units hosted include the Retirees Office, the Band of Liberty and the Hanscom Education Center.

Housing

When deployed at Hanscom AFB, your first step is to contact the local Housing Office and request a sponsor to help you accommodate. The same office is responsible for the housing opportunities on site. Call early for a reservation, otherwise you might be stuck for months until your application is processed.