Otis Air National Guard Base

Otis Air National Guard Base is situated within Joint Base Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The facility was established in 1938 as Otis Field, named for pilot and surgeon Lt. Frank "Jesse" Otis, and was redesignated Otis Air Force Base in 1948. During World War II, the site functioned as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Otis. Throughout the Cold War, the installation was an Aerospace Defense Command facility, hosting the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, which operated EC-121 Warning Star aircraft, and the 33rd Fighter Wing. Strategic Air Command also utilized the base for refueling operations with KC-97 and KC-135 aircraft.

The Massachusetts Air National Guard currently operates the base, which hosts the 102nd Intelligence Wing. Following the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, the wing transitioned from flying F-15 Eagle aircraft to a non-flying intelligence mission. Stationed units include the 101st Air Operations Squadron, the 253d Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group, the 212th Engineering Installation Squadron, the 267th Combat Communications Squadron, and the 202nd Weather Flight. The 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment of the Army National Guard and the Civil Air Patrol also maintain a presence.

Infrastructure at the installation includes the Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System (PAVE PAWS), operated by the 6th Space Warning Squadron to monitor satellites and detect ballistic missiles. In 2006, control of the airfield facilities was transferred to the United States Coast Guard, which operates Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod. Current aviation assets at the base consist of Coast Guard and Army aircraft. The installation is an FAA-designated test site for the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and serves as a NASA Space Shuttle launch abort site.