Westover Air Reserve Base

Westover Air Reserve Base (IATA: CEF, ICAO: KCEF) is an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) installation situated in Chicopee and Ludlow, Massachusetts, near Springfield. Established in 1939 as Westover Field, an Army Air Corps installation, it was part of a larger War Department plan for strategic air bases. Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force in 1947, it became Westover Air Force Base. It served various commands, including Air Defense Command and Strategic Air Command (SAC), hosting units like the 99th Bombardment Wing equipped with B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. During the Vietnam War, 99th Bombardment Wing aircraft deployed to Southeast Asia. In 1974, Westover Air Force Base was transferred to the Air Force Reserve (AFRES), becoming Westover Air Reserve Base in 1991.

Currently, Westover is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States, covering 2,500 acres and accommodating approximately 5,500 military and civilian personnel. The host unit is the 439th Airlift Wing (439 AW) of the Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, which operates C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft. The base is operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command. Westover also hosts various U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Navy Reserve, and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve units, including the 302nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27. The installation shares its military-maintained runways with Westover Metropolitan Airport, serving civilian access. It features two runways: 05/23, measuring 3,535 meters (11,597 feet) with an asphalt/concrete surface, and 15/33, measuring 2,160 meters (7,085 feet) with an asphalt/concrete surface. Westover ARB has the longest runway in Massachusetts. It was a backup landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle until 2011. The base has undergone environmental remediation efforts for historical hazardous waste sites.