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U.S. military news, Massachusetts bases and the people who serve
Photo: Airman 1st Class Elijah Harris-Lariviere, U.S. Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
U.S. military news from The Boston Report covers the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard and National Guard, with a special focus on Boston, Massachusetts and the policy fights in Washington, D.C., where American military service began. The Massachusetts militia regiments of 1636 are the roots of today’s National Guard. The first shots of the Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord, and George Washington took command of the Continental Army in Cambridge. Today, thousands of service members, civilians and engineers at Hanscom, Westover, Barnes, Joint Base Cape Cod and Natick carry that tradition forward. This page updates automatically each time we publish military news, and every story links to its sources.
Latest U.S. military news
Veterans Day 2026 in Boston: Parade Route, Free Events and ClosuresOct 26, 2026
Reza Pahlavi News: Latest Quotes and His November Schedule in Brussels and FrankfurtOct 26, 2026
Russian Ballistic Missiles Hit Kyiv, Injuring Ambulance Crew; One Reported DeadOct 26, 2026
Hegseth Heads to Philippines for ASEAN Defense Talks in CebuOct 26, 2026
Mecca Pact Talks in Tehran: Saudi, Pakistan, Turkey Meet IranOct 26, 2026
Ukraine War Update: November Talks Set, Oleksandrivka Gains, 140 Drones OvernightOct 26, 2026
Iran Strike Signs: Hegseth in Israel, Trump’s ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, IRGC ThreatsOct 25, 2026
Wes Streeting Says Britain Has 1,000 Days to Be Ready for WarOct 25, 2026Military trackers and data
- Military Deployments TrackerCarriers, ships and troops, with official sources
- War Stats and Warfare hubConflicts, casualties and war news
- Iran War TrackerStrikes, casualties and executions data
- Massachusetts Military History1636 to today, with a timeline
- Massachusetts Veterans ResourcesBenefits, VA care, housing and jobs
News and facts by military branch
U.S. Army
The nation's oldest service branch, created by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, from the New England forces around Boston. In Massachusetts the Army runs the Natick Soldier Systems Center.
U.S. Air Force
Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, and Air National Guard wings at Barnes and Otis keep Massachusetts central to American airpower.
U.S. Marine Corps
The Marine Corps dates to 1775. Marines who worked at the Charlestown Navy Yard lived in its Marine Barracks, one of the first buildings in the yard.
U.S. Space Force
The newest branch, created in 2019. Acquisition teams at Hanscom Air Force Base work on the battle network that links Air Force and Space Force sensors and systems.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard guards America's coasts and ports. Its base on Boston's Constitution Wharf stands on the site of the shipyard where USS Constitution was built.
National Guard
The National Guard's birthday is Dec. 13, 1636, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized its first militia regiments. Four Massachusetts Army National Guard units descend from them.
Massachusetts military bases and units
Massachusetts hosts active-duty, Reserve and National Guard installations across the state. These are the main ones, with facts from their official pages.
Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford
Host unit: the 66th Air Base Group, part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The Air Force lists a total workforce of 10,306, including 4,058 MIT Lincoln Laboratory staff (April 2021 data). Hanscom also hosts the Massachusetts National Guard Joint Force Headquarters.
Westover Air Reserve Base, Chicopee
Home of the Air Force Reserve’s 439th Airlift Wing, with more than 1,660 personnel and eight C-5 Super Galaxy aircraft that move troops, supplies, equipment and medical patients worldwide.
Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield
Home of the 104th Fighter Wing, the “Barnestormers,” which officially welcomed the F-35A Lightning II on Sept. 13, 2026, after flying the F-15 Eagle.
Joint Base Cape Cod and Otis ANGB
Joint Base Cape Cod includes Otis Air National Guard Base, home of the 102nd Intelligence Wing.
Natick Soldier Systems Center
Home of the Army’s DEVCOM Soldier Center, which develops equipment and support for soldiers. It began in 1954 as the Quartermaster Research Facility.
USS Constitution and the Boston Navy Yard
“Old Ironsides,” launched in Boston in 1797, is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. It is berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard, which served the Navy from 1800 to 1974.
Massachusetts National Guard
The Massachusetts Army and Air National Guard answer to the governor at home and deploy with the U.S. armed forces overseas. Four of its Army units trace their lineage to the colony’s first militia regiments of 1636, the oldest units in the U.S. military.
The Massachusetts defense industry and research labs
Massachusetts companies and labs design some of America’s most important defense technology. A few examples, from the organizations’ own pages:
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington: established in 1951 to build the nation’s first air defense system, SAGE. The Air Force counts 4,058 Lincoln Laboratory staff in Hanscom’s workforce.
- RTX (Raytheon), Andover: RTX describes its Andover site as the place “where radars are born,” a major radar production facility.
- General Dynamics Mission Systems, Taunton: the company lists Taunton as one of its major locations.
The Defense Department’s Defense Spending by State report breaks down Pentagon contracts and payroll in Massachusetts each year. For local hiring, see the Boston Jobs board and our Boston Job Market page.
Honoring Massachusetts veterans
About 243,596 veterans live in Massachusetts, according to the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimates. Our Massachusetts Veterans Resources hub lists state and VA benefits, health care by region, housing, jobs and peer groups. Veterans in crisis: call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
Boston military community: units, history and services
Boston is where many Americans meet the military in person. In Charlestown, USS Constitution is still crewed by active-duty U.S. Navy sailors and sits beside the historic Charlestown Navy Yard, part of Boston National Historical Park. The Coast Guard’s Boston base stands on Constitution Wharf in the North End, and Hanscom Air Force Base and MIT Lincoln Laboratory are a short drive away in Bedford and Lexington.
City of Boston Veterans Services
26 Court Street, 5th Floor, Boston. Phone 617-635-3026, Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m. The office runs Boston’s Chapter 115 financial aid for veterans, decorates veterans’ graves and hero squares on Memorial Day, and posts the city’s Veterans Day events list.
VA Boston Healthcare System
Medical centers at 150 South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plain, 1400 VFW Parkway in West Roxbury and 940 Belmont Street in Brockton, with clinics in Framingham, Lowell, Plymouth and Quincy.
Boston Veterans Day and Memorial Day
The city publishes its official Veterans Day event schedule and Memorial Day flag placement details on the Veterans Services page. Check there for times and locations each year.
Read more Boston-area coverage on our Boston and Massachusetts veterans hub and the guide to military history sites in Boston.
Washington, D.C.: Pentagon, Congress and Massachusetts
Military policy is set in Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts has a voice in it. Congress writes the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes Defense Department programs and policy; bill text and status are posted on Congress.gov. These Massachusetts lawmakers sit on the committees that write it in the 119th Congress (2025-2026):
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
- Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA, 6th District), member of the House Armed Services Committee, ranking member of its Strategic Forces Subcommittee and a member of the Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation Subcommittee, per the Office of the Clerk.
- Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA), member of the House Armed Services Committee and its Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation Subcommittee, per the committee’s subcommittee roster.
For official Pentagon announcements, see the Department of War news site at war.gov. In and around the capital, Arlington National Cemetery is the resting place of Brookline-born President John F. Kennedy, a World War II Navy veteran, and the National World War II Memorial includes a pillar for each state, Massachusetts among them.
Recent Washington defense coverage: Hegseth heads to the Philippines for ASEAN defense talks · Iran strike signs: Hegseth in Israel · Ukraine war update · Military Deployments Tracker · Iran War Tracker
U.S. military and Massachusetts FAQ
What military bases are in Massachusetts?
Major installations include Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee, Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Joint Base Cape Cod with Otis Air National Guard Base, and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center. USS Constitution is berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
Why is Massachusetts called the birthplace of the National Guard?
The National Guard marks its birthday on Dec. 13, 1636, when the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized its militia into three regiments. The 181st Infantry, 182nd Infantry, 101st Field Artillery and 101st Engineer Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard descend from them and are the oldest units in the U.S. military.
What flies out of Barnes Air National Guard Base?
The 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes officially welcomed the F-35A Lightning II on Sept. 13, 2026, replacing the F-15 Eagle.
What does Hanscom Air Force Base do?
Hanscom is home to Air Force Life Cycle Management Center teams that buy and manage cyber, network, electronic and nuclear command and control systems. The Air Force reports a total workforce of 10,306, including MIT Lincoln Laboratory staff.
Where can I track U.S. military deployments?
Our Military Deployments Tracker follows carriers, ships and troop movements and links official U.S. military sources for each entry.
Where can Massachusetts veterans get help?
Start with our Massachusetts Veterans Resources hub. Veterans in crisis can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255, for the Veterans Crisis Line.
Which Massachusetts lawmakers serve on the Armed Services committees in Washington, D.C.?
In the 119th Congress, Sen. Elizabeth Warren serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Reps. Seth Moulton and Bill Keating serve on the House Armed Services Committee. Moulton is ranking member of its Strategic Forces Subcommittee.
Where can Boston veterans get help from the city?
City of Boston Veterans Services, 26 Court Street, 5th Floor, handles Chapter 115 aid and VA claim help. Call 617-635-3026, Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
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Sources
- National Guard: How We Began
- Hanscom Air Force Base fact sheet
- Air Force Reserve Command: Westover ARB
- DVIDS: 104th Fighter Wing marks transition to F-35A (Sept. 13, 2026)
- DEVCOM Soldier Center: Who We Are
- Naval History and Heritage Command: USS Constitution fact sheet
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Massachusetts veterans
Additional sources
- City of Boston: Veterans Services
- VA Boston Healthcare System: Locations
- Senate Armed Services Committee: Members
- House Clerk: Rep. Seth Moulton
- House Armed Services: 119th Congress subcommittee rosters
- National Park Service: World War II Memorial
- Massachusetts National Guard: Who’s Who on Joint Base Cape Cod
- National Park Service: Charlestown Navy Yard history
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory: History
- Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation: Defense Spending by State
Photo credit: Photo: Airman 1st Class Elijah Harris-Lariviere, U.S. Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)