Fort Devens Day, a celebration of the 105th anniversary of the U.S. Army’s presence at Devens, drew an estimated 1,500 veterans, area residents, and soldiers to the Main Post at Devens last Saturday, offering a rare look at a military facility that prepares thousands of soldiers each year for combat and deployment in the midst of the growing Devens commercial and residential community.
Visitors were treated to speeches, music, food trucks, military hardware, and the exhibits of more than two dozen military support groups, including every service branch except the Space Force.
Reenactors dressed in uniforms of the World War I, World War II, Korean, and Vietnam war eras strolled the grounds, and shortly before noon soldiers of the 19th Special Forces Group demonstrated a fast rope descent from a Blackhawk helicopter at the installation’s parade field. The festivities ended with a bang that evening at Rogers Field with fireworks provided by both the Army and the town of Ayer, attended by a crowd of approximately 3,500 people, according to officials..
In an interview, Command Sgt. Jamie Brown, who oversees much of the day-to-day operation of the base, said that the purpose of Fort Devens Day was not only to showcase the work of the Fort Devens garrison and the U.S. Army, but also that of supporting organizations such as the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) in Natick, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and other branches of the U.S. military.
“We’re really trying to build our relationship with our local communities—Ayer, Shirley, Harvard, Lancaster, and, of course, Devens,” she said. Fort Devens cannot succeed in its mission without the understanding and support of the civilian population that lives beyond its borders, she said.
Fort Devens today is a U.S. Army Reserve Forces Training Area (RFTA), a subunit of Fort Dix, New Jersey, and advertises itself as “the premier military training facility in New England.” The unit’s primary responsibility, like that of other training facilities throughout the country, said Brown, is to ensure the combat readiness of the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard units that train here.
Fort Devens garrison: South Post, Main Post, Area 3400
The Fort Devens garrison occupies three parcels of land totaling 5,196 acres (not including three buildings at the former Moore Airfield). The largest parcel is the 4,920-acre South Post firing range in Lancaster, whose sounds are familiar to Harvard residents. The South Post is the primary location for tactical training at Devens, with 27 firing and demolition ranges, an ammunition supply point, a drop zone, and other training areas.
The 136-acre Main Post, located off Quebec Street, near Devens Common, is the garrison’s headquarters with offices for the roughly 70 officers and support staff that operate the base. Main Post also includes classrooms, billets, dining and fitness facilities, and other services for visiting units.
The remaining 140-acre parcel, known as Area 3400, is located near Shirley and contains classrooms, storage, and a forested area frequently used for simulated battlefield training for medical units.
A recent U.S. Army environmental assessment estimates that the Devens RFTA supports a population of 3,061 military personnel and civilians, and 31 contractors. This number does not include the over 400 regional military units and other agencies, such as the FBI, and municipal and state police units, which travel to Devens for training and transient billeting for multiple day and week-long sessions throughout the year.
Saturday’s festivities at Main Post began with a half-hour formal ceremony that featured speeches by garrison commander Lt. Col. Trent Colestock and Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Dorsh, Ist Battalion 10th Special Forces Group, who recalled his unit’s nearly 20-year history at Devens before being transferred to Fort Carson in 1995 when the base closed. Also present was retired Command Sgt. Maj. Julius Reinitzer, 94, a survivor of Auschwitz, a Czech emigre, and one of the first 40 soldiers to join the Special Forces when it was formed in 1952.
The opening ceremony concluded with three rounds of 155 mm cannon fire provided by the historic 101st Field Artillery Unit of the Massachusetts National Guard, recently returned from Iraq. The unit was formed in 1636 and is the oldest in the country, frequently appearing with the Boston Pops on July 4 at the Esplanade in Boston.
Although approximately three dozen attendees were present for the speeches, they rapidly dispersed to the fitness field. As the day wore on, they were joined by hundreds more soldiers and visitors who lined up to view some of the Army’s latest equipment. Present for public inspection were experimental body armor and helmets developed by DEVCOM in Natick, a state-of-the art nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicle, and a new joint light tactical vehicle (JVTL), designed to provide greater protection and maneuverability than existing battlefield transports.
Command Sgt. Brown is herself a resident of Shirley and a member of the community she and her unit hope to engage. “I love it here,” she said. As a 27-year career soldier “who has been all over the world,” she says Massachusetts citizens have “a strong sense of pride” when it comes to their patriotism. It’s reflected in the respect for military service the towns demonstrate annually with their annual ceremonies to honor Memorial Day and Veterans Day. “During those times they’re 100% behind us,” Brown said.
