Smyrna Military Base - Although I knew about the military base in Middle Tennessee, I didn't know much about Camp Forrest or the important role it played during the war. Located near Tullahoma, the Army expanded its Tennessee National Guard training facility in 1940 when the National Guard unit became a corporation.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor Camp Forrest became the home of the Eighth and Eightieth Infantry Divisions and a training and induction center for men entering the Army. Many infantry, artillery, engineering and signal units were trained at Camp Forrest.
Smyrna Military Base
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Smyrna Airport
Located twelve nautical miles south of Nashville Airport, Smyrna Airport is Nashville's "recipient" airport. Covering more than 1,700 acres, Smyrna Airport is the third largest airport in Tennessee and the busiest airport in Tennessee. Users of the Smyrna Airport, within ten miles, have access to the railroad and three interstate systems that cross Middle Tennessee.
Smyrna Airport is located in the heart of Tennessee and more importantly in the middle east of the United States. Eighty percent of the population of the United States lives within 700 miles of Smyrna. These factors influenced the industrial environment in the Smyrna area.
The 208th, based in Smyrna, is made up of medical professionals from a variety of specialties including combat medicine, dentists, doctors and behavioral health specialists. They will be deployed to five different countries in the Middle East region and provide care to patients suffering from illness and injury as well as providing initial rehabilitation, stabilization and advanced trauma life support.
As of June 2001, only half of the Tennessee National Army's 16 Cobra helicopters were airworthy. But the year before, only one Cobra was operational, and soon all the Cobras would be gone as the National Guard, following the lead of the Department of Defense, continued to exterminate the Cobras.
Smyrna Rutherford County Airport Authority
Company R of the 4th Squadron, 278th Calvary Armored Regiment had been equipped with OH-58D helicopters since 1998. But the Cobra pilots had never seen it on Smyrna's runway. Berry Field, better known today as Nashville International Airport, was a pre-World War II Army Airfield with the 105th Observation Squadron.
Then a B-25 Mitchell, a medium bomber, flew out of Berry Field. Berry Field Air National Guard Base still resides in this area. Smyrna Airport was built in 1942 and is home to the Air Force Combat Crew School which trains naval personnel to fly the B-24 and B-17 aircraft.
The base was decommissioned in July 1947 at the end of World War II, and was reactivated in August 1948 by the newly reorganized United States Air Force. Redesignated Smyrna AFB in 1948, then renamed Sewart AFB on March 25, 1950, in honor of Tennessee native Allan J. Sewart, who died during a bombing campaign in the Solomon Islands in November 1942. 314th Troop Carrier Wing
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it began flying out of Smyrna, and by 1958 was the only C-130 base operating in the United States. The most famous military base in Middle Tennessee is Fort Campbell, home of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles.
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Camp Campbell was established in 1941 on the Tennessee-Kentucky line near Clarksville, Mr. and Hopkinsville, Ky. During World War II the newly established base trained the 12th, 14th and 20th Armored Divisions and the 26th Infantry Division.
Also on a personal note, the 276th Armored Field Artillery Battalion and its sister units trained at Camp Campbell. My father in law is in the 276th AFA and it was during his training at Camp Campbell that he met and married my mother in law.
The barracks will be used by both forces and provide temporary housing for Middle Tennessee State University students during regular school hours and room charges are used to cover the electricity costs of these houses by both M.T.S.U.
and military students alike. This joint use is considered the Middle Tennessee State University flight program and the projected growth of the Tennessee Army National Guard aviation community at Smyrna Airport. The Smyrna Airport currently serves as a joint-use training facility with the Tennessee Air National Guard's helicopter unit, AASF#1 (Army Aviation Support Facility #1).
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AASF#1 operates 60 helicopters and 300 full-time National Guard personnel. The airport also serves as a C-130 training facility for the 118th Air Wing of the Air National Guard in Nashville and a C-141 training facility for the Memphis Air National Guard.
Smyrna Airport also serves as a hurricane evacuation center for military bases along the Gulf and East Coast. YP - The Real Yellow PagesSM - helps you find the right local business to meet your specific needs.
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Source: media.defense.gov
I grew up in Middle Tennessee and heard stories about World War II my whole life. I think I know a lot about what's going on in that area. I have used places in Tennessee as settings in my books or as backgrounds for my characters.
To ensure that I am accurate and add depth to the novel, I have researched various aspects - from military presence to industrial plants to medical facilities. Here are some things I learned, some of which I didn't know before I started my research.
Dr. Oliver Carmichael, President of Vanderbilt University, was instrumental in establishing the US Nurse Cadet Corps which trains nurses across the country to reduce the national nursing shortage. Other Nashville hospitals participating in the Nurse Cadet training program are Meharry Medical, Nashville General, Protestant and St.
Mary's Hospital. On December 9, 1965 the Department of Defense announced the closure of Sewart Air Force Base. At the time of this announcement, Sewart had over 500 civil servants and 6,000 soldiers. The airport served other Troop Carrier Wings until 1970.
On March 9, 1970, the last Hercules C-130 left the runway at Smyrna, and the base was officially closed on March 31. When the domain was terminated, it was transferred to human activities. Ownership of the site was transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers and eventually to the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority.
Smyrna Airport will be the hub of a European cargo hub that will later be expanded to service passenger travel for charter and package tours. Planestations, Inc., a subsidiary of London-based developer Wiggins Group PLC, will develop the project.
The airport expansion will include the construction of the Planesations corporate headquarters and a new cargo terminal, followed by two new buildings. One runway will be expanded from 8,000 to 9,300 feet to accommodate both cargo and passenger aircraft.
Stevens currently serves as the Operations officer for the 117th RTI. He was also a field artillery officer whose previous commands included the 2nd Battalion 117th RTI and command of Chattanooga Battery B of the 1-181st Field Artillery Regiment.
He was deployed overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan and has over 35 years of military experience. Germans and Italians, as well as Japanese civilians, were buried at the beginning of the war. In 1942, 800 civilians were buried at Camp Forrest.
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In 1943, German prisoners of war arrived. About 24,000 prisoners were held there during the war and about 68,000 were processed in the camp before being sent to other facilities. For wounded POWs in need of medical attention, Camp Forrest is chosen as one of three POW hospitals across the country.
The Nashville Metropolitan Airport Authority managed it until May 15, 1991 when the site was transferred to the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority. The Airport Authority then began implementing Rebuild/Renew which was designed to rehabilitate the aging airport and expand the community's economic base and bring the airport and surrounding transportation system into the 21st century.
Another World War II military site in Middle Tennessee is Smyrna Army Airfield. Designated as a special area for four-engine (heavy bomber) pilot training, instructors practiced flying B-17s and B-24s while stationed at Smyrna. After the war, the Air Force took over the site and renamed it Sewart Air Force Base for Tennessean Allan J. Sewart Jr.
who died on a bombing mission in the Solomon Islands in 1942. Smyrna Airport is owned by the City of Smyrna, with 40 percent ownership, and Rutherford County, with 60 percent ownership, and is managed by the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority.
. The Airport Authority Board of Commissioners consists of five members appointed to manage, operate and otherwise manage the Smyrna Airport and to carry out its mission. Two members are appointed by the Smyrna City Council of Commissioners after being appointed by the Smyrna Mayor.
Two members are appointed by the Rutherford County Commissioners after being appointed by the Rutherford County Executive. One member was recommended by Mayor LaVergne, and approved by the Smyrna City Board of Commissioners and Rutherford County Commissioners.
Members serve five-year terms and meet monthly on the second Wednesday. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). You may not use this website for the purpose of providing consumer reports for subject searches or for any other use prohibited by the FCRA.
© 2023 Regional Office. All rights reserved. Because the terrain of Middle Tennessee is so similar to that of Europe, the area is known as the Tennessee Maneuver. Camp Forrest provided logistical support for this war simulation game.
Spread over twenty states, the administrative headquarters is at the University of Cumberland in Lebanon. Between 1942 and 1944, hundreds of thousands of soldiers honed their combat skills in Tennessee - including General Patton's "Hell on Wheels" 2nd Armor and 2nd Rangers famous for their assault on Pont-du-Hoc on D-Day.
Source: media.defense.gov
I came across Woody McMillin's book "In the Presence of Soldiers" about the Tennessee exodus. It looks like it will be a fun read. Click here for a great article about traveling with a book. Smyrna Airport was built in 1942 and was originally home to the Air Force Combat Crew School which trained soldiers to fly the B-24 and B-17 aircraft.
The base was decommissioned at the end of World War II, and was reactivated in 1948 by the newly formed United States Air Force. Smyrna Airport, later known as Sewart Air Force Base in 1950, served various Troop Transport Wings until 1970 when the base was decommissioned and transferred to civilian operations.
The Nashville Metropolitan Airport Authority held control until May 15, 1991, at which time the site was transferred to the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority. The Airport Authority then began implementing Rebuild/Renew which was designed to rehabilitate the aging airport and expand the community's economic base and bring the airport and surrounding transportation system into the 21st century.
SMYRNA, Tenn. – More than 50 members of the Tennessee National Guard's 208th Medical Company (Field Support) will serve, Dec. 6, after a departure ceremony from the Smyrna Volunteer Training Base. The event will start at 10:00 am and is expected to last an hour.
On January 15, 1959, the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing was transferred to Seart AFB, Tenn. In September 1961, the unit supported the Berlin disaster. Then on 1 October 1962, the wing was redesignated as the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing (Assault).
Soon, the wings were used to support the Cuban Missile Crisis (October-November 1962). The wing was transferred to Langley AFB, Va., on July 1, 1963. Smyrna Airport was designated a general/utility airport, approved by the FAA as a Category 139 Class IV airport.
The Department of Public Safety is staffed around the clock to provide fire and emergency services. The main runway is 8,048 feet long and equipped with an Instrument Landing System, while the secondary runway is 5,546 feet long.
The airport is equipped with a complete lighting system with temperature sensitive runway lighting. The Air Traffic Control Tower operates from 07.00 - 22.00. on weekdays and 07.00 - 19.00 on weekends. The Smyrna Airport currently serves as a joint-use facility with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
The airport also serves as a military aviation training ground and a staging area for military bases along the Gulf and East Coast. Smyrna Airport's size, location and facilities make it attractive for training purposes. The men and women of Middle Tennessee who were not in the military during World War II also worked to win the war.
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Farmers stayed behind to gather much-needed food. Women go to work in different places to fill the gaps left by men. Men who for various reasons could not go to war served in the army. Production has improved.
The belt is tightened. Everyone contributes in some way. Otherwise the Allies would not have defeated Germany and Japan and our world would be very different today. The 117th RTI provides national programs and training for the U.S. Army, the National Guard, and the U.S. Army.
Army Reserves. They specialize in teaching and platoon level and certification for Military Police, Armor, and Quartermaster branches and Military Commissions through the Tennessee Officer Candidate School. They also host and provide various training events to ensure the readiness of all soldiers in the Tennessee National Guard.
I also researched medical facilities in Central Tennessee about the war effort. Thayer General Hospital in Nashville was one of the first military hospitals established nationwide to treat wounded soldiers. Hospitals in "Home Areas" are given names while those serving overseas are given numbers.
After the war, the Veterans Administration took over the facility. The Nashville area is home to nearly 2 million people and more than 52,000 businesses. Middle Tennessee is defined by a diverse economy, low cost of living and doing business, an innovative culture, and a highly educated population.
Learn more about why Nashville is a great place to call home. The project will be a new joint training support facility for the military and serve as a multi-service/agency-type facility providing full-service housing for 80 cadets, cadets, and instructors of the Tennessee Military Academy.
TMA will support 80 students with an expansion to 160 students as part of the project and will support faculty members and faculty to include senior staff. New construction from 1997 includes a multilevel barracks / lounge / laundry facility located at the Grubbs/Kyle Training Site in Smyrna.
The project will consist of storeyed barracks constructed of concrete units with brick veneer, a vertical steel roof system with steel supports supporting concrete floors all supported by appropriate footings. The location of the military building caused the building to be demolished and abandoned World War II buildings built in 1942-1945.
The facility is too old and outdated for modern use. After the war, the Soldiers took over Camp Forrest. The Air Force created the Air Engineering Development Center, later renamed the Arnold Engineering Development Center for Air Force General "Hap" Arnold, at this location.
Since the war, the center has become the most advanced and largest aircraft testing center in the world. Smyrna Airport is owned by the City of Smyrna, 40%, and Rutherford County, 60%, and is managed by the Airport Authority.
The Airport Authority has five members appointed to manage, operate and otherwise manage the Smyrna Airport and perform its duties. Smyrna Airport has been designated as a General Aviation Airport/Reliever. That means it is a general airport that provides services for all flights except for scheduled flight operations.
It has two runways. The main runway is 8,037 feet long and is equipped with an Instrument Landing System, while the secondary runway is 5,546 feet long. The airport is equipped with a complete lighting system with temperature sensitive runway lighting.
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