In the News

CHICOPEE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Some big changes are happening over at the Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee and officials said Tuesday these new updates will help the Air Force better serve our country.

The Westover Air Reserve Base welcomed some special guests to the base on Tuesday to celebrate a groundbreaking. The ceremony marked the start of construction for a hangar. It will allow maintenance crews to work on the C-5, the largest cargo plane in the Air Force, away from the elements.

"With wind and ice in the wintertime, it's dangerous, so it's better to be on the inside. Lightning also plays a factor,” said MSgt. Eric Jancaitis with Westover Air Reserve Base.

The plane can carry a lot of different things, including food reinforcements to soldiers overseas. The hangar is expected to be finished by December.

They also cut the ribbon on a new indoor small arm shooting range. This range has the capacity to train Air Force members to handle almost all scenarios.

"We can fire day, night. We can replicate any scenario really. We can do police sirens, police lights with the darkness for a harder training,” said MSgt. Adam Tremblay with Westover Air Reserve Base.

Before this range, members had to drive three hours to Vermont get their automatic weapon certification. It will also be utilized by the Chicopee Police Department and be available to all other local law enforcement agencies.

Congressman Richard Neal advocated that money be spent on these major updates to improve our country’s defense.

"This represents a significant investment and modernization of American defense mechanisms. Time and again, Westover has proved its worth and value in terms of our national defense system and the result is what we are seeing today based on these two very important investments,” Neal explained.