CFB Edmonton

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CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces Base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".

1 History
2 CFB Edmonton today
3 See also
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] History

The history of CFB Edmonton begins at an old airfield called Blatchford Field (named after a former mayor of Edmonton, Kenneth Blatchford), a few kilometres south from where CFB Edmonton would eventually be established. The airfield began operating after the First World War and became important to the opening up and development of the Canadian north. During the Second World War Blatchford Field became a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) training station under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 16 EFTS) and No. 2 Air Observers School (No. 2 AOS) used the aerodrome. The RCAF also ran No. 4 Initial Training School (No. 4 ITS) which was a ground school located offsite. No. 16 EFTS closed in 1942 and No. 2 AOS closed in 1944. After No. 2 AOS closed, the station formally became known as RCAF Station Edmonton. Many RCAF squadrons and units were located here, including a survival school and the RCAF Winter Experimental Establishment (WEE). A USAAF B-29 bomber detachment also used the station.

During the war the airfield became a staging point for the U.S. defence of Alaska and was heavily used by the U.S. military. Aircraft had to be ferried and transport aircraft used the aerodrome to support the construction of the Alaska Highway. Air traffic increased significantly and flying activities were becoming hazardous. Since the old airfield could not be expanded because of its proximity to the city of Edmonton, the U.S. Government built a new air facility at Namao, about 11 kilometres north of the city. The Americans ran the Namao airfield until the end of the war when the Canadian Government took it over. RCAF Station Edmonton, located at the old Blatchford Field, developed some severe limitations and so all RCAF Squadrons and support units were transferred to the "new" RCAF Station Namao on 1 October 1955. Blatchford Field was turned over to the Edmonton municipal government.

During the Cold War RCAF Station Namao was used by the United States Strategic Air Command. The station also hosted the Edmonton Rescue Coordination Centre, and served as home base for United Nations Food Aid flights, delivering much-needed aid to Ethiopia, Somalia, and Bosnia. Because Namao at that time had a 14,000-foot (4,300 m) runway, it was a designated an emergency space shuttle landing site by NASA.^{[citation needed]}

In 1968, when Canada's armed forces were amalgamated, RCAF Station Namao was redesignated Canadian Forces Base Edmonton (Lancaster Park) and was under command of the new Air Transport Command and later Air Command. Flying units based at CFB Edmonton were:

408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
418 "City of Edmonton" Air Reserve Squadron
435 Transport Squadron
440 Transport and Rescue Squadron
447 Transport Helicopter Squadron

With the formation of air force wings in the 1990s the base became 18 Wing.

Federal Government budget cuts forced the command of the air station to be transferred to the army in 1994. CFB Edmonton (Lancaster Park)/18 Wing Edmonton was redesignated CFB Edmonton.

[edit] CFB Edmonton today

CFB Edmonton has become one of the premier army bases in Canada. It is currently the headquarters of Land Forces Western Area, the highest military authority in western Canada, and a number of brigade groups, including 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG), the only regular force brigade group in the region. The base itself is situated at Steele Barracks (named for Sir Sam Steele) just outside of the city. The area formerly known as CFB Griesbach within the city itself is no longer operational, all buildings and land were sold and are no longer crown assets. The base as a collective is an important part of the community surrounding Edmonton and is home to some of the most prestigious and experienced units in the Canadian Military.

The 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, along with elements of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) and 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (all part of 1 CMBG) were chosen to be a part of Canada's military response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and were deployed on combat operations to Afghanistan (including Operation Anaconda) in 2001 and 2002. Units from the base are currently deployed or in the process of deploying to Kandahar, Afghanistan as part of the Canadian Forces command takeover in that area as well. Units from Edmonton have also been deployed on domestic operations such as to assist with the Red River Flood in 1997 (where the entire 1 CMBG was deployed) and, more recently, as a part of Operation Peregrine in response to the forest fires in British Columbia in 2003. Units from CFB Edmonton have also been deployed on innumerable peacekeeping operations, including to Bosnia and Kosovo, among others.

The Area Support Unit (ASU) and CFB Edmonton provide infrastructure and support to 47 units located in and around Edmonton. The number of military personnel at these units includes 4,500 regular, and 500 reserve force soldiers. There are also 500 civilian employees and 7,800 family members, bringing the total population of the Edmonton military community to approximately 13,300.^[1]