WILBRAHAM, Mass. - Westover Air Reserve Base paid a visit to the Gardens of Wilbraham Thursday, where attendees had an opportunity to learn more about the base's history and day-to-day functions.

The Westover base, which has been stationed in Chicopee since 1940, became a reserve base in the 1970s and has played a huge role in many historical events. In the late 1940s, the facility took part in the Berlin Airlift, which involved the airbase transporting food and water to areas in Germany like West Berlin that were blockaded by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

First Lieutenant Pilot Matthew Daggett said the reserve base, which currently holds 8 C5M Super Galaxys aircraft models, participates in missions all over the world including Europe, Asia and Africa. He said the base plays a huge role in employing active duty members, as well as serving as a popular training site for local officers, so it's important that the western Massachusetts community understand its relevance.​

"They see our jets flying, they wonder what's going on and we're able to talk about what we're doing as an air crew in the operational mission," Daggett said. "And all of the other agencies on the base, all the different support groups and all the other separate missions that you don't see flying around at the base, what they're doing and how they play a bigger role in the Air Force as a whole."

The Westover Air Reserve Base said they plan to continue hosting presentations around western Massachusetts while hoping to keep the community informed on how the base is actively working to serve its people.