Caswell Training Site Part 1 of 2 | Caswell

While I don't mean to be some kook who blogs obsessively about the largest SAC base in the country that was closed before he'd stopped believing in the Santa Bunny, here's yet another site that's a stone's throw away from Loring's weapons storage area. Unlike the remains of Caswell AFS to the east, or Loring's WSA to the south, it's a bunch of stuff in the woods. What apparently stands within the relatively dense forest between Loring and the Canadian border is affectionately referred to by one of my local sources as "The Octagon", a military training facility that is another site lending itself to Aroostook's 20th century legacy of potatoes, timber and nuclear weapons.

While the film features a bunch of folks doing kung fu in a training camp being trained by an Asian guy who is supposed to be Chuck Norris' brother, the real life "Octagon" in Aroostook county was an Army training facility that had begun life in 1947 when Strategic Air Command started to construct what was then called Limestone Army Air Base. It was used by the Maine National Guard from the 1960s through the late 1980s. The army's records indicate that there are five operational range and training areas at the Caswell site consisting of maneuver and training areas as well as firing ranges spread out over about a thousand acres. (Source)

Unlike some of the nasty surprises buried under Loring's WSA, the Army notes that all that we may find is 'current and historical small firing points and impact berms.' I didn't know what an impact berm was, so I asked my friend who is currently in the Army. It's a mound of dirt behind a target so that your bullets don't ruin someone else's day, or their face. 

Other than the Army report that I've linked above, the only other piece of evidence that I have of the existence of a training range in Caswell is from the Bangor Daily News from June 3rd, 1983 in which Major General Paul R Day decided to clue us in on what might still be out there...albeit 32 years after the fact:

The Adjutant General, Maine National Guard, is interested in procuring Architectural Engineering Services for Roads, Latrines and Tent Slabs at the Caswell training Site in Caswell Maine

Services required but not limited to are: Surveys, design (siting, preparation of plans, specifications and contract documents), construction (supervision, testing and as built drawings) These are for gravel road with drainage structures, latrine buildings and concrete tent slabs. 

The reported location of "The Octagon"

These renovations had come at the tail end of the facilities lifespan as a training site. Where might these newer structures be? I've combed the area for hours on Google Earth and have found a variety of oddities that may be consistent with its use as a troop maneuver and small arms training site.

There appears to be a rather extensive road network to the north of Willard and Butterfield Lake roads. The presence of the roads is indicated by a mixture of plain sight and man-made lines visible against the tree cover. There are logging roads in the area, but all of them consist of straight stretches and right angles. At several points bridges are visible that may be large enough for a vehicles other than those that are recreational. An example of the general condition of the roads as well as the type of bridge is visible in the photo above. The clump of trees to the right is the reported location of a horseshoe shaped, eight sided bunker of sorts constructed of railroad ties with two of its 'sides' opened.


While I am not entirely certain of the access status of this area, I do plan on trying to find out during the next open house at Loring.