CFB Borden

Infobox Airport
box-width = 220px
name = CFB Borden
nativename = 16 Wing Borden
nativename-a =
nativename-r = Borden Heliport


image-width = 200
caption = Sherman tank displayed outside of Waterloo Officers' Mess at CFB Borden
IATA = YBN
ICAO = CYBN
type = Military
owner-oper =
owner = Government of Canada
operator = Department of National Defence
city-served =
location = Borden
built = 1916
used =
commander = Colonel Guy Hamel
occupants = No. 400 Squadron RCAF
elevation-f = 729
elevation-m = 222
coordinates = coord|44|16|18|N|079|54|45|W|type:airport
website = [http://www.borden.forces.gc.ca/998/index-eng.asp www.borden.forces.gc.ca]
h1-number = H1
h1-length-f = 100
h1-length-m = 30
h1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
footnotes = Source: Canada Flight SupplementCFS]

Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden) is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.

The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces. The base is run by Canadian Forces Support Training Group (CFSTG) and reports to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) in Kingston.

History

At the height of the First World War, the Borden Military Camp opened at a location on a glacial moraine west of Barrie in 1916 to train units for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Camp Borden was selected in 1917 for a military aerodrome, becoming the first flying station of the Royal Flying Corps of Canada. During the inter-war period, the aerodrome was used as the training location for the nascent Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and was renamed RCAF Station Borden. Camp Borden's training grounds were expanded in 1938 to house the Canadian Tank School.

During the Second World War, both Camp Borden and RCAF Station Borden became the most important training facility in Canada, housing both army training and flight training, the latter under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The BCATP's No. 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) was located here until 1946. Relief (emergency) landing fields were located at Alliston and Edenvale. During the Second World War RCAF Station Borden also functioned as a training centre for Royal Norwegian Air Force pilots, and the aerodrome is remembered in Norway as "Little Norway".

During the Cold War, Borden's importance as an RCAF facility in Ontario declined in favour of CFB Trenton, CFB Uplands and CFB North Bay. However, its use as an army facility stayed consistent until 1970 when a major reorganization of the combat arms' schools resulted in the transfer of the Infantry School and Armoured School to CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick. On the other hand, numerous "purple" (ie tri-service) schools were established or expanded from existing service training establishments, including the Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics, the School of Aerospace Ordnance Engineering and the Medical Services School.

The February 1, 1968 unification of the RCAF with the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Army resulted in the creation of the Canadian Forces. The military facilities consisting of Camp Borden and RCAF Station Borden were grouped under a new name, Canadian Forces Base Borden (CFB Borden). The aerodrome was closed and the base saw use as a regular and reserve training facility for Canadian Forces Land Force Command (the army), as well as hosting various land-based training courses for Canadian Forces Air Command (the air force). In a 1990s reorganization of the Canadian Forces following the end of the Cold War, CFB Borden's air force training facilities were grouped under the name 16 Wing Borden.

In 2006, the second season of "Canada's Worst Driver" was filmed on the base and on some of the nearby roads.

Activities and facilities

Although originally an air force training base, CFB Borden is now a training base for several elements of the Canadian Forces:

* Canadian Forces Air Command's (AIRCOM) primary lodger unit, 16 Wing, consists of three schools: Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE), Air Command Academy (ACA), and the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Control Operations (CFSACO) (located off-base at Cornwall).

* Canadian Forces Land Force Command's (LFC) regular force and reserve force army units use a number of training schools and large portions of the base's convert|22300|acre|km2|0|abbr=on training area for manoevres.

* Canadian Forces Maritime Command (MARCOM) uses the base for the Naval Reserve Training Division (NRTD), where naval reserve non-commissioned members undergo a 9 week Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) course.

In addition to these specific environmental element commands, CFB Borden houses a variety of other purple trades training facilities and headquarters within the Canadian Forces, including a fire fighting school, a chaplaincy school, the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group, medical, dental and language schools, and supports local cadet and reserve units. The Toronto Police Service's Emergency Task Force also trains there occasionally.

CFB Borden hosts the Blackdown Cadet Training Centre, a training establishment for Royal Canadian Army Cadets and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets in Ontario.

CFB Borden's residential area houses two golf courses, one 9-hole links style course (Anderson Park, Par 36) and one regulation sized golf course (Circled Pine Golf Course, Par 72). Circled Pine Golf Course and Anderson Park Course opened in 1952 and 1917 respectively. The courses are open to the public and serving military.

The Base Borden Military Museum (combining four separate museums) has numerous items, equipment and vehicles from all eras of Canadian military history, including a large number historic armoured vehicles and aircraft displayed outside in Worthington Park and around the headquarters area of the base.

Lodger formations and units

Lodger units

* 16 Wing
* Central Ontario Gliding Center (COGC)
* Canadian Forces Recruiting Group HQ (CFRG HQ)
* 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (3 CRPG)
* No. 400 Squadron RCAF
* Regional Cadet Support Unit (Central) (RCSU Central)
* 31 Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (31 CFHSC)
* 1 Dental Unit
* Civilian Human Resources Centre (CHRC)
* 700 Communication Sqaudron (70 Comm Group)

Lodger training establishments

* Regional Cadet Instructor School (Central) (RCIS Central)
* Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE)
* Canadian Forces Military Police Academy (CFMPA)
* Canadian Forces Medical Services School/Canadian Forces Dental Services School (CFMSS/CFDSS)
* Canadian Forces Language School (CFLS)
* Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency Training Centre Borden (CFPSA)
* Air Command Academy (ACA)
* Naval Reserve Training Division Borden (NRTD)
* Post Recruit Education Training Centre (PRETC)

Training establishments

* Canadian Forces Fire Academy (CFFA currently amalgamated with CFNBCS)
* Canadian Forces Chaplain School & Centre (CFChSC)
* Canadian Forces Nuclear Biological Chemical School (CFNBCS currently amalgamated with CFFA)
* Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics (CFSAL)
* Canadian Forces School of Electrical Mechanical Engineers (CFSEME)
* Canadian Forces Training Development Centre (CFTDC)

External links

* [http://www.borden.forces.gc.ca/ Department of National Defence Canada - CFB Borden]
* [http://www.airforce.forces.ca/16wing/ 16 Wing Borden]