The Joint Base Cape Cod, is a joint base created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935. Governor James Curley signed the state bill to allocate and purchase land for a military facility, and establishing a formal commission to manage this new state military property and personnel. After 200,000 acres (810 km²) of land was secured in Cape Cod, the Massachusetts National Guard began erecting tents and a basic training program in the following year.