The Joint Base Cape Cod is a state-designated 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 22,000 acres of land was secured on Cape Cod, the Massachusetts National Guard began erecting tents and a basic training program in the following year. Formerly the Massachusetts Military Reservation, it was renamed in 2013 to Joint Base Cape Cod by Massachusetts; although having a name similar to many federal military installations, it has no federal recognition.

Cape Cod is an arm-shaped peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The name Cape Cod, coined in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold, is the ninth oldest English place-name in the U.S.