King Salmon AFS Deactivation Photos

contributed by Michael Horne

These pictures were taken in March-April of 1984 at King Salmon AFS. This was approximately six months after the deactivation of the 705th AC&W squadron. The airfield was still being used for interceptor operations; the GATR site was still operational supporting the new Region Operations Control Center (ROCC) at Elmendorf, as was the `new` FPS-117 Seek Igloo radar.


FPS-117 Radar Dome - This was supposedly the first Seek Igloo (minimum-manned) radar to actually go operational. This may have been operating before the 705th deactivated, but don`t know for sure if 705th used it for local operations or not (anyone out there know??). The tower was originally one of two height-finders on site; the second one is the one shown in a b/w photo already on the web page. The second one was long deactivated by 84, and being used for MWR rentals and ceramic/photo hobby shop. The old search tower was in the process of removal by E&I at the same time this picture was taken. The building with smokestacks just to the left of the dome is the power plant. The site had commercial power by 84 but the plant was still kept as a backup; this was fortunate because in 87 a major outage disrupted the entire site. Just off the left of this picture was the old Communications detachment orderly room and the site medic`s office. (These were completely gone by 87). Comm had moved into the old 705th area by this time (including the old `darkroom` radar operations center). ALL the darkroom radar equipment had been stripped out even this soon after deactivation.


Old Dining Hall and Theater - The two buildings with pitched roofs are the old theater/BX building (left) and Katmai dining hall (right). Both were closed in Feb 84 (just before these pictures were taken) with the opening of a new consolidated dining hall/theater/club/BX building located directly behind the photographer. Just to the left of the picture is where the (truncated) famous Route 66 was located. Route 66 was a `beeline` arctic hallway that ran the entire length of the site from the 705th operations area to the farthest barracks, with every other building connected to it. A large portion of the hallway was removed when the `old` dorms were demolished (1977 or 78). In 1987 both these old buildings were demolished to make way for a new officer`s dorm (still not completed by summer of 88); Route 66 was demolished even more to just being an entrance area to the `old` officers dorm/Comm area.


New Barracks - These were the `new` barracks at King. These were built in approximately 1977. The bermed area in the foreground of this picture (and the old dining hall picture) was where a large section of old dorms along Route 66 was located. (`Doc` Thomas, a site medic here in the late `70s or early `80s told me that the old dorms were still used until the new ones were completed.) The dorms were sold to someone `downtown` who towed them away for apartments. Some of these apparently were still in use down the road from the site past the old AFRTS TV building. Some of the older pictures on the web page show a large warehouse type building where these dorms are now. This may have been `old` Base Supply; in 1984 supply had moved across the perimiter road (behind the new dorms). One of the new dorms had been almost entirely 705th people, when the squadron deactivated most of the building was taken over by civilian employees and contractors (leaving the officers in the remaining old wood dorms!)


`New` Headquarters - actually this was supposedly the original Senior NCO dorms. By 84 this had become the site commander`s orderly room, CBPO, and various offices. Most of the second floor was used for billeting. The road/parking area in front of the building had to be built between 1977 and 1984. Route 66 originally ran from the area between the firewalls to off the picture to the right (between rows of one-story wood dorms). The far-end of the first floor was the Base Chapel (that`s what the sign is for); this was also used as THE Catholic chapel for all of King Salmon and Naknek. (The site medics also were located here by 1987 after the old clinic was demolished). Side Note: In the chapel area, there were some signs such as some very old (disconnected) klaxon horns on the wall that may have indicated that at one time this part of the dorms may have been used by alert crews of some type (aircrews)? If anyone knows about this, would like the information!


GATR antenna farm (admittedly distant view) - this is taken from behind the Headquarters building above but looking basically in the same direction. The GATR supported the ROCC using the old 705th radios. We also had radios for the Air Force Radar Approach Control (Rapcon) and AFRTS. (The control tower was FAA run and had their own radios). When I first arrived we even had an old traditional `Alligator` sign at the GATR site; but we had to get rid of it when the AAC commander was scheduled for a visit because, according to someone in charge, the General `didn`t like those signs`. (?) So much for our traditions..... sigh!