Tom writes...

Here is more of "you learn something new every day..."

It seems that Poston AFS (SM-160) was indeed built! It was just never activated as a long-range AC&W radar station. Apparently instead, after the buildings were constructed, the station was converted into the gap-filler annex (SM-162I) that we know about. [We don`t have dates of operation for the GFA, either, so that site might never have become operational either.]

Recently I received a site layout map (hardcopy) for site # SM-160. I downloaded a fresh "TerraServer" aerial image of the location, and marked it to show what the site layout map shows. Interestingly, almost all the buildings seen in the aerial image are on the site layout map! This means without a doubt that Poston AFS was actually built.

When I visited the Poston Gap-Filler Annex (SM-162I) in 2001, I thought the surrounding buildings had a military look to them. However, since I had a preconceived notion that the long-range AC&W radar station was never built, I dismissed the idea as a mere coincidence. Now, I have learned that this AFS was built after all.

The question as to why Poston AFS -- a planned temporary AC&W radar station -- had such a "permanent" character to it has now been answered by my point of contact at SAIC.

The reason is, the buildings shown on the SM-160 site map were originally constructed for the Colorado War Relocation Camp to house Japanese-American internees during WWII. The U.S. Air Force`s plans were merely to convert those existing building for its own use.

Another mystery solved.