I read the story about the last ground radar class at Keesler. How times have changed. When I went through radar maintenance school (1961 - 1962), the Cold War was raging, and SAGE was still being implemented. Keesler was training radar techs and scope dopes on a three-shift basis to fulfill manpower requirements. As the decade wore on, it became apparent that the manned bomber threat was not as great as previously thought. I am curious? At what point did the Air Force start scaling back on training for the career fields that supported the air defence mission? I would think by the early 70s that training would have been cut back significantly. Anyone out there have any thoughts on this?

I was at the site June 51 to July 52,flew to Lake 606 by PBY

Interesting article, if my local rag will let you get to it.

SS

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/special_reports/US_pilot_who_dismissed_Pearl_Harbor_reports_dies_.html

The article just gives details of what John Tianen already posted (I didn't see it before I put up the link). Thanks for the summary, John.

SS

Last ground radar class graduates from Keesler today.

http://www.keesler.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123192005

GATR Site Gnd Radio Eqpmnt Technician - FRT49 Watertown NY 1971-1972
Keesler AFB 1970-1971

To Col. Silva: Great dedication to your DAD, I was also one of those punk kids who grew up in the USAF, and also a father of a now just retired AF officer, us former enlisted types might make jest of you officers but let me tell you your DAD like me was SO proud of when my son pinned on those 2nd lt. bars as I know your father was of you. but I must agree the NCOs make it happen. good luck and THANK you very much for your service

We all know that radar detected the Japanese as they were on their way to attack Pearl Harbor. We also know that a young officer told the Army radar operators to ignore what they were seeing as it was (he thought) a flight of B-17s flying in from the mainland. That young officer, Kermit Tyler, just passed away at the age of 96. At the time, he was widely criticized for his actions. However, he was only a 1st Lt. and it was his second night on the job. He was ultimately exonerated by the military and congressional committees. Tyler went on to fly combat missions in the Pacific and retired from the Air Force in 1961 as a Lt. Col. (taken from an Associated Press story)

Help! I can't find the link to the sites, site photos, personnel rosters, etc. For instance 612th AC&W, Ajo, AZ.

What about the new Bloom Energy power source? Amazing.

Larry: Empty your PC's cache, and do a refresh / reboot. Our website contents are all still there. And if you have questions along these lines, just send me or Gene an e-mail. Don't use the Guestbook for such matters, please.

And what does the new Bloom Energy power source have to do with air-defense radar matters? Please try to stay on topic. Please.

was radar op was aio with sgt nebel

Just another visit to the memory of my Dad who served on TT-2.

He has his two minutes of fame in the History Channel’s Engineering Disasters episode that featured clips taken from TT-2 and others to the best of my information. Dad was a punk kid SRA sitting in the chow hall when the camera crew panned past him as he fed the "pie hole".

Lots of stories about the riding the doughnut up and down to the boats before they got to fly out to the site on one of those bent grass hopper looking helicopters.

Dad; I've missed you so much over these past 5 years - please be there for me like you always have! I hope you can find a way to ask the good Lord for permission to visit me in my dreams because I miss you and Mom so much. I feel so much like an orpahn at times - yet all three of us kids now in our 50's know it's just the circle of life.

You must be so proud to see my son; your grandson SSgt. John C. Silvia IV working the military working dog program at Nellis AFB - now three generations of USAF service.

I'm sorry I screwed up and got that comission - but as you told me then when I got my comission " . . you was never any good for work any ways . . " at least this way as an officer; nobody has any delusions about my capabilities to get things done! I know its the NCO's adn Airmen who move along inspite of thier leadership!

In love, honor and respect . . .
Your baby boy . . . . .

John

Was assigned to the 748th ACWS, Kotzebue, AK. 1976-77 Would like to talk to any "sourdoughs" stationed there during that time. Info: Maj. Rainer was the last site commander prior to deactivation in 1977.

I have a realitive who served at the 778th RADS AC&W base at Havre Montana from 1953-1956, his name is Lou (Jake) Pearman from Roanoke VA. he would like to get in touch with anyone that knew him back then. He doesn't have a computer so contact could be made through me. Thanks for any help

Tom Anderson
Havre MT.

Air Force-related News Item -- nothing to do with radar -- though all of us have seen those signs, "Use of Deadly Force Authorized"!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35539115/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

1 dead after car runs gate at Ariz. air base
Security forces open fire at stolen car, official says

msnbc.com staff and news service reports
23 Feb 2010

One man was killed and another injured after they drove a stolen car through the entrance to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and security forces opened fire, police said.

The car went through the entrance without stopping as required and security forces then used a vehicle to set up a roadblock on a bridge leading to the operational side of the base, near Glendale, Capt. Jerry Gonzalez, a spokesman for the base, told msnbc.com.

Police said the car drove directly at a security officer who feared for his life and opened fire.

...

[for the remainder of the story, go to the source.]

I arrived at Wasserkuppe in August of "66". I believe that there was snow falling on July 4th that year. We had a beer tent to celebrate independence day every year and as I recall they said that it snowed on the 4th of July.

David

Thanks for your work on this web site. I was stationed at Indian mtm.,Ak 1979-1980 and saw the pictures you and some folks that was there also had sent you. It bought back alot of good and bad memorious. I would like to visit knowing that could leave when I wanted too.

Chief Clerk, 708 ACWS, 4 Sep 72 to 4 Sep 73. So many memories, so many good people; Daniel Tatum, Don Osborne, Rolo (can'remember his real name) Heavy Equipment Operators; Bob Lackey, Triple Nickle that got drunk with me on champagne on New Years Eve Eve 1972. I celebrated New Years Eve; he didn't!! Then there was the day we flew the Stars and Bars over the site to celebrate the birth of a new son to one of the troops from Georgia. I just remembered an incident where one of the HD-21 bulldozers broke down on the road to Top Camp. To retrieve it, a civilian Heavy Equipment Operator was flown in from Elmendorf, and Daniel, Rolo, Don, and a couple other operators took two of the other HD-21s up the road, and brought the cripple back down. It was a grueling trip. As I recall, it took almost 16 hours. The final leg into Bottom Camp was down the Cat Trail between Mile 2 and Mile 0 because the turn at Mile 1 was too tight for an HD-21 to negotiate, let alone a live cat-cripple-live cat to do. The grade down that cat trail was horrendous, and they lost control a couple of times. In the Orderly Room, we were listening in on the radio during the descent. There were some scary moments. Those guys did one hell of a job.

Yes. I read that. I'm merely speculating. After all, the military has launched many unspecified satellites. Ours, and "Theirs". The same speculation applies to sonic weapons.

how are you all doing its been a long long time just found this site hope you all remimber me ran the motor pool

For decades I've wondered how many satellites are armed with these weapons. Historically, by the time info such as this becomes public, it's been around for quite some time. Not a good time to slow down on the space program, ey?

One very good offshoot of this technology, now that it can be beamed accurately, is solar power transmission from satellites. That's been on the drawing boards for as long as I can remember, and I remember steam powered computers and radar. Me and Buck Rogers. Remember his giant steam powered football players, with the humans sitting at the control panel inside the robots head? Uh?

Larry: The Airborne Laser (ABL) is not on a satellite. It's on a specially modified 747 airliner. Just "Google" the name, and you'll finds lot of info on the Internet about ABL.

i was stationed at the 693rd radar squadron on dauphin island in 1966

Nasty weather on the East Coast reminds me of early 1958. Was TDY to Bendix Corp. for a factory school on the FPS 18. Snow started on a Sat and let up Sunday evening. No one moved until Thrusday. At that time Baltimore has next to nothing for snow plow equipment. If memory services me correctly, the snow fall was something like 18-24 inches in 36 hour. Being from Wisconsin the snow was no big deal to me.

During a business call today, I found I was speaking to a 30 year old air traffic controller. Our discussion led to our mutual service in the Air Force. When he asked what my job was in the service, I explained that I was an operator in a system called SAGE, the forerunner of the current world-wide air traffic control system. He had not a clue about what I was referring to. A sobering thought for those of us who were present for the absolute beginning of the "Information Age."

Jeff: Agree. Truth be told, many people even back in the 60s and 70s did not have a clue about SAGE or other air-defense radar systems of the day. Even less people know about those topics today. As I surf the Internet looking for photos (past and present) of our former ADC radar sites and control centers, I see tons of misinformation out there. Many photos of radar towers which house air-route surveillance radars (with or without a joint-use air-defense mission) are labeled as Doppler weather radars. Many photos of former AC&W radar stations are labeled as old Nike missile bases or as missile-warning radar sites (and typically misspelled "missle"). That's one of many reasons our web-based museum exists. If we don't keep the memory and the history alive (and keep it correct), who will?

My 1st contact with Sage was a visit to the Sage Center for the Detroit sector, was at Selfridge AC&W sq. I didn't want any part of that HUGE bldg. wanted the hands on manuel old system, never did get envolved with it,from there to Iceland, was in a SQ,in MONTANA when it was changing over, I went from an Intercept Cont. Tech. to a height finder oper shooting the sun rise every am, (what a let down) not long shipped out to NAS key west for Cuban problem, then out and FAA

If anyone knows Antony W. Hammersted SMSGT/or Chief retired. Could you give him my email. Thanks Ed

The news item below reminded me of the SAGE system, except maybe now for missiles? It sounds in some respects like the science fiction I read as the kid. Ray weapons. The story:

The U.S. shot down a ballistic missile with a high-powered airborne laser weapon, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced late last night. It is "the first successful test of a futuristic directed energy weapon," Reuters reported. The system is being developed by a team composed of Boeing Co., the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin and consists of a high-powered laser mounted to a modified 747 jumbo jet. "The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile," the agency said, according to Reuters. The test took place at Point Mugu's Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range in central California. With the laser-based system, the U.S. will be able to destroy all classes of missiles at the speed of light. "The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies," the agency said.

Read original story at Reuters

758th RADS, Makah AFS 1983-1986

I was stationed at Murphy Dome Alaska Mar 1961-62. I worked in operations. I was a young SSgt at the time. Think of that time often. P.T.

Marvin Lash (and others, too). You can find any AC&W/RAD Sqdn in our database by navigating to the radar sites search page: In the column on the left, click on "RADAR SITES" or in the "Navigate:" pull-down above, click on "Find AC&W/Radar Squadron". When the search page comes up, type either (1) the squadron number, e.g. 717 in the Unit/Squadron box, or (2) type the site ID (e.g., P-28) in the Site ID box, or (3) type the name of the squadron, typically it's city (e.g. tatalina) in the Location box. If the site is overseas, select the country from the Country pull-down. Sites in Canada, Iceland and Greenland are in the North American section of the database. Finally click on the "Search" button. You'll get a summary of the information available for that site. Click on the site name in the summary to get to that site's pages.

Cannot seeem to locate anything on the 717th AC&W Squadron, Takotna (now Tatalina) AK. Was there in 1952-1956

Yes, I`m computer challenged.

Thanks. Marvin

Great site. Spent first 4 years in GEEIA at McClellan. Worked on installations all over notthern california and Oregon. Loved every minute of it. Drop me a line.

oHi to All, I was at 640th AC&W Squadron from 1959 to 1964 and 1965 to 1966 when Harmon closed. Loved it. Would like to hear from anyone who was there, my family and I loved it there,Carson Harris, now at Show Low, Arizona, Thanks, Carson

We were stationed here 2 times for a total 5 years. I loved it there.
the people in town were so friendly. I even enjoyed the 10 day blizzard we had. We were there when they closed it down. We went back to see the old place. All the houses were gone and sheep were on the site. It didn't seem right some how.

We were stationed here 2 times for a total 5 years. I loved it there.
the people in town were so friendly. I even enjoyed the 10 day blizzard we had. We were there when they closed it down. We went back to see the old place. All the houses were gone and sheep were on the site. It didn't seem right some how.Joe worked all over the site.

I recall at the 622nd TCF in Germany we had a water tower on a nearby hill we used as a calibration point. But these huge windmills might actually pose a problem? You'd think the technology had advanced. Story:

Windmill projects stilled for now; Posted 6/8/2006 10:28 PM ET
By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

Worries that giant electricity-producing windmills may interfere with aviation radar have thrown several major wind-power projects into disarray and threaten to derail a rapidly growing source of domestic energy, industry advocates say. In recent months, the Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration have blocked or slowed several projects in Wisconsin, Illinois and South Dakota. Their concern is that the windmill blades could confuse a radar or obscure its view of aircraft. Congress passed a law in January requiring the Defense Department to study whether windmills interfere with radar. The military opposes any windmill project in the path of long-range air defense radars until that study is completed. Laurie Jodziewicz, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), says up to 15 projects are on hold after the FAA notified the industry group this year that they would create a "presumed hazard."
That designation makes it difficult to obtain financing and insurance for the projects, she says. "It's very uncertain and very unclear why these things are happening now when it never happened before," Jodziewicz says. "It's just another example of the situation where in the United States the renewable energy industry is always swimming upstream," says Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, an advocacy group. "There are all these unforeseen obstacles that come along and slow things down." The FAA and the military say they are not trying to halt construction of windmill projects but must ensure that the generator farms don't compromise aviation safety or national defense. The main impetus for putting the projects on hold has come from the military. FAA radars can easily distinguish aircraft from obstructions such as windmills, but defense radars designed to spot airborne intruders are more sensitive to interference. "Until the potential effects can be quantified and possible mitigation techniques developed, it is prudent to temporarily postpone wind turbine construction in areas where the ability of these long-range radars that protect our country might be compromised," Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez says ...

Link:

http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Windmill+projects+stilled+for+now+-+USATODAY.com&expire=&urlID=18510980&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Ftech%2Fnews%2F2006-06-08-windmill-farms_x.htm&partnerID=1665

Re wind turbines, I am in possession of an unclassified PowerPoint presentation compiled by the U.S. Air Force that clearly shows how search radar detection can be compromised by wind turbines. The concerns are real.

A2/c Radar Operator

Jan 1957-Nov 1958 at 779th

After 779th I went to 786th at Minot ND
discharged after 4 years. Lived in NY & NJ
Presently retired and living in Sanford NC

I served with the 648th Benton AFS PA. in 73-75 AC&W and 709th AC&W Ft Yukon Alsaka 75-76

Stationed at the 760th AC&W Squadron from March 1955 until October 1957.

Nine years in Air Defense Command. AFSCs 32250D 32271F
Worked on F-89Ds, F-102s, F-101Bs and once on a CF-100 as
well as several times on Danish F-86Ds.
Graduate of WADF proficiency school. Brother-in-law was one of 1st techs at the Tacoma SAGE instalation.

Washington (CNN) -- A U.S. missile defense test failed Sunday when a long-range missile missed its target because of radar problems.

The Defense Department said a target missile was launched from an Army test site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands at 7:40 p.m.

Six minutes later, a second missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, to find the first one and destroy it.

Both missiles flew successfully, but missed each other because of a problem in the sea-based X-band radar, the department's Missile Defense Agency said.

The X-band radar sits atop a modified floating oil platform and provides information about incoming missiles so military officials can launch a response.

"Both the target missile and ground-based interceptor performed nominally after launch. However, the sea-based X-band radar did not perform as expected," the agency said.

I served at the 778th.AC&W Sqdn.,Havre Montana from 1954 til 1959, then at the site on Kure Beech, N.C., then on to a site on the Island of Mallorca, Spain. (High above the Med.Sea) So you can see my ties with the Radar World is very deep.
I'm 72 years young now, retired from V.D.O.T. and Law Enforcement.
Keep up the good work.

Jeff States: Thank you for mentioning the news item about this latest BMDS missile-defense SNAFU and the mention of radar as the culprit for the test failure. (I had not seen the story yet.) Knowing what I do about the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, I have to wonder if the published news articles are telling us the whole story (?). I mean, since the test was planned ahead of time, one would think the radar's performance would have been verified before the two missiles (target and interceptor) were launched.

Note first that the information I'm about to mention is all in the public domain.

Here's how radar factors into the BMDS equation: The radar that reportedly had the "failure" is stated as being the Sea-Based X-band (SBX) radar. X-band radars in the GMD system are used for discrimination. That is, they are high-resolution radars that have the capability to distinguish two or three closely-spaced objects so that the system can discriminate which is the real reëntry vehicle (RV) and which are booster pieces or decoys. Other radars (like PAVE PAWS) do the initial acquisition so that the ground-based interceptor (GBI) missiles can be fired to the correct point in the sky to begin with. As the GBI missiles are flying out, they typically receive In-Flight Target Updates (IFTUs) via a K-band communications uplink (i.e., IFICS) that contain new intercept data calculated from various sources including the X-band radars. If the SBX (in this case) failed, IFTUs might not be forthcoming or might contain faulty data. In the latter case, the interceptor might be steered to the wrong region, and not where the true target was located. It sounds like this is what the military might be claiming happened (?).

In theory, the GMD system is supposed to work even without IFTUs. Each GBI missile carries its own onboard sensors (one that operates in the visible part of the spectrum, and two that operate in the infrared portions of the spectrum at different wavelengths) that can "see" the target cloud and then discriminate which object is the most likely RV based upon the interceptor's own internal Target Object Map (TOM). In fact, once the interceptor is in visual range, onboard discrimination takes priority over the information in an IFTU message. Still, if the interceptor never gets close enough for a visual, it has nothing to lock on to. And that might have been the problem. Maybe.

In any case, the government might not want to say what the true cause of the test failure was, both for obvious security reasons as well as for not-so-obvious political and budgetary reasons. The GMD is a fielded system now, and it is considered to be fully operational. It is the opinion of some people that the GMD system was fielded before it was ready. It is worth noting that the level of funding each fiscal year depends upon successful tests (i.e., confidence in the system). Blaming one element like the SBX radar instead of the interceptor system as a whole *might* be for political "damage control." One can only wonder. For the record, I believe a viable missile-defense capability is needed. It just appears that there are still more system-level bugs to work out. In any case, I have to wonder if the SBX radar was the true culprit or merely a scapegoat.