Happy 14th Anniversary Radomes! - The Air Defense

A FRM A , I NC/ R ADOMES QUARTERLY P UBLICATION
Fall 2012
Volume XI, Issue 5
Happy 14th Anniversary Radomes!
First AFRMA Homecoming in Bellefontaine
2-3 Nov 2012
Ohio Hi-Point Career Center/former Bellefontaine AFS
2280 Hwy 540/Sandusky Ave East, Bellefontaine, OH
Friday 2 November

1730—Registration and Social Time

Dinner at the Homecoming Family Restaurant banquet room, 1330 N Main St/US 68, Bellefontaine (approx $10 for dinner)
Saturday 3 November

0930—Annual AFRMA business meeting, all attendees invited. Ohio Hi-Point Career Center auditorium; finger food,
coffee/tea/water available




1030—Tour of OHPCC and the National Air Defense Radar Museum
1130—Dedication of the NADRM with honor guard and presentation of colors
1230—Group luncheon, Wanjin Restaurant, 2007 S Main St ($7.65 for lunch)
1400—Return to museum for further discussion on museum setup and future planning
No registration fee for this first Homecoming
AFRMA memberships will be available
Lodging available in town: Comfort Inn, Super 8
Campgrounds: A&E Camping Resort, Back 40 Campgrounds
RV parking: Super WalMart, 2281 S Main St/US 68
RSVP to Lowell Woodworth (lgwdworth@earthlink.net) or Jerry Walker (reklaw44@embarqmail.com)
Museum’s AN/FPS-18 Arrives On Site, and...
On 21 September 2012, the National Air Defense Radar Museum’s prize AN/FPS
-18 antenna, pedestal and other assorted components arrived in Bellefontaine.
The museum has budgeted $6000 to ship the sale and equipment, build an adaptor and get the antenna on top of the FPS-26 tower. We’ve still got a ways to go
on raising the necessary funds; you can call up www.afrmaonline.org/news.php# to
donate via PayPal or feel free to send a check to the AFRMA, Inc., 9976 Stoudertown Rd, Baltimore, OH 43105. The Association will make a plaque honoring all
donors to this project, with special stainless steel or cast bronze plaque for donors
of $100 or more.
But Wait! There’s More!
Following an extensive, painstaking (and periodically painful) effort by a team of
(Continued on page 4)
1
Reunions & Coming Events
Picket Squadrons 1 and 2, in Tucson. For details and
other information ,
hail Ted W ilming,
t wi l m i n g @ h o t m a i l . c o m
or
Lee
D o ye l
at
yagrs16@cox.net.
Web page at www.yagrs.org/
reunion.htm.
High PRF
17-21 Oct 2012—623rd AC&WS, Okinawa radar stations,
in Oklahoma City, OK. The Magnuson Hotel Meridian
Convention Center is the host hotel; RSVP and get your
registration form from Jack Hinton at (405)350-1158 or
johinton1@hotmail.com.
8 Jun 2013—Due to the dwindling number of attendees, the
25th NORAD Region/Air Division/Northwest
ADS/Western ADS Recall Group voted to switch to
an annual schedule for the recall breakfast vice twice
yearly. The next breakfast is now scheduled for the first
Saturday in June. For information, contact CMSgt Frank
Pearce (Ret) at lionpaco@comcast.net. Please make
sure you forward any changes to your email address,
mailing address or telephone number.
18-21 Oct 2012—Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood, in San Antonio at the Crown Plaza on the Riverwalk. Contact Jack Hinton (405)350-1158 at johinton@hotmail.com or Sherry and Kaitlin at (719)3801412, info@ctcm-acr.com for more information.
20-23 Oct 2012—502nd Tactical Control Group (605th,
th
th
11-14 Jul 2013—753rd AC&WS/RADS, Sault Ste Marie
AFS, at the Kewadin Hotel & Casino at “The Soo.”
th
606 , 607 and 608 AC&WSs) and associated units, in
Branson, MO, at the Grand Plaza Hotel. This is a
date change. Contact Bill Aylward (703)715-0448,
waylward1@verizon.net.
Eleventh reunion for the 753rd and the third in which all
USAF radar station veterans are invited.
Contact
George Taylor (703)327-6815 or gbtt8530@aol.com.
22-24 Oct 2012—758th AC&WS/RADS,
Makah AFS, WA. Reunion in Mt
20 Jul 2013—Annual Anchor Days
Celebration in Empire, MI, always popular with 752nd AC&WS/
RADS veterans Parade and grilled
chicken lunch, beach party in the
evening. For additional information
contact EAFS vet Conley Addington
cmaddington@yahoo.com.
Pleasant, SC, at the Quality Inn &
Suites, room rate $94 for suites, $89
for standard rooms. Call the in at
(843)856-8817 and mention 758th
AC&W when making your reservation.
For information, contact Bruce Brodersen (770)6322696 brucebrod@bellsouth.net or Norm Wine (304)3870295 ndwine@comcast.net.
3-6 Jul 2014—692nd AC&WS/RADS, Baudette AFS, MN.
For more information/details, contact Alan “Flip” Phil-
26-27 Oct 2012—The 552nd Air Control
Wing, Tinker AFB, is planning a
lippe, APhilli101@aol.com.
8-10 Aug 2014—636th AC&WS/RADS, Condon AFS, OR.
“35 Years of AWACS” celebration in
Oklahoma City. For more information, contact Forrest Wright at
fgwinc@msn.com
or
Jim
Chevrier,chev1934@yahoo.com.
Continuing our tradition of biennial reunions, dating to
1998. Dave Klein’s still the Chief Honcho, contact him
at gradadklein@tds.net.
16-20 Oct 2013—Birkenfeld Reunion, in Daytona Beach,
FL. Seeking all who were stationed, please contact
David Pressler (954)370-7944.
2 Nov 2012—First Annual AFRMA Reunion, in Bellefontaine, OH. See pg 1.
16-18
Nov 2012—Reunion planning
meeting for the 667th, 932nd,
933 rd and 934 th AC&WSs/
Iceland, at the Hampton Inn & Suites
Reunions and Upcoming Events
All
Reunions/Events: Generally all previously
assigned or currently assigned military/civilian personnel
or members are invited. Check with appropriate contact
person (or visit their web site) concerning spouses/
dependents, latest updates and other details. Data is
subject to change without notice.
-Elmwood, 5150 Mounes St, Harahan,
LA
70129
(504)733-5646,
www.neworleanshamptoninns.com.
For more information, contact William Chick at littlechick@msn.com. All Iceland radar sites reunion
planned for Oklahoma City in 2013.
All Units Not Listed—Check with these on-line sources:
www.radomes.org
www.usaf.com; click on “Reunions”
www.military.com/Resources/ReunionList/
Constant Bearing
www.afa.org/links/reunions.asp
http://afacw.tripod.com/reunion_listings.htm
April 2013—Reunion for all USN AGR/YAGRs, Radar
www.trea.org/reunion/reunionusaf.html
2
Report: AEW&C Reunion—Colorado Springs, 2-5 August
By Bruce Long
had tears in their eyes as they hugged and kissed the nose
strut. By the way, the museum needs nose strut taxi lights for
–425.
Time at reunion
went as fast or
slow
as
you
wanted it. Some
spent a lot of time
around Hotel visiting with old friends
and making new
ones.
Many
agreed, part of the
EC-121T 52-3425, Peterson Air & Space change was to get
Museum
all
to
think
AEW&C, not just
the territorial 551st AEW&CW (Otis AFB), 552nd AEW&CW
(McClellan AFB), 966th AEW&CS (McCoy AFB) and 79th
AEW&CS (AFRES, McCoy).
What was hot? Three kinds of Sam’s Club Trail Mix, M&Ms,
Sam’s Pub Mix, various chips and onion dip. What was cold?
Coors, MGD, Coca-Cola, Johnny Walker, Smirnoff Vodka and
Jim Beam...and vintage box wine.
As normal, the Hospitality Room was a busy place. Col Oliver
Cellini, the first 551st Wing CO, dropped by two afternoons
(he’s100 years old!). He lives in Colorado Springs.
Thursday afternoon we had a business meeting. Then many
left to go to Cripple Creek Casinos. Friday was Tour of the USAF
Academy with a Memorial Service at the Chapel; Deacon Bob
Wubbenhorst, a radar tech, conducted the service.
Saturday many made the trip to the top of Pikes Peak and
lunched at the Garden of The Gods. Saturday evening’s photo
session was interrupted by a fire alarm (!); a lot of us old farts
don’t move too fast (no rope to slide down). After being
cleared and let back inside, we finished photos and had a
cocktail hour, followed by dinner.
Lunch Thursday took place at the Petersen AFB O’Club, followed by a tour of EC-121T Tail No. 425 (52-3425). I heard one
say he had not been in a Connie since 1967 and I swear some
The meal opened with the posting of the colors by the Peterson AFB Honor Guard. I don’t know how the chicken was, but
my steak was large and tender, cooked perfectly for my taste.
(Continued on page 9)
AFRMA, Inc/Radomes, The Air Defense Radar Museum Association, is
a member-supported non-profit corporation.
Our mission is to preserve the history of the defense of North America
from enemy bomber or missile attack during the Cold War period.
Memberships are open to U.S. and Canadian citizens, veterans and non
-veterans alike.
Headquarters: AFRMA,
Baltimore, OH 43105.
Inc/Radomes,
9976
Stoudertown
Radomes TechOrd
The new, improved web page is
up and running.
Check it out at
1.
Rd.,
www.afrmaonline.org.
Newsletter: Echoes: 1225 Dunloe Rd, Manchester, MO 63021
2. Scan the QRSC (Quick Response
Scan Code) to the left with your smartphone or other mobile device and you’ll
get access to the AFRMA website.
Echoes is the official newsletter of Radomes, Inc. Entire contents is
copyrighted under U.S. law and all rights are reserved. Echoes is
published four times each calendar year (Winter, Spring, Summer and
Fall). Submissions for possible publication (without monitory
compensation) may sent to the editor at the above address. Send
electronic submissions to: echoes@radomes.org. Echoes is grateful for
all submissions.
Ain’t technology wonderful?
Radomes, Inc. founders, Gene McManus and Tom Page.
Kokee AFS, HI
150 th AC&W S, HIANG
Editor, “Ranger Mark” Morgan
Masthead, Warren Carman.
Which site is this?
©copyright 2012 AFRMA, Inc/Radomes. All rights reserved.
3
But Wait! There’s More! (Continued from page 1)
ple very small thunderheads in western
Lake Superior off
Ironwood. By the
time we were ready
to exit the Ops
Building,
those
thunderheads found
the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula
and it had poured
for about a half
hour.
We waited
until
the
rain
Let’s try Plan B...
stopped, only to
have it start again
as we were pushing and shoving it into the truck bed.
volunteers led by “Yooper Tom” Tom Scanlon, the museum is
now in possession of the comm center switchboard from former
Calumet AFS, MI (665th AC&WS/RADS).
Getting the 400
-pound,
oddlyshaped “item” out
of the former
operations building and onto a
truck took some
doing.
Here’s
Tom’s write-up of
the
process,
dated 9 July:
Spent
an
unusually long
morning
at
Calumet AFS.
The switchboard is a beast!! It apparently was assembled
from component pieces by AT&T/Michigan Bell in the
commo/crypto area, because the doors would NOT accommodate an easy removal, either upright or on its side.
A final, though not lethal blow to the effort of we six amateur movers, after deciding to lay it on its back, while loading it in, was to have a couple of the pull-out trays of relays
and associated circuitry start to fall out
of their shelves! I
had looked at those
when the unit was in
the building before
starting the move
and failed to notice
that the small retaining washers which
hold the shelves
securely had all
been left in the
open, non-secure
position by the latest Plan C? Tom and Jerry work the device
technicians working
onto the forklift tongs.
on the switchboard!
Arrival at the NADRM: Tom Scanlon evaluates what he’s getting into...
Consequently we
removed some doors
and jambs within the
complex, but the outer
doors were heavily
reinforced steel and
the walls consisted of
two courses of concrete block, themselves filled with
poured concrete and
separated by two
inches of more poured The 400 pound gorilla...
concrete. Embedded
in the walls was copper screening for RF interference elimination. Even though we applied massive heat with small
torches, the hinges on the doors wouldn’t budge.
We decided on the spot to carefully lay the one rogue
relay tray carefully on its side as we continued to push the
overall unit into the truck board, making sure the wiring did
not rip. We also decided NOT to attempt any removal of
the unit from the truck here, as none of us have even the
remotest experience in operating, repairing or refurbishing
this artifact from Western Electric/Bell System of the 1950s!
The
solution
was
to
take
sledgehammer in
hand and chip
away at the concrete block to finally allow the
switchboard to be
placed on its side,
on a dolly and
angled
through
the
doorway?
Large slabs of 3/4
plywood
were
Let’s try Plan A!
used to bridge
the floor in one of
the outer admin rooms...appeared to be a dayroom of sorts.
This was necessitated by the existing flooring to have decayed and buckled after years of dampness and abandonment.
Sounds
like
fun, eh?
The
switchboard
arrived at Bellefontaine/Ohio Hi
-Point on 29
September
2012, eight days
after the arrival
of the FPS-18.
The association
owes a great
deal of thanks to
Tom and Bob remove the status board.
“Yooper Tom”
and his Calumet
AFS crew who got it out of the building and into his truck (and,
lest your curious, his truck survived the ordeal). Thanks also to
Ohio Hi-Point Career Center and Robert Walker for the use and
operation of the forklift.
Add to this adventure some unexpected rain! Despite a
wonderfully clear night with morning temps of 55 degrees,
cloud gathered at dawn and weather maps showed a cou-
4
(Left) Robert has her in his
capable hands.
(Right) Tom’s doing some
reassembling.
The Battle of Almaden, Rd II
The battle continues to wage in California’s South Bay over the survival of
the AN/FPS-24 tower at the former Almaden AFS on Mount Umunhum.
horseback riding as well as a launch for hang gliders.
However, there's much more to explore because of the
mountain's history and cultural meaning. During the Cold
War, Mount Um was home to the Almaden Air Force Station where today only skeletons of buildings remain, along
with the massive five-story tower.
As noted in the last edition of Echoes,
the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District is pushing efforts to clear the
top of the mountain in order to transform the former Air Force property into
a county park/recreational/natural area.
A loosely-formed coalition of local interests is fighting the efforts to take down
the tower with South Bay resident and
682 nd Radar Squadron historian/
archivist Basim Jaber doing yeoman work in leading, cajoling and
communicating preservation efforts.
Abbors offered three proposals for the tower, subject to discussion at scheduled public meetings: tear down the FPS-24 structure and “restore the mountain;” leave the foundation in place
along with about 10-feet of the exterior walls “...to create a public
gathering place;” or “leave the tower intact and make it available
for viewing.”
He continued:
With all three options, we intend to create interpretive
exhibits to honor the veterans and Ohlone people. Each
will support the long-term goal of making Mount Um into
one of the Bay Area's most breathtaking public destinations.
...This site, blessed by history and by geography, will provide visitors with a vantage point to view all of the area's
open space and parklands that were protected through their
support, and those that are still in need of preservation.
From the peak, you'll be able to learn about our past and
our future and to reconnect with the natural environment
that is at the core of our community's quality of life.
Basim provided much of what follows, which provides something of a point/counterpoint chronology of the Battle for Almaden.
First up, an excerpt from an op-ed by Open Space District General Manager Steve Abbors, a proponent of tower demolition
which appeared last June in the San Jose Mercury News:
At Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, we have a
rare opportunity to do two amazing things: Create a unique
recreational destination with breathtaking views and honor
the full arc of our region's history.
Our work to protect the awe-inspiring Mount Umunhum -or Mount Um -- as a destination for visitors is finally coming
to fruition. We've cleaned up this former military base and
are preparing to open it to the public in a few years. However, our board must make one final decision regarding the
former radar tower on the mountain's peak.
The essential components of this decision are clear: We
must honor the district's mission to preserve open space
while respecting Mount UM's unique historical legacy. This
decision rests, in no small measure, on your vision for the
site.
Standing on the peak will take your breath away. Y you'll
be able to see the entire Bay Area and beyond. Monterey
Bay glitters in the south; to the north, San Francisco's skyscrapers are visible. Even the snow-capped Sierra can be
seen in the east and the blue Pacific is at your feet to the
west. The summit will offer trails for hiking, biking and
Scott Herhold, a columnist with the newspaper, fired back in mid
-July concerning an upcoming public hearing:
If you care about the fate of the Mount Umunhum radar
tower—and anyone who values history should—mark
Wednesday night down in your book.
At the Quinlan Community Center in Cupertino, 10185 N
Stelling Road, the board of the Midpeninsula Regional
Open Space District will discuss the tower’s fate beginning
at 7:30 PM.
Astonishingly, one option they’re still debating is demolishing the tower, a landmark to the valley. The district’s
consultants, Page & Turnbull, have concluded that the
(Continued on page 6)
5
Almaden (Continued from page 5)
True, there are 18 concrete towers like the one at Mount
Umunhum. But this is our tower. This is our landmark.
Nobody else has taken theirs down. Why should we?
tower wasn’t particularly historic. In their view, it does not
stand out from other radar towers.
The truth, though, is that the district has skewed its historical perspective. With the help of Basim Jaber, the historian for the Almaden Air Force Station, I’ve come across a
paper trail that tells you that county officials once thought
differently.
In comments dated June 24, 2011, Rob Eastwood, a principal county planner, questioned the finding that the air station did not stand out as “particularly significant” compared
with other Cold War-era stations.
“I think the property needs to be evaluated for its local
significance with regard to Cold War resources in Santa
Clara County, such as Moffett Field and the resources related to microwave, missile, satellite and semiconductor
industries,” Eastwood wrote.
That’s a big part of what made the Silicon Valley what it is
today,” he added.
No local review
The key word in this is “local.” There was never any review of this plan by the county’s Historical Heritage Commission. By looking at the radar tower solely in terms of
national or state standards, the district missies what it
means to people in the valley.
The oddity of Eastwood’s remarks, which were drafted by
a historic consultant for county planning, didn’t make it into
the draft environmental impact report by the open space
district. Instead, planning’s contribution was boilerplate
about process.
What happened? I called Eastwood, who told me that
after considerable back and forth with open space officials,
county planners were convinced that the Page & Turnbull
view was correct.
But at least some people disagree loudly. Beth Wyman, a
former member of the county’s Historical Heritage Commission, told me, “I’m concerned that a determination of significance was made without a review by the commission.”
In a 14-page letter, Jaber laid out the historical argument.
Was the radar tower more than 50 years old? Yes. Does it
have historic integrity? Yes, despite the lack of radar “sail”
on top. Was it associated with events that made history?
Yes, when you consider that its SAGE computer system
was designed by IBM, which had a major presence in San
Jose.
San Clara developer and former Oakland A’s owner Steve
Schott followed up the column with a pledge of $200,000 to help
save the tower. He stated, “It’s an important part of our history.
Why is it any different than Mount Hamilton’s observatory? There
is no reason why we can’t keep it as a memory. Groups that will
be driving up there should know a little bit about why it was important.”
The Mercury News article added that Schott hoped other members of the region would match his donation, to a total of
$400,000:
That’s a key number. It roughly represents the difference
in the cost to tear down the hulking concrete building, estimated at $640,000, and the estimated $1.1 million price tag
to shore it up and leave it standing.
...the total cost to repave the road to the summit, demolish the remaining old structures and regrade it as a park
similar to the top of Mount Tamalpais or Mount Diablo is
$13 million, according to district estimates. The district has
$4.2 million so far (Paul Rogers, “$200,000 donation to
save Mount Umunhum radar tower,” Mercury News, 20 July
2012).
Basim checked in next, with a 2 August op-ed in the paper
(“Midpeninsula doesn't want to save Mount Umunhum tower”):
Let there be no confusion: the Midpeninsula Regional
Open Space District wants to tear down everything on
Mount Umunhum, including the iconic and historic radar
tower. Call it what you want, it’s a landmark and a part of
the South Bay’s historical heritage. Tearing it down would
be a selfish act by the Open Space District.
District officials say they don’t have the money to save the
tower, but don’t let them fool you. They have it. And
they’re spending it on the campaign to tear down the tower.
They claim to take a neutral stance, but they inflate the cost
of keeping the tower, now estimated at $1.1 million including a 30 percent contingency fee and many other additions
to make it seem exorbitant. They say it will cost $750,00 to
maintain the tower over the next 40 years, yet they have
owned it since 1986 and haven’t spent a dollar on it.
...For fiscal year 2011-12, district property tax revenues
totaled $28.7 million, a 4 percent increase over the midyear
forecast of $27.6 million, and expenditures totaled $37.1
million, 13.7 percent below the midyear budget of $43 million.
Mercury News photo
6
Do the math. That’s a $7 million windfall—more than
enough to save the tower and have plenty left over to really
“do it right” on this mountaintop.
...Tearing down the tower will eliminate all the creative
possibilities it entails. Keeping the tower not only will honor
our past, but it will make Mount Umunhum a far more interesting destination.
Jaber noted the district had money and was “spending it rampantly” on studies and further studies, including $77,500 to a public relations contractor “to help inform and involve the public” and
$101,000 to a another contractor to develop a “vision plan.” He
concluded, in part:
Most recently, at a 19 September meeting in Menlo Park, the
Open Space District board approved plans for parking areas,
trails, a “potential” visitors center and safety upgrades to the main
road to the top of the mountain. However, the board made no
decision on the fate of the FPS-24 tower. Stay tuned...
If you feel the tower should remain, please sign the online
petition at www.change.org.petitions; in Browse Petitions,
search for “save-the-mt-umunhum-radar-tower.”
BREAKING NEWS: At press time, the District Board agreed to
keep the tower standing for at least five years. Details to follow.
Radomes humor: Bubble Check!
And now, a few vignettes concerning that all-time favorite, the
“bubble check.”
Right after the Berlin Wall went up in August of ‘60, air traffic on
the east side of the fence increased tenfold. At the Kuppe the
work, for those of us in ops, went from nine-on/three-off to no off.
And, we were restricted to base until the following spring. As
stated, activity in the air and on our scopes increased accordingly.
One particular morning, with snow on the ground—it must have
been in November or December– we watched two blips on the
other side coming right at us. They did this often, but they always
turned abruptly when they reached the fence. Not this day!
For those of us who were on break, we ran outside in time to
see three MiGs, burners on, inline one after the other, buzz over
the bubbles with not much room to spare. Of course we scrambled, but by the time our guys arrived from Ramstein, they were
back at their base having lunch.
They did it only once, but what a
sight—Dick Martin
Up there in Cut Bank land, we had no problem getting bubble
checked by Great Falls pilots. We were told we had a great set of
good looking bubbles, meaning our two bubbles with the little
bubbles on top. But, we were all amazed when one of our people
had a pilot friend visit our site. He was given a tour and promised
us a bubble check...not normal ops when you consider he was a
B-36 pilot.
Very impressive. Scared the hell out of anyone not knowing
what he was coming, especially everyone in base housing. Lots
of phone calls—Joe Sergeant, 681st
F-89Ds. USAF photo.
AC&WS, Jul 57-Jun 61
In the summer of ‘58, one of our
captains that rotated between the
site and flying F-89s out of Minneapolis had two planes under his control doing practice intercepts (Ed
note: 432nd FIS/475th FG). When
they were finished he asked them
to do a bubble check, which they
immediately agreed to.
Our site was some 850 ft above
sea level, and several hundred feet above the terrain if approached from the south. Some of us went outside to watch the
show and saw them coming from the south and below our site,
blowing black. It was complete silence until the last second,
when they popped up and went into a steep climb (mind you
these were F-89Ds, so nothing like a vertical climb) with afterburners and shook the entire base.
Our first sergeant (Knight, as I recall) got a call from his wife
and she was really pissed! He told ops there would be no more
bubble checks while he was stationed there...and there were
not—Ed Jaworski, 675th AC&WS, Mar 57-Jul 59
The only approximation of a bubble check I witnessed was in 1965,
at Fort Fisher AFS, when a B-47
made a low-level run over the site
off the ocean. It flew low enough
that we were eye-level with it on the
–26 tower catwalk and was slow
enough that we could see the pilot
and read the tail number. It was a great break from work.
Growing up, we lived in Virginia Beach for a couple of years in
the mid-50s. It wasn’t unusual for Navy jets from NAS Oceana to
make low-level high-speed runs down the beach during the summer. Residents complained when they broke the sound barrier. I
imagine there were repercussions from those stunts—Mike
Gordon, former Staff Sgt/30372
Yup, sitting on the berm outside of the Nike Hercules BOC
(Battery Operations Center; Delta Battery, 4/6th Artillery) in Balesfeld, Germany. I often worked the graveyard shift in the BOC
and, have nothing to do, read all of the classified flyers that came
across the dais.
Lazy summer day; you could see across the flat terrain for
many miles. Looking out over the southeast, I was watching a
small jet, right on the deck and making what I thought was tremendous speed. It was a MiG-21, pretty new for those days and
just featured in the latest flyer I’d read. He came right over the
site, hell of a noise, and disappeared.
I called Spangdahlem and Bitburg (Ed note: 525th FIS/86th AD).
Both knew about him but put nothing in the air—Frank Allen.
I arrived at the 663rd AC&WS, Lake City, TN, November of ‘54
out of Keesler. They told us in radar maintenance that the F86Ds out of McGhee Tyson Airport 10 miles south of Knoxville
used to buzz the radome and scare the dickens out of maintenance personnel (Ed note: 460th and 469th FISs/516th ADG). Just
before we got there, one pilot hit the side of the mountain (Cross
Mountain), just missed the top of the hill and crashed into the
other side. They found 97 pounds of his body. That put an end
the buzzing of radars there—SMSgt Bob Bohannon, Ret.
7
AFRMA/NADRM Update
The Peacekeepers
In late July the AFRMA received its first royalty check from sales of The Peacekeepers. To date, the Museum
fund as received $968.
As a reminder, this is our story. Author Jack Miller has donated his royalties to the museum; for every book
sold, the museum receives $1.50. We at AFRMA would like to give a big shout out to Jack for his most generous donation and thanks to those of you who have purchased the book to date, let’s keep it up. Tell your
friends. Show the book to others. Buy copies as presents. Ask for the book at your local bookseller. If they
don't have it, give them the AFRMA email address and we’ll contact them with the publisher’s information.
AND, remember to log into www.afrmaonline.org and order your own copy.
The more sold, the closer we are to making the museum a reality. This is an outstanding donation by the
author, Jack Miller, and we owe it to him to boost the sales as much as we can. Thanks in advance, Gene.
The deployment, which began July 5, will see the roughly 150
members of the 603rd ACS doing what they have perfected during
the last 20 years -- delivering air power to those who need it on
the ground in deployed locations throughout Southwest Asia.
"To know that what you are doing is directly helping our brothers and sisters who are on the ground in life or death situations,
there is nothing like it," Bickle said.
Members not deploying will begin the bittersweet task of breaking down the equipment to be sent to other units that will take
over the squadron's responsibilities.
"Although the 603rd is deactivating, I hope at some point the
Scorpion strike is seen again in the future of our Air Force," Carocci said. "This squadron provides a unique opportunity to all
those fortunate enough to be a part of it, and we will carry that on
with us to our future assignments forever."
(Ed Note: The 603rd originated as the 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion, activated 9 June 1942 at Drew Field, FL, with subsequent service in the European Theater. It reactivated in Germany as the 603rd Tactical Control Squadron on 31 December
1945 and inactivated on 25 June 1965, while under assignment
to the 86th Air Division. The Air Force reactivated the 603rd TACS
on 29 June 1973 under assignment to the 601st Tactical Control
Group, prior to its move to Aviano Air Base).
Photo: Senior Airman Michael Hoffman performs operational
checks on radio equipment at Aviano Air Base, Italy, on July 3,
2012. The squadron is one of the two Air Force theater air control systems in Europe that will deactivate as part of a larger U.S.
Air Force effort to save more than $28 billion in the next five
years. Hoffman is assigned to the 603rd Air Control Squadron.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez
325th Air Control Squadron redesignated
Newswire (Continued from page 10)
On 4 October 2012 the Air Force redesignated the 325th Air Control Squadron—the Air Force’s air battle management training unit
at Tyndall AFB—as the 337th ACS. Per the 325th Fighter Wing
press release, “The name change marked the unit’s transfer from
Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing to the oversight of the 33rd FW at
Eglin AFB, also in Florida’s Panhandle. The squadron will remain
a tenant at tyndall; neither its mission nor training tempo will
change.”
have gained working here will strengthen the air control community Air Force wide."
For many of the operators in the 603 rd ACS, this will likely ring
true as they go on to other air control squadrons in Germany, the
Pacific theater or head back to the U.S., but for many support
Airmen the change back to traditional Air Force units will take
some adjusting.
“The transfer occurred because the 325th
FW, which overseas the Air Force’s F-22
schoolhouse, is transitioning from Air Education and Training Command to Air Combat Command with the addition of a combat
-coded F-22 squadron. Meanwhile, the air
control squadron is remaining under AETC
with the move to the 33rd FW, which is
home to the initial joint F-35 schoolhouse.”
"We are a big family here; it doesn't matter if you are a vehicle
maintainer, supply troop, radio maintenance or one of the operational guys, we all have a special bond," said Staff Sgt. Fernando
Reyes, a material control supervisor for the 603 rd ACS. "Going
back to a normal squadron will take some getting used to after
having this strong sense of community."
Although the squadron's mission on Aviano AB is complete,
there is still one final task for the Airmen to succeed at before the
squadron is officially deactivated in the spring of 2013: one final
deployment.
8
AEW&C Reunion (Continued from page 3)
The attendees represented the following states: WA, OK, IA,
CA, NV, CO, FL, NH, IN, NC, IL, OR, NV, MN, TX, SC, WY, PA,
TN, DE, VA, NY, PA, UT, MO, AZ, GA, OH, ID, MD, AR, LA, NM,
MS, MA, KS, CT, MA, KS, WA and MI (hope I got them all!).
That's 41 states!
We had a short round of toasting followed by some special remarks from Steve Gray and recognition comments by US Senator
John Boozman.
The business meeting on Thursday afternoon had a great turnout; we had to get more chairs to seat all. Topic of discussion No.
1: Let’s start thinking about the entire AEW&C community and not
just separate units.
Topic No. 2 :future reunions.
The top suggested locations
were Cape Cod, Sacramento, Oklahoma City and Dayton and
they should be open to all units, including the Batcat vets. Also,
as a reminder, the reunions are not just for flight crews.
Evelyn and I would like to thank Bill and Irene Roberts, Pat and
Don Stinebrick, Kerry Keehn and all who helped in the hospitality
room.
There is still no strong volunteer for the position of reunion coordinator for the next gathering. There was discussion on the idea
of hiring a professional reunion planner for all future reunions; “A
Complete Reunion” set up this gathering. In the meantime, volunteers need to step up by January 2013 to start working on the
2014 reunion.
The highlight of dionner was our speaker, Gen John L. “Pete”
Piotrowski. The general stated out as an enlisted and retired with
four stars as Commander of NORAD...and, he was the first commander of the 552nd Airborne Warning & Control Wing at Tinker
AFB. Many at dinner knew “General Pete” from his AWACS period.
Finally, there are two links to the events, including photos of the
EC-121: http://photobucket. com/EC-121T and http://photobucket.
com/2012_ AEW-C_Reunion. Enjoy!
Sunday mornings breakfast concluded the proceedings, including a with a farewell prayer by Bob Wubbenhorst.
Radomes Obituaries
Thomas E. Ommen—Assigned to the 656th Radar Squadron
Lt Col Robert Cutler, USAF(Ret)—The last surviving com-
(SAGE), Saratoga Springs AFS from 1962 to 1964, passed unexpectedly in Washington, DC, on 26 May 2012. A native of Mankato, MN, he served as a teacher at the elementary school level
and as principal at Franklin and Kennedy Elementary Schools
after leaving the Air Force in 1965. Mr. Ommen was 69; interment took place at Calvary Cemetery in Mankato. He was survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary Jane, daughter Ann Hoffman,
son Tom Ommen Jr, two grandchildren and numerous other family members.
mander of Texas Tower No. 4 passed on 26 August 2012 at age
90. He was preceded in death by his wife Irma, brother David
and sister Vera; his survivors included son Barry, daughter Robin,
two grandchildren, two brothers and one sister. Interment with full
military honors took place at the Washington Crossing National
Cemetery. At age 77, Colonel Cutler took part in a boat trip to the
site of Tower 4 for the placing of a memorial plaque on the wreckage.
SMSgt Victor J. Oder, USAF(Ret)—Former 304x4 with ser-
days shy of his 82nd birthday. He joined the US Army Air Forces
and served in Okinawa, Japan, Alaska, Nevada and Oregon,
along with four tours with the 637th AC&WS/RADS at Othello
AFS. Following retirement, he worked to get the T-33A formerly
on display at the air force station moved to a park in town and
also contributed to efforts to erect a memorial at former Larson
AFB, Moses Lake, commemorating the 87 airmen who died in the
crash of a C-124A at the base on 20 December 1952. Among
others, the crash claimed five of his squadronmates from the
637th; he was scheduled to take the flight but his then-fiancé
talked him out of it. In retirement, Tindell served the Othello community through work with the Boy Scouts of America, the masons,
the Othello VFW post, Othello Senior Center and First Presbyterian Church.
Tommie Tindell—Passed on 4 July 2012 in Othello, WA, three
vice at Keesler, Diyarbakir, Darmstadt, Vietnam, Point Arena AFS
and Elmendorf AFB. A native of San Antonio, SMSgt Oder spent
two years in the Texas Army National Guard prior to enlisting in
the Air Force. He was honor graduate of the Ground Radar Maintenance course at Keesler prior to his assignment at Diyarbakir
and later returned to Keesler as an instructor, prior to his transfer
to the Republic of Vietnam...just in time for the Tet Offensive.
Following his assignment to the Elmendorf he spent a lot of time
at various White Alice stations. SMSgt Oder was interred at Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson on 6 July 2012; he is survived by his
wife of 48 years, Erika; son Marcus Oder; daughter Annette Olney; and four grandsons.
9
AFRMA, Inc/Radomes
The Air Defense Radar Veterans’ Association
9976 Stoudertown Road
Baltimore, OH 43105
Which site is this?
(Search inside for answer.)
Radomes Newswire
603rd Air Control Squadron
inactivated at Aviano AB
By Staff Sgt Ryan Whitney
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
10 July 2012
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy (AFNS) -- Another
chapter of Air Force history came to a close
July 3 at Aviano Air Base as the 603 rd Air Control Squadron called
"Primo," the unit call sign, for the last time before the unit is deactivated.
The 603rd ACS, one of two Air Force theater air control systems
in Europe, is being deactivated as part of a larger U.S. Air Force
effort to save more than $28 billion in th11e next five years.
"I am incredibly proud and honored to be the commander of
these fine men and women as they perform their final duties as
(members of the 603rd ACS)," said Lt. Col. Stephen Carocci, the
commander of the 603rd ACS. "Although we are deactivating the
603rd, the squadron isn't viewing this as the end, just a closing of
a chapter."
Since the squadron's reactivation in 1991 as the 603rd ACS, the
squadron of more than 300 Airmen has brought its unique capabilities to every location the squadron has deployed to.
From the Balkans supporting Operations Deny Flight, Deliberate Force and Allied Force, to current Operations like Enduring
Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and support to the 2008 presidential visit to Africa, the 603rd ACS "Scorpions" have showcased
their unique capability to "strike" where needed.
"What makes us unique is our self-sufficiency that is apparent in
our day-to-day operations here at Aviano (Air Base)," said Tech.
Sgt Joel Bickle, a 603rd ACS digital systems section chief. "With
exception to the land we are sitting on, we are a completely selfreliant force that can pack up and deploy anywhere, whether that
is a fully built-up base or a small field in the middle of nowhere, to
deliver our capability to the warfighters."
The air control squadron is composed of more than 20 officers
and 280 enlisted Airmen. It has more than 20 Air Force specialties, ranging from supply Airmen to the operators controlling the
aircraft and everything in-between to make them a self-sufficient
force with worldwide capabilities.
The squadron provides air assets a clear mission picture
through its command and control capability using Tactical Air Operations Modules -- small trailers that house the equipment that
keeps the pilots in the air in touch with the operator's inside.
These small containers, capable of being packed and forward
deployed to any area, are the secret to the unit's worldwide capability. Since most deployed locations have already built up a full
infrastructure, there is little need for this capability in most cases.
The last instance that the full TAOM system was deployed was
during the 2008 presidential visit to Africa.
"Although I am sad to see the 603rd (ACS) being deactivated, I
am truly honored to be a part of the final mission here at Aviano,"
said Staff Sgt. Erik Kalanquin, a 603rd ACS weapons director and
one of the last people in the Air Force to use the call sign "Primo."
"Although this capability is leaving Aviano, the experience we
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