823rd:Dan,Where is thefat man;SGT. Rob,Young man here going trick or treating;Gwaltney{JUMPIN`JACK}haven`t heard from you in 30 years `68-69` SGT. Hawkins D.C. didn`t forget you home. Seagrove,you still practicing that peace and love{the packard bell served well.}.

CORRECTION;TSGT. Rob-T-2Tech.Segroves

Dog crew 1957,1958,discharged July 1959. Remember S/Sgt. Elmo Moss... S/Sgt.Mark Pete Cannon,Muckluk,Patterson,Ace,Schaefer etc.

EPA Superfund sites...I was stationed at Murphy Dome, AK. It was one of the superfund sites. I saw reports indicating oil spills including a 7,000 gal fuel oil spill on the site. Likewise, many 55 gal drums were lying about while I was stationed there, probably containing lube or insulating oil. As of 2002 when I revisited the location, there was almost no evidence of us having been there, save for the one tower and a new power shack. I believe Havre AFS was also a cleanup site.

To Jeff States....The old radar sites, like a lot of old industrial sites, contained a lot of common materials that today are considered toxic and harmful to the environment. Here are two good examples. The overhead steam lines that supplied heat to barracks and other buildings were insulated with asbestos. Plus, asbestos was used in a lot of common building materials such as floor tiles, siding, etc. Many of the electrical transformers contained PCB-based insulating oil. There was also the more common contaminatiion from fuel spills,etc.

If you really want detailed information about the environmental contaminants present at old radar sites, go to www.rpi.edu/~pickem/files/brownfield/brownfields.htm Believe me, this site will give you everything you ever wanted to know about the subject. It also contains a press release about the cleanup at Saratoga AFS, an interesting Q&A section, and a brief description of what is on the 46 photos I mentioned in a previous posting.

John Tianen: We came across that website you mention some time last year (if I remember correctly). We already have their rececent photos, with a link to that website, on our web page ``Recent Photos`` for Saratoga. Take a look. -- Tom

John Tianen: Thanks for your complete answer John. Kirksville, MO and Finland, MN were my two radar site assignments. Apparently, with all the good we all did, we left behind some `scars.`

Well, I beat you to Takotna by maybe ten years. During my stay, a `banana` helicopter crashed on the summit while delivering new installation. Also on another occasion, the tram car was descending from the top when ice fog hit the cables. The tram car came through the last over at 60 mph. The base maint officer received multiple compound fractures. We had a civilian power house employee dye of a heart attack. A local native bot slept on a hay mattress which caught fire and was brought to our site for care and shipment to Fairbanks. I bought gold nuggets from a mine north of the site when gold was $32/oz. I want to get back up there sometime. For a kid born near Miami FL, my Uncle Sam had a sense of humor assigning me to Takotna after nearly three years in San Antonio. Alaska was not a state. Leaving there was `going outside`. C. Watson Ten-Eick,Jr

Left the dates out: Takotna 717 AC&W DEC 54 JAN 56 forgot to spell check, dye = die; bot = boy

While browsing the web with Google tonight (searched under Saratoga Radar Base) I came across an amazing file of photos (46 total) taken in December of 2003. Apparently the old radar site has been designated an EPA Superfund cleanup site and the photos were taken as part of a documentation process. From the URL, it looks like the photos were taken by someone associated with Rensselaer Polytecnic Institute, a well known university in Troy, NY. The photos are large jpeg files and most are over half a meg in size so it takes a while to download each if you only have dial-up. I haven`t looked at all of them yet but the experience so far has been very heartbreaking because the photos show just how badly the place has deteriorated since it was closed. go to www.rpi.edu/~pickem/files/Brownfield/saratoga%20radar%20base/fullsize/ to see the photos

Re the notes below about the `cleanup site,` several radar sites where I was stationed are also listed as being `cleanup sites.` Does anyone have any ideas about why many former radar sites have this cleanup designation, or am I reading too much into the term `cleanup?`

Hi, Just an up-date, I found the Souders that lived on Adair AFS, Corvallis, Oregon in 60-63. And I found a guy that served with my daddy, Denzil Fleming, while at Snow Mt. AFS in 1957-58, Tom Condra. It has been so nice to be able to correspond with people that knew my dad. Is there anybody out there that was in Iceland in 1951-52? I don`t have any of daddy`s papers with where he was, except a Western Union Telegram that he sent my mom when I was born and it has Kefavik on it. I know he worked in radio maintance and control. Thanks for any information you might have. Debbie

Stationed at 780th radar squadron Fortuna, North Dakota Nov. 73 to Feb 76. anfps 35 tower. Cape Romanzof, Alaska Feb 76 to Feb 77. Radar site at Caswell, Maine March 77 to May 77

Hello Anybody who worked in Senneterre 1962- 1972

Stationed at 769th AC&W Sqdn Continental Divide N Mex 1951 and 1952

I enjoyed my 4 years in Greatfalls mont. Would do it all over again

The radar maintenace guys who left Keesler as A3C`s after having completed BED only and then off to their duty assignments and OJT I believe were part of `Operation Cherry Tree`. Spent a week at Ft Fisher AFS, NC last month, which is now an R&R site. It was enjoyable but didn`t quite ring my bell as it did when I was stationed there in `74 to `78. Too much growth in the area to suit me (Tom: the water was no longer red). But it is still a nice place to have a vacation. Had fun trying to figure out where my old FSS-7 tower was located. Jerry Sitzlar

Technical literature and application notes of products requested

LIKE TO JOIN-55-57 IN ALSAKA

Would like to hear from any of the people I worked with

Now on e-Bay, item no. 6570003701: Three manuals: 1.) Aircraft Control & Warning Radar Repairman, JP 303520, AN/CPS-6B, 1954; 2.) AC&W Radar Repairman JP30352-52 (AN/UPA-35) Supplement, 1956; 3.) AC&W Radar Repairman AN/FST-1 Circuits & Diagrams student textbook. Course Nr. AB30332F, Keesler AFB, Miss. Many B&W illustrations and photos. Condition: Name of former owner on covers, except for 3, otherwise excellent and original. Item is unrelated to me in any way whatsoever.

Talking about rank, Back in the early 50s, I was promoted to Corporal, joined the NCO Club, went on leave, and returned to be told I was now an A2C, and no longer an NCO! No more club. The Air Force grew so fast back then, there were just too many of us.

More on the troop build-up in the early 60`s..... When I arrived at Lackland (July 1961) they didn`t have a barracks that was fully ready to accept us. In our case, the crappers in the latrine were not working. We had to share the latrine with the next door barracks and we were restricted to certain hours of the day. That`s not too good when nature calls, if you know what I mean. After a few days we moved out of that roach-infested hovel and into the barracks where we would spend the rest of our basic training. These were the typical wood-frame, open bay barracks that were built in WWII. They were all roach-infested as I remember. The Berlin Crisis was at its height at that time. I remember marching to the mess hall one day and the air raid siren went off. We all thought that WWIII had started. Troops were coming to Lackland so fast that we were detailed to go to some barracks that were used for storage and make them ready to receive troops. These barracks were in real sorry shape. Dust and filth was everywhere. We did a quick sweep out and set up some bunks. As I recall, the showers didn`t work. I don`t know about the rest of the plumbing fixtures.

When I entered the 30332 course in 1961, the Cold War was at its height. Tensions were very high in Berlin and the Cuban Missle crisis was only months away. Troops were being brought into the Air Force so fast that old, run down barracks at Lackland that had been used for storage were being opened up to accept troops. I know because I was on detail one day and we cleaned up and installed bunks in about half a dozen barracks in one day. At Keesler, most of us went through school the `conventional` way meaning we did our 19 weeks of basic electronics, took a 2 week leave, and then came back and finished the `sets` portion of the program. About 3/4 of the way through the entire course, most of the troops (assuming they had not screwed up) received their second stripe and went on to their first assignment as Airmen Second Class. We had several troops in our barracks who were in some form of accelerated program (and I suspect, experimental as well) that put troops into the field and into OJT as soon as they completed their 19 weeks of basic electronics. Those troops left Keesler with one stripe and the rank of Airman Third Class. Is there anyone out there that also heard of this program, was a part of it, or knew someone who came into the career field that way? I would think it would have been difficult to advance in rank because coming out of school, they didn`t even have 3 level skills.

John Tianen, Yes John I remember the program, it was still in existence when I attended Keesler in 1965-66. I did the `normal` training while others did what I believe was accelerated `sets`, and they (accelerated) did indeed leave as Airman Thirds, while we graduated as Airman Seconds. OBTW, I was an Airman First for a week before I was promoted to Sergeant.. Thanks for the memory jog!! Jim

Served at Okino AFS in the early 60`s...

Served at Okino AFS in the early 60`s...Comm Det.

trained in radar maint at keesler 68-69. stationed at 661st at sselfrige in the 35 tower 69-71. spent final year at cape romanzoff alaska. 6 months or so at top camp and the rest down below.

News Item: TEWKSBURY, Mass., Oct. 13, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $52 million U.S. Navy contract to provide engineering services for the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) Program. The award is a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to provide continuing engineering support on the radar systems, including both hardware and software maintenance and upgrades. `This contract reflects the excellent ongoing relationship between the Navy and Raytheon, as well as Raytheon`s commitment to satisfying our customer`s critical needs for assured technical and program support,` said Mary Petryszyn, Raytheon vice president, Joint Battlespace Integration. `We are proud that the Navy continues to look to Raytheon for reliable products and service to ensure our homeland is safe.` ROTHR is a high-frequency radar system designed, built, operated, and maintained by Raytheon to provide long-range surveillance capability to the U.S. government in support of the U.S. counter drug mission. Demonstrated performance, cost effectiveness, and growth potential have led to planning for an expanding role for ROTHR to include surveillance capability for homeland defense. `As an operational and deployed asset with ground-based results, ROTHR is a reliable and cost-effective, proven solution for improving the security of the U.S. coastline,` said Petryszyn. ROTHR has been operational with the U.S. government for more than 15 years, supporting the counter drug mission in the Caribbean Sea and South America. Each radar system provides in excess of 4 million square miles of coverage area. The networked system of ROTHR radars operates 24/7/365 and tracks 4.5 million aircraft per year. It is currently the U.S. government`s primary surveillance system for the counter drug mission. Raytheon has provided full life-cycle mission support for the radars since the initial installations to improve performance and reliability as part of Raytheon`s integrated approach to predicting customer needs, sensing problems and preemptively applying solutions. Mission support enables Raytheon to maintain readiness and deliver operational capability on demand, allowing our customers to focus on their mission. Work will be performed by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems personnel at Sudbury, Mass., and at the ROTHR site in Chesapeake, Va.

Great site. I am an AC&W radar repairman (303X2) and was assigned to the 72nd TAC Control Flight (TCF) Robins AFB, 709 AC&W Ft Yukon AK , and the 81 TCF at Cannon AFB before crosstraining. As you can tell I worked on RADAR with `WHEELS.` Thre were alot of us mobile folks out there and a section on mobile rigs would be great.

73-74 Det5 621st NKP Thailand PARTY TIME a great time to be. Shippy, FERGEY, The Hobbit, Red Horse, The RDI! A great time to be a young man in ser4vice to the USA..........

Re Gary Jacobs` and Jack Armstrong`s comments regarding radar main/scope operators training: I was at Keesler in Feb 1964-65, and seem to recall that program of training radar maintenance troops to be scope operators as well. If memory serves, The AF was `experimenting` with several training techniques, such as certain groups being selected to participate in a special program, while others were trained via the `normal` guidelines in radar maintenance. I also recall that several variations of training were being tried, such as being trained exclusively in radar without having attended BED first; no training at tech school at all, with the troop being sent directly to his duty station and all training being conducted there. I could be wrong on the exact particulars of these examples, though, as it was over 40 years ago. I do recall being a participant in the TVI program, which stood for `Television Instruction` or something similar. Instead of a real, red-blooded instructor standing up in front of the class, a black & white TV was placed in front of the class, which provided the day`s lessons. There was generally a short introduction given by the instructor, then the lesson was played, with a question & answer session at the end. The productions were quite crudely done and not very professional, and some of the instructors` deliveries put us right to sleep. To combat this, the air conditioning was turned on full blast, so the result for me was that I was constantly shivvering. Then, when the class was over and we went outside to march back to the Triangle area, we boiled and sweated our butts off! We didn`t have TVI for every `block`; some were taught `in the flesh`, others by TVI.

station at 678 march 60 to aug 62

was station at sweetwater aug 63 until feb 67 left for monkey mountain vietnam radar operator

I will always remeber the great time I had serving at Wallace. The reason I put in for the assignment wa because Tsgt Donald K. Solomon(deceased) suggested I do so. He built it up so much, I had to try. I got lucky! It was everything he said and more. While there, I grew into the career field because of an outstanding cadre of professionals. They were the major influences in training me to become the professional I am to this day. The likes of Emmet Jordan, James Reece,Ann Meister, Lavetta Cameron, Ltc Ligenfelter, Anne Meister, BF Goodrich, Susan Goodrich and all of BRAVO Crew(our motto was `We better be better. We`re BRAVO Crew!) set the tone and the standard. Sgt Boatwright. Ssgt Lee Hooper(my man)and a hos of others insured I was trained the old school method. In addition, there were the typhoon parties and the WASCOM gatherings that are outshined by no other experience in the military that I had. I guess I don`t have to mention the obvious,(but I will.)As a very young man,exposuure to that environment opened my eyes to a great many pleasures. I colus go on and on but we all share a common bond no matter when we were there. It`s an honor to count myself amongst this fine group of dedicated individuals.

Thanks Historian for the website for Borfink Bunker. I spent three years there (65 - 68) as maintenance on the 412L.

Keesler and Gulf hands, what do you think? Move ALL flight opns from Keesler to Columbus AFB MS [wasn`t badly damaged at all]; move the flight training loca- ted at Columbus, Pensacola, all other Gulf region tng bases, fields to Cannon AFB NM [they recently lost the 27 FW[?] in BRAC but are on housekeeping, awaiting new tenents! One in favor of this was GEN Newton [fmr comdr, AETC]...If you had ur `druthers, where shud any remaining tech training [if there is any] at Keesler, or along Gulf go? KAFB and other big, paved sites cud become refineries with l o w, squat `columns which just pound-out 87 oct. gas and `No. 1.5` diesel/heat! any- thing low [asphalt, bunker oil, etc.] is cleaned out and used locally to pave-n-repair roads; anything higher in `essence` is NOT flared off but burned to feed it`s column, itself! 24/7 of this on a base surrounded with wind/rainproof sloping parapet walls and screw Big Oil! Aaron...

There was a period of time in the mid 60`s to early 70`s that they tried training selected radar maintenance techs in both fields. This was an attempt to give the maintenance techs something to do in their `spare time`. It didn`t take long to determine that there wasn`t enough `spare time` to go around, especially on some of the larger systems such as the FPS-24,27,and 35, to mention a few. I graduated tech school in Dec 1961 and I know it was few years before they tried it.

Hi, My daddy, Denzil Fleming, was stationed at Adair in 1960-63. We lived on base at 160 Azalea Dr. He worked in the DC building, radio maint and contro (I think). Daddy passed away in 2002. I am trying to find anyone that might remember him or some of the people that lived on base at the same time that we knew. The Souders lived next door in the our duplex. If any one has any information, please let me know. Thank-you, Debbie

Served in the United States Airforce Communication Group at borefink mountain from 1980-1983

I worked once with a guy who said at one time radar maintenance technicians were also trained as radar operators. This would have been in the mid to late 1960s. Apparently the program was discontinued for reasons unknown to me. Anyone know any more? Why was that thought to be a good idea? He used to tell me, `Let me show you how to REALLY set up the scopes.` He had a particular way he liked the sweep intensity, the noise level, very faint range marks. Of course, the actual operators would come in and change everything. But it was pretty while it lasted.

For Gary Jcobs, There was no formal training for Radar maint Troops , during the 60`s was the big change over to the SAGE system and also the closing of many if almost all of manual sites. Those that were knowledgeable were maint troops who wanted to learn, the system as did operators, I trained on the old TPS1D just to help out since we had only one troop on duty with us.I also learned that if you train orgive some info to operators it saved a lot of red time for maint.

San Bernardino, Calif., Sun newspaper, Oct. 10 (edited) With air traffic controllers retiring at alarming rates and few trained personnel to replace them, officials with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association are warning something must be done or passenger safety may be compromised. And with many more controllers expected to retire in the upcoming months, the lack of trained personnel will leave a gap too large to fill, predicted Tony Vella, local president for National Air Traffic Controllers Association for Southern California and an air traffic controller for Los Angeles International Airport. `The (Federal Aviation Administration) has not projected far enough in advance to hire the employees necessary,` Vella said. `Now there really is only a couple of different ways this problem can be handled. They will either have to make controllers work a mandatory six days straight, or the (FAA) will have to slow down the amount of traffic to match the number of air traffic controllers.` The FAA has approved 268 air traffic controller spots operating from the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Center near San Diego. The center, known as TRACON, has filled just 217 of those slots. At the Ontario sector for air traffic control at TRACON, only 33 air traffic controllers are working. The FAA authorized 38. Vella said the number will go down to 31 by the end of the year.

Thanks for the reference to the Borfink bunker. I spent many a shift there at the Systems Technical Director console in the late 60s. Happy memories and one great scare from skidding on black ice on the way to work from Birkenfeld. Walt

I was trained on the Buic 3 equipment in Keesler, prior training was on the AN/FST-2B in Biloxi. Our unit was at St.Margarets-New Brunswick.CA I still have all of my training notes and wonder how we were able to absorb the full system in 26 weeks. I also worked Heavy Radar, 26 and 27. My 24 years of service flew by. Many sites documented on Pinetree line.org My best to you all John L in the Sault

For you veterans of the 615th AC&W Squadron / Börfink Bunker / SOC-3, check out the website at http://www.kommandobunker.de/bunker-erwin/index.html/. Included are recent photos, facility diagrams, and even an aerial photo of the installation. -- T.E.P.

I was stationed with the 932nd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rockville, Iceland from Sept., 1972 to Sept., 1974. During this period I was the Radar Operations Clerk. I lived in the `Loftleider Annex #2` dormitory at Rockville from Sept., 1972 to about Jan., 1973. After Jan., 1973, I lived with my family in the village of Keflavik until summer 1973 and in base housing at Keflavik NAS (Quarters 606-F, near the Keflavik NAS Post Office), after summer 1973 until I rotated back to the states in Sept., 1974.

I was stationed with the 932nd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Rockville, Iceland from Sept., 1972 to Sept., 1974. During this period I was the Radar Operations Clerk. I lived in the `Loftleider Annex #2` dormitory at Rockville from Sept., 1972 to about Jan., 1973. After Jan., 1973, I lived with my family in the village of Keflavik until summer 1973 and in base housing at Keflavik NAS (Quarters 606-F, near the Keflavik NAS Post Office), after summer 1973 until I rotated back to the states in Sept., 1974.

I was assigned to the 5th Battalion 6th Air Defense Artillery in Neubrucke Germany during the 1970s. We shared the base with the USAF 615th AC&W Squadron. I am trying to obtain a patch, photo, color drawing, etc. of the 615th`s Squadron Logo. I would really like to get a hold of a patch if it exits to add to my Air Defense collection.

Sparravohn AFS, 719 AC&W ( I think) 1972-1973. if you were there, leave me a note......... Thanks,,,,great site

Former GEEIA Team Member

served at 642 acw st johns nfld from oct 58 to oct 60 anyone else serve there

An old hand (controller) at the 719th AC&W Squadron at SPARREVOHN, Alaska during 1953 and 1954. Any other alumni of that era?

Served as Radar Ops troop at Templehof in mid 70`s. A very interesting tour I must say. Great place, Berlin.

Yes there was a Height Finder Radar. It was originally a AN/TPS-40 which was X-band Frequency which interfered with the GCA Radars. This was replaced by a FPS-90 which was removed along with the FPS-67D when the FPS-117 3-D Radar was commissioned in I believe 1983 or 84. I was the Maintenance Superintendent from 1982 - 85. As I previously indicted the Long Range Radars were useful in other applications besides controling traffic. I can`t elaborate because I don`t what is still classified.

The Templehof unit was a detachment of the 807th TCS at Landstuhl, which manned the cave at Kindsbach, where I worked. I remember catching a ride on a C-47 taking parts for the radar to Templehof, in Dec 1958. On the way back to Landstuhl the cabin heaters went out and we darn near froze before we exited the corridor and could drop to a lower altitude.

The Long Range Radar had a 200 Mile Range for 360 degrees and it was in fact used for airtraffic control since the air corridors were 100 or more miles long which was beyond the range of the terminal radars. I will admit that there may have been others that in West Berlin that were looking at the data collected. I spent ten years at TCA and am sorry to read about it`s closing.

At the Kindsbach Cave in Landstuhl Germany, we were some of the `interested parties` in the radar data provided by Tempelhof. Of course our link with Tempelhof never officially existed, but the data we received helped us display the current `air picture` of Europe to the NATO staff at Kindsbach.

Served 3/65 - 10/68 Ft. Lee,VA, 619th TCS (VN) and Topsham, ME.

Considering that the Tempelhof radar facility included a height-finder radar in addition to the search radar, I think it`s safe to conclude that Tempelhof had (and still has) an air-defense surveillance mission. In fact, the present-day radar is an AN/FPS-117 3D radar which is typically used for military purposes. Hmmm .... -- T.E.P.

James B. Phillips saw that you were stationed at the 703rd in texarkana Ar. your name sounds familiar. I was there from 63 to 65. curious to know when you were there.

LA Times, Sept. 30: edited, “Berlin — Tempelhof Airport, whose towering facade once epitomized Adolf Hitler`s grand and frightening vision for Europe … the Berlin Airport Authority wants to shut down Tempelhof in 2006. Tegel International Airport has handled most of the city`s commercial traffic for decades. The planned expansion of Berlin`s third airport, at Schoenefeld, would make Tempelhof and its small band of budget carriers obsolete. Lawsuits seeking to stop the expansion have won a reprieve for Tempelhof, but this monument is running out of time. One of the largest buildings in the world, Tempelhof lost nearly $20 million last year, serving only 441,580 of the city`s 14.8 million airline passengers. Less than 40 percent of its nearly 300,000 square yards of usable space is rented.” I knew a guy who was stationed at Templehof who worked on the radar there. My recollection is that he said that the long-range radar was said to be for “air traffic control” and really was long range radar, the thin subterfuge a Cold War item. He said the antenna was incongruous for air traffic control.