Recent Photos of Crystal Springs AFS, MS


Site - looking North


Site - looking East


Site - looking South


Site - looking West


Ops & Radar - looking North


Ops & Radar - looking East


Ops & Radar - looking South


Ops & Radar - looking West


Cantonment & Rec Hall - looking North


Cantonment & Rec Hall - looking East


Cantonment & Rec Hall - looking South


Cantonment & Rec Hall - looking West


Housing - looking North


Housing - looking South


February 1999 Photos and notes by Tom Page
Email: tepage@hotmail.com

Tom writes:
"... it was on to Crystal Springs, MS. It was almost a straight shot, taking US Route 90 east to I-310, then I-10 west to I-55 north. I got to Crystal Springs just as it was getting dark, so I found a motel for the night. One of our e-mail correspondents and web-site contributors, Robert Redding, lives in Crystal Springs. He is a retired Westinghouse employee who had worked on the prototype AN/FPS-27 at Crystal Springs AFS. I called him up, and we met at the old AF station the next morning. As you know, that site is now owned by the city of Crystal Springs, and hosts the Mississippi Job Corps. It took about 15 minutes or so before we could obtain permission to enter the grounds and take photos, and that was under escort. It had just started raining, but the rain was light and intermittent, so it did not interfere too much. Robert pointed out the exact spot where the prototype AN/FPS-27 search-radar tower used to stand — the concrete footings of the tower were still visible. We also located the site of one of the old AN/FPS-6 (AN/FPS-90 ?) heightfinder radar towers (west of the LRR Ops building); some footings and its cable trough were still faintly visible. The other AN/FPS-6 heightfinder radar tower location (east of the LRR Ops building) was where some modern trailers are today, so no remains were visible. [See Robert`s aerial photo on the web site.] I concluded my tour with a quick drive through the old family-housing area (where every second house has been removed). Robert and I talked for a few more minutes, then it was back on the road. Just east of Crystal Springs, I got ahead of the weather front, and had mostly fair weather for the rest of the day."


Job Corps entrance sign at former Crystal Springs AFS, MS.


Robert Redding standing on location of prototype AN/FPS-27 tower (only remains of which is a circular pattern of footings); behind him is the old Westinghouse Quonset hut (looking ~ northeast).


Robert Redding standing in front of power-plant building (left) and LRR Operations (right), with Westinghouse Quonset hut in the background (looking ~ south).


Airman/NCO barracks.

Additional recent photos of Job Corps center from the web site http://www.del-jen.com/jobcorps/jcmssp.htm

These views show former USAF buildings or Westinghouse quonset hut.