Baldy Hughes, BC

1962 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division


Historical Report
918th AC&W Squadron
1 January 1962 to 31 March 1962

Section I

REQUIRED DATA

  1. Unit and Location

918th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Baldy Hughes Air Station, Prince George, BC

  1. Name and Grade of Commander

Lt. Colonel Alfred J Naigle

  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)
  2. NORAD
    Air Defense Command
    25th Air Division (SAGE)
    Seattle Air Defense Sector

  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)
  • None

  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)
  • Maintain radar surveillance and report surveillance information to Seattle Air Defense Sector for identification and action. Exercise control fighter interception within the limited capacity provided as directed by Seattle Air Defense Sector. Render emergency assistance to distressed aircraft.

  • Personnel
  •    

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     
     

    Assigned

    13

    124

    22

    159

     
     

    Attached

     

    0

     

    0

     
                 
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
  • AN/FPS-20A (1), AN/FPS-6B (2), AN/GPS-T2 (1), AN/UPS-T5 (1), AN/GPX-7A (1), AN/GRC-27 (2), AN/GRT-3 (2), AN/GRR-7 (2), AN/FRT-503 (1), AN/FRT-502 (2), AF/URG-60 (5).

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

    The 918th ACWRON was in competition for the Hennessey Trophy and the team arrived from ADC on 10 January for the final inspection. Word was received early in February that this squadron had lost to Texarkana AFS. Baldy Hughes AFS was presented, however, the 64th ADIV Food Service Award on 20 March by Colonel Salvatore Veneziano, Commander 64th ADIV.

    In sports activities, the basketball team won the local Prince George Senior League Championship with a 28 win 2 loss record and then journeyed to participate in the Sector tournament at Fort Lawton. The Officers Club Curling Team also won first place in the Commercial Curling League.

    To exercise the Squadron Disaster Control Plan, a practice was held on 29 March in which all on-base dependants participated. A simulated nuclear burst was declared and the signal given. All personnel were reported in the shelters within six minutes after the alert.

    Incoming shipments of GATR and FST-2 equipment are 90% complete. Teams are scheduled to arrive within the next few months to begin installation. GATR building installation was accepted with several discrepancies, one of which the installation of the substation, has subsequently been accomplished.

    Three of the five National 650 KW Diesel generators were installed in the Power House. Shake down tests revealed a malfunction of the idler gear in two of the generators. An engineer from the company is enroute to solve the difficulty. This will result in a slippage of the final acceptance date. Not only has the trouble with the gear turned up but also a shortage of parts due to incomplete shipments.

    The enable the Operations Directors to utilize all the frequencies assigned to this station, a remote switching unit has been fabricated and connected to one of the multi-channel UHF transmitters and placed beside the Intercept Directors scope. This enables the Director to change the frequency of a transmitter and receiver within 10 seconds.

    Shorting of a cable to the main gate from the Operations area required a Depot Level Assistance Team. Since the team was scheduled in April anyway, they performed the inside-outside plant DLM in March when they repaired the cable. Trouble was found to be two bullet holes believed to be inflicted during hunting season.

    Radar height finder quality during an ECM environment has increased considerably since Radar Maintenance has made it possible for the video of one of the height finders to be processed through the inactive channel of the FPS-20 to make use of the ant-jam features of the FPS-20 receiver.

    The 25th ADIV Operations Capabilities Inspection was held on 29 March for this station. Three team members from ADC were present to evaluate the squadron. The exercise consisted of three waves of targets, two of which the Pinetree Line participated. A satisfactory rating was received by the squadron.

    Captain Froehler was upgraded to Skilled Weapons Director which brings the squadrons total to three skilled and four combat ready directors. The fourth combat ready director was Lt. Arvel Sandel who reported into this squadron from the 912th ACWRON, Ramore Ontario.

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    Alfred J Naigle, Lt. Colonel

    Signature