St. Anthony, NF

1962 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division


Historical Record
921st AC&W Squadron
St. Anthony, NF
1 January 1962 to 31 March 1962

Section I

REQUIRED DATA

  1. Unit and Location

921st AC&W Squadron
APO 864, New York, NY

  1. Name and Grade of Commander

James E Gable, Major

  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)
  2. Air Defense Command
    64th Air Division (Defense)
    Goose Air Defense Sector

  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)
  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)
  • Authority: Goose Air Defense Regulation 20-4, 6 September 1960.

    Mission: The mission of the 921st AC&W Squadron is to conduct Air Defense Operations within assigned area of responsibility as outlined in ADC (RCAF) ASI 3/4/3, and function as a Direction center in the Air Defense System.

  • Personnel
  •    

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     
     

    Assigned

    12

    115

    32

    159

     
     

    Attached

             
                 
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
  • AN/FPS-3(C), 1; AN/FPS-502, 1; AN/UPS-35, 1; AN/GPS-T2, 1; AN/GPA-30, 1; AN/GPS-T2A, 1; AN/UPS-T5, 1.

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

    Command Section:

    A Dining-In was held on 8 March 1962 by Major Gable to honor Colonel Victor Milner, Commander, Goose Air Defense Sector. The honored speaker was Mr. George E Nicholl, Mayor, St. Anthony. Other guests were Cpl. Woolaver, RCMP, Dr. Gray, Grenfell Mission and Chaplain Fox, Goose ADS. An Air Force Commendation Medal was presented to T/Sgt. Charles M Howell by Colonel Milner. Special awards were presented to Colonel Milner and T/Sgt. Lovejoy.

    Lt. Col. Edward J Kloss, Flight Surgeon, 64th Air Division visited and inspected the squadron on 7 and 8 March 1962. The results were very satisfactory.

    S/Sgt. Jack B Stegall, Unit Mail Clerk, was selected as Goose ADS Airman of the Quarter for the fourth quarter 1961. S/Sgt. Stegall was promoted 1 Feb 62.

    S/Sgt. Garrett T Burns arrived in January, AFSC 72350. This squadron had not had a personnel man for a period of 6 months.

    Operations Section:

    During this reporting period we had no gains or losses in the Officer personnel. Three NCO’s returned to the ZI. We had an input of three NCO’s. Two of these NCO’s came from SAGE sectors and one from the manual system in the ZI.

    Training continued at the usual pace during the reporting period. An ITC training program was drawn up and placed in effect during the month of March. With the projected turn-over of personnel starting in May, we will need new ITC’s on every crew by the end of July 1962.

    New SAC Strike routes were received and processed during the month of January. The TOR Team (Training NCO’s) have instructed two men from each crew in EWO traffic procedures and can be used as back-up.

    During the reporting period we participated in 4 live exercises: Big Echo Orange in January; one Big Blast mission and Big Echo Black in February and Big Echo Tac Eval in March plus the usual weekly STM’s. The mission ran smoothly from this end.

    Base Engineer Activities:

    Power Plant – All preventative maintenance cards were accomplished during this period, and all PM Cards rescinded were re-accomplished. All spare parts were ordered during this period as required. Personnel held OJT classes for the Pole Vault Military Personnel within the Pole Vault emergency power plant.

    Heating Plant – Normal maintenance and operations were performed during this period, with no major problems incurred. A Class "C" inspection was made externally while under boiler pressure, by the Canadian Marconi Company, with no discrepancies noted. All preventative maintenance cards are accomplished and are being maintained in accordance with applicable directives.

    Maintenance Shops – Programming all repair and maintenance has been stressed in order to prepare all equipment and buildings for painting during the coming summer.

    Fire Department – An inspection was made by Mr. Wheeler from Harmon AFB, with only minor discrepancies noted, which were corrected on the spot. Another inspection was programmed from Goose ADS, but was cancelled due to inclement weather, causing transportation to be delayed. Monthly training was given to all fire teams, and fire drills were held each month. A monthly fire prevention letter was initiated within the Fire Prevention Program during this quarter. All Fire Wardens and Fire Marshals Councils were held during this quarter.

    Projects – ANT Project 154-1 was completed and the final inspection was made during the month of March 1962. The concrete on one heated ramp was not satisfactory, due to improper mixing of materials and possible bad cement. A Swiss Hammer Test was performed and the concrete ramp failed to pass 3,000 pounds PSI. The ramp was rejected by the inspector and must be removed and a new one poured. This is the contractors responsibility and he is scheduled to repour the ramp in April 1962.

    Transportation:

    Commercial Transportation – Bad weather prevented maximum utilization of the EPA contract aircraft. Approximately 31 flights were made during this period and we fell further behind in our contract. Cargo, mail and personnel moved by air during this period are as follows:

    (see the matrix at the end of this report)

    Motor Pool – Normal operations and maintenance of motor vehicles were accomplished within the Motor Pool area. Snow removal was accomplished as required. The Motor Pool was completely repainted by shop personnel.

    Personnel – The was no changeover in personnel during this period. There were three TDY trips during this quarter. One was by Captain Rudat to Goose ADS, and two were for A/3C Smith to Harmon AFB for emergency dental care. S/Sgt. Brinkley arrived this office on 29 March 1962, to replace A/1C Roden, administrative section. A/2C Maynard and A/1C Roden are scheduled to depart during the latter part of April 1962.

    Communications and Electronics:

    General – During the first quarter of 1962, the Communications and Electronics Section was involved in the annual change over of personnel and their resultant unfamiliarization with equipment and facilities. Changes in overall management were extensive, from the C&E office down to the duty sections where specialized courses on equipment were necessary due to newly assigned personnel not being familiar with sets. This yearly turnover of personnel noticeably affects the efficiency of the C&E maintenance effort and could affect organizational capability to perform the assigned mission.

    Management – Some basic changes in the C&E office were made due to organizational and functional charts being incorrect. New charts were made, including an equipment status chart, which can be removed from the walls and used for staff briefings. A new staff briefing folder was prepared.

    The Maintenance Control Center became fully operational, reporting all maintenance performed to the Goose ADS MCS, twenty-four (24) hours each day. Captain McBride and M/Sgt. Gust attended training sessions on implementation of AFM 66-1 and operation of the MCC at Goose ADS and 64th Air Division. Captain McBride will replace Captain Young as Radar Maintenance Officer and MCC Project Officer.

    Operational usage of the FPS-502 back-up search radar was increased from an average of about ten (10) hours per month to approximately thirty (30) hours being scheduled. This is to insure a good operational back-up radar set being available if required. Supply had initiated a project to dispose of spares for this equipment due to no consumption data resulting from such little operational usage of this set.

    Electronics Warfare Program and Training was stepped-up by publishing a directive covering this aspect of operation, a training course being given by electronics personnel and joint operations C&E training to indoctrinate all personnel along the same policies and improve unit capability.

    Training – Mr. James Evans, newly assigned Philco Augmentation Technician, was given the project of formal classroom training for radar maintenance personnel. Classes will be conducted as indicated necessary for repeated trouble reports data from the MCC records in addition to normal OJT progression as prescribed by the JTS. Training films have been placed on order.

    Facilities – The formal siting report from GEEIA on the AN/FPS-6B Height-Finder Radar was received and forwarded through channels for approval. Coordination with maintenance and operations sections was effected regarding placement of equipment but is not an immediate problem.

    Complete overhaul of the UPA-35 scope was accomplished and the Mode II Active SIF Readout System re-worked to operational status. From the condition of the components, it is apparent that this system had never been operational on this scope.

    Section Projects – During the past quarter, the C&E section has initiated and or completed several projects.

    In the Wire Maintenance Section, a project has been initiated to clean-up and lash-up all loose and dangling telephone and inter-comm. wires throughout the squadron.

    In the Communications Center, the Public Address system has been modified so that all announcements will appear over WVNN. Also, capabilities have been established for making announcements over the PA system from any section phone.

    The Radio Maintenance has modified the mobile radio system so that the remote control unit in the Motor Pool can be used for paging. Also, the units in the vehicles have been modified so that they are turned on and off when the ignition is turned on or off. A test antenna was built as an aid in determining antenna emission at the Transceiver Site.

    In Radar Maintenance, the OJT courses were reviewed and are being brought up to date. Mr. Evans, CTS technician, is establishing and reviewing this course. The AN/FPS-502 is being operated approximately 40 hours monthly vice about 16 hours operation during the previous months. This is being done to provide better back-up capabilities by insuring the 502 is constantly in operating condition.

    Personnel – During the past quarter, Captain McBride has arrived and is assuming duties as C&E Officer and Radar Maintenance Officer. M/Sgt. Noel, C&E NCOIC, rotated in January and was replaced by M/Sgt. Clark. S/Sgt. County, Teletype Maintenance and Wire Maintenance NCOIC, rotated in March and was replaced by S/Sgt. Smith. S/Sgt. Flake, Wire Maintenance; S/Sgt. Parris, Radar Maintenance; and A/1C Smith, Radio Maintenance; S/Sgt. Smith, Teletype Maintenance; and A/1C Altman, Radio Maintenance; all were new arrivals during the past quarter. Those rotating were M/Sgt. Noel, C&E NCOIC; S/Sgt. Jacobs, Radar Maintenance; S/Sgt. County, Teletype Maintenance; S/Sgt. Vance and A/1C Hartly, Communications Center.

    Supply Section:

    S/Sgt. George K Brinkley has been transferred from 921MSS to 921IDC during the month of March 1962.

    The following actions were completed in the supply section during the first quarter of 1962:

    Personnel were shifted which made for better utilization of military and civilian personnel over a long range program. Mr. Joe Lawrence was reassigned from Unit Supply to Tech Supply as supervisor.

    Phase out of (16PT) Canadian Manufactured Electronic Spares was completed. Approximately 1500 line items excess to the Air Force were turned over to the MARS Director at Ernest Harmon AFB for possible use and residue to be turned over to the R&M Officer.

    Declaration of excess salvage equipment and materials were submitted to the R&M Officer at Ernest Harmon AFB during January 1962. We have just recently learned that these declarations will have to be reaccomplished due to new or revised forms. New forms are in the mail from the R&M Office at this time.

    The project of reaccomplishing the AF Form 84B, Stock Record Cards, is approximately 50% complete. Estimated completion date remains to be the latter part of June 1962.

    T/Sgt. Howell and S/Sgt. Laielli attended a UAL Conference at Sector Headquarters 6 through 8 February 1962. Preparation and submission of UAL Change Request were the main topic of discussions.

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    James E Gable, Major, USAF

    Signature

     

    Usage of Commercial Transportation

    Nomenclature

    Amount

    Unit

    Personnel (In)

    62

    Each

    Personnel (Out)

    62

    Each

    Mail (In)

    5,918

    Pounds

    Mail (Out)

    2,989

    Pounds

    Cargo (In)

    44,935

    Pounds

    Cargo (Out)

    12,064

    pounds