Beausejour, MB

1961 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division


Historical Report
916th AC&W Squadron
1 January 1961 to 31 March 1961

Section I

REQUIRED DATA

  1. Unit and Location

916th Squadron (ADC) Beausejour AS
18 miles NE of Beausejour, Man., Canada

  1. Name and Grade of Commander

Alvin Israel, Major

  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)
  2. During the period of this report the 916th Squadron is operationally responsible to the Grand Forks Air Defense Sector (SAGE) and the 29th Air Division (SAGE). It is logistically responsible to 4602nd Support Wing, 119 Ross Avenue, Ottawa 3, Ontario, Canada.

  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)
  • N/A

  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)
  • The 916th AC&W Squadron will operate and maintain a radar and communications facility as a Manual Air Defense Direction Center for the Air Defense of the North American continent. Authority: GFADS Regulation 24-2, 25 July 1960.

  • Personnel
  •    

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     
     

    Assigned

    13

    141

    14

    168

     
     

    Attached

    0

    0

    0

    0

     
                 
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
  • AN/FPS-3C (1); AN/FPS-502 (1); AN/FPS-6B (2); AN/GPS-T2 (1); AN/UPS-T5 (1) AN/UPA-35 (3), AN/GPX-7A (1).

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

     

    Command and Administration:

    Major Alvin Israel was the Commander during the period of this report.

    M/Sgt. Merle D Mitchell was promoted to SM/Sgt. effective 1 March 1961.

    Operations:

    This section participated in six (6) actual exercises and two (2) simulated missions requiring battle staff manning. This unit was evaluated by 29th Air Division during two (2) of the above live exercises on 27-28 January 1961. Results of the evaluation were satisfactory.

    There were 495 actual intercepts of which 427 were successful.

    During this period the AN/TPS-502 height finder radar has been replaced with two (2) AN/FPS-6B height finder radar sets.

    Personnel – Directors: Captain Harry D Logan departed PCS on 7 January 1961. Captain Lawrence B Watson reported for duty on 1 January 1961. This section lost four (4) airmen, and gained one (1) during this reporting period.

    Captain Robert J Lavis was promoted to Major effective 1 January 1961 and assumed the position of Operations Officer on that date. A/2C’s Jones and Thrasher were promoted to Airman First Class effective 1 February 1961. M/Sgt. Willie E Scott was promoted to Senior Master Sergeant effective 1 March 1961. A/3C’s Ilardi and Miller were promoted to Airman Second Class effective 1 February 1961.

    The semi-formal OJT program for 27370A was completed on 4 March 1961, and ten (10) 27350A trainees were administered the 27370A APT during the week of 6 March 1961. Test results are still pending. S/Sgt. Michael Mercurio was upgraded to 27370A on 6 January 1961. M/Sgt. H Witham was administered and successfully passed the USAF Supervisory examination.

    The Commander and Operations Officer visited the Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center and the 178th FIS 19-22 February 1961. This section received a total of twenty-three (23) cross-trainee personnel from Grand Forks ADS during February 1961.

    Airman First Class Charles P Jones and Airman Second Class Larry N Cheney were selected as Squadron Airman of the Month for February and March 1961, respectively.

    Medical:

    There has been no change in personnel or equipment.

    A Dental Team from 915th Squadron made a monthly visit the 6th of March through 1 April 1961. The team consisted of 1st Lt. Ronald Baker and A/2C Peter Tiger.

    Preventative Medicine visits from the 29th Air Division Surgeon’s Office, Malmstrom AFB during March and another from Grand Forks ADS in February. New subjective filing system was instituted in the dispensary per recommendations of 29th Air Division. The Food Service Section was commended for the sanitary condition of entire food preparation and serving area of our Dining Hall.

    Installations Section:

    A 12 foot section built to the south end of building #10 Power House B to house a new oil fired volcano boiler (150 HP) and accompanying equipment. Boiler and building was put in use February 1961 for additional buildings built on site this winter and accepted by the Air Force in March 1961.

    Supply and Transportation:

    Phase I of Project Money Tree, a screening of all UAL items to justify retention or turn into supply channels equipment surplus to the needs of this unit has been completed.

    Communications and Electronics:

    On 1 February 1961, a request for deletion of the AN/TPS-502 height finder was forwarded to Grand Forks ADS and on 3 February 1961 authority was granted to delete the above facility.

    Installation of the AN/FPS-6B radars was completed on 17 March 1961 and by 20 March the operational checks were completed. AFTO Forms 88, Installation Inspection Certificates were signed at 2300 hours, 20 March 1961 which gave the responsibility for maintenance of this equipment to the 916th Radar Maintenance Section. AFTO Form 87’s were not completed at this time due to a shortage of required test equipment.

    Mr. Jesse Austin, Philco CTS, arrived on 21 January 1961 to conduct formal class-room and OJT training of the AN/FPS-6B radar equipment.

    Grand Forks ADS operational circuit NDN 1636 was activated on 10 February 1961.

    IRAN was performed on the following equipment: (a) Teletype completed 10 March 1961. (b) Radio (G/A) completed 17 March. (c) Test equipment completed 30 March 1961.

    Plans and specifications were received for the SAGE-Telco building, SAGE Annex and the GATR building.

    The C&E office in Tower #1 was completed with minor exceptions.

    Unsatisfactory reports were prepared and submitted on the AN/FPS-6B modulator pulse forming network, ferrite, isolation reflector, CU-492A and the pulse cable all for internal arcing and deterioration.

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    A Israel, Major, USAF

    Signature