Campion Air Force Station
Encyclopedia
Campion Air Force Station (AAC ID: F-08) is a closed United States Air Force
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) east-southeast of Galena, Alaska
.
The Aircraft Control and Warning station was closed on 1 November 1983, and the site was re-designated as a Long Range Radar (LRR) Station. It remains active as part of the Alaska NORAD Region.
on Alaska. It was one of the ten original aircraft control and warning sites constructed during the early 1950s to establish a permanent air defense system in Alaska. The station was named in honor of Lieutenant Alan J. Campion, 449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
, Ladd AFB, who was killed on 26 November 1950 when the F-94 Starfire
interceptor he was flying crashed while attempting to land at nearby Galena AFB, Alaska.
Construction of the station, began in September 1950 and was completed in April 1952. The Army Transportation Corps undertook the project. The station site was located on the Yukon River, and equipment and construction material was floated by barge to a dock built on the river 64°41′11"N 156°44′45"W. Initially, there were no roads, which had to be built as part of the construction effort. Each item had to be hauled up from dock/storage area along the river, then along the newly-constructed road to the permanent station site.
The station site and radars were located behind some small hills on the west side of the river. The station consisted of a power/heating plant, water and fuel storage tanks, gymnasium and other support office buildings. Two other buildings contained living quarters, work areas, and recreational facilities plus opportunities for such sports as skiing, skating, horseshoes, and basketball. The station buildings were, except for the civil engineering building connected by heated hallways. As a result, personnel stationed there, with only very few exceptions, were able to wear "summer" uniforms year round, unless they had a need to go outside during the winter season. The coverings of the station's three radar towers were heated from within to keep the covering from becoming brittle from extreme cold, and thus subject to being damaged or destroyed by high winds. Tours at the station were limited to one year because of the psychological strain and physical hardships. A seven mile-long dirt road connected the station to the town of Galena.
Just west of the station itself, a 4,500' gravel/dirt airstrip saw air traffic only on very rare occasions. The runway at Galena AFB supported most transport flights.
The 743d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, activated in April 1952 operated AN/TPS-1D, AN/FPS-3S, AN/FPS-6, AN/FPS-20, and AN/FPS-6B radars. Champion AFS operated as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft deployed to the forward operating base at Galena AFB toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes. In March 1953, the Manual Air Defense Direction Center (MCC) at Murphy Dome AFS near Fairbanks
exercised control over Champion's radars where the data was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile.
Over the years, the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars. In 1983, Campion AFS was closed when Galena Airport received a new AN/FPS-117
minimally attended radar 64°44′30"N 156°57′26"W. under Alaskan Air Command's Seek Igloo program . It was designed to transmit aircraft tracking data via satellite to the Alaskan NORAD Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC) at Elmendorf AFB. No longer needed, the 743d ACWS was inactivated on l November l983 and the new radar at Galena designated as Galena Long Range Radar Site (A-05).
In 1990, jurisdiction of the Galena LRR Site was transferred to Eleventh Air Force with the re-designation of AAC. The Galena LRR Site was subsequently inactivated by AAC in March 1994.
n 1998 Pacific Air Forces initiated "Operation Clean Sweep", in which abandoned Cold War stations in Alaska were remediated and the land restored to its previous state. After years of neglect the facilities at former Campion Air Force Station had lost any value they had when the site was closed. The site remediation of the radar and support station was carried out by the 611th Civil Engineering Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, and remediation work was completed by 2005.
Today it is apparently being used as a landfill for the town of Galena.
Assignments:
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 6.4 miles (10.3 km) east-southeast of Galena, Alaska
Galena, Alaska
Galena is the largest city in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2000 census the population was 675.-History:...
.
The Aircraft Control and Warning station was closed on 1 November 1983, and the site was re-designated as a Long Range Radar (LRR) Station. It remains active as part of the Alaska NORAD Region.
History
Campion AFS was a continental defence radar station constructed to provide the United States Air Force early warning of an attack by the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on Alaska. It was one of the ten original aircraft control and warning sites constructed during the early 1950s to establish a permanent air defense system in Alaska. The station was named in honor of Lieutenant Alan J. Campion, 449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
The 449th Fighter Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 11th Air Division stationed at Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska. It was inactivated on August 25, 1960.-History:...
, Ladd AFB, who was killed on 26 November 1950 when the F-94 Starfire
F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
interceptor he was flying crashed while attempting to land at nearby Galena AFB, Alaska.
Construction of the station, began in September 1950 and was completed in April 1952. The Army Transportation Corps undertook the project. The station site was located on the Yukon River, and equipment and construction material was floated by barge to a dock built on the river 64°41′11"N 156°44′45"W. Initially, there were no roads, which had to be built as part of the construction effort. Each item had to be hauled up from dock/storage area along the river, then along the newly-constructed road to the permanent station site.
The station site and radars were located behind some small hills on the west side of the river. The station consisted of a power/heating plant, water and fuel storage tanks, gymnasium and other support office buildings. Two other buildings contained living quarters, work areas, and recreational facilities plus opportunities for such sports as skiing, skating, horseshoes, and basketball. The station buildings were, except for the civil engineering building connected by heated hallways. As a result, personnel stationed there, with only very few exceptions, were able to wear "summer" uniforms year round, unless they had a need to go outside during the winter season. The coverings of the station's three radar towers were heated from within to keep the covering from becoming brittle from extreme cold, and thus subject to being damaged or destroyed by high winds. Tours at the station were limited to one year because of the psychological strain and physical hardships. A seven mile-long dirt road connected the station to the town of Galena.
Just west of the station itself, a 4,500' gravel/dirt airstrip saw air traffic only on very rare occasions. The runway at Galena AFB supported most transport flights.
The 743d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, activated in April 1952 operated AN/TPS-1D, AN/FPS-3S, AN/FPS-6, AN/FPS-20, and AN/FPS-6B radars. Champion AFS operated as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft deployed to the forward operating base at Galena AFB toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes. In March 1953, the Manual Air Defense Direction Center (MCC) at Murphy Dome AFS near Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
exercised control over Champion's radars where the data was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile.
Over the years, the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars. In 1983, Campion AFS was closed when Galena Airport received a new AN/FPS-117
AN/FPS-117
The AN/FPS-117 is a phased array, 3-dimensional air search radar. It is produced by the Lockheed Martin corporation from the United States.The system is a low power, long range , L-band pencil beam, solid-state transmitter and beacon interrogator search radar...
minimally attended radar 64°44′30"N 156°57′26"W. under Alaskan Air Command's Seek Igloo program . It was designed to transmit aircraft tracking data via satellite to the Alaskan NORAD Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC) at Elmendorf AFB. No longer needed, the 743d ACWS was inactivated on l November l983 and the new radar at Galena designated as Galena Long Range Radar Site (A-05).
In 1990, jurisdiction of the Galena LRR Site was transferred to Eleventh Air Force with the re-designation of AAC. The Galena LRR Site was subsequently inactivated by AAC in March 1994.
n 1998 Pacific Air Forces initiated "Operation Clean Sweep", in which abandoned Cold War stations in Alaska were remediated and the land restored to its previous state. After years of neglect the facilities at former Campion Air Force Station had lost any value they had when the site was closed. The site remediation of the radar and support station was carried out by the 611th Civil Engineering Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, and remediation work was completed by 2005.
Today it is apparently being used as a landfill for the town of Galena.
Air Force units and assignments
Units:- 743d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1952–1983
- OL AM, 5059th Air Postal Squadron
Assignments:
- 11th Air Division