Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force
base. It is located 17.7 miles (28.5 km) south of Kansas City, Missouri
. It was closed in 1994.
Opened in 1941 as a civil airport, Grandview Airport was used by both the Army Air Forces and the United States Navy
during World War II
as an overflow training airfield for Sedalia Army Airfield and Naval Air Station Olathe
beginning in March 1944. The airport was acquired by the Army Air Forces Continental Air Forces, becoming an entirely military installation in February 1945. It later became a major United States Air Force base during the Cold War
.
(1894–1918) and Lieutenant Colonel Arthur William Gebaur Jr.
(1919–1952). Lieutenant Richards's Nieuport
was shot down on 26 September 1918 during an artillery surveillance mission on the first day of the World War I
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
.
Prior to its renaming in 1957, the facility was designated Grandview Airport from the date of its acquisition by the Army Air Forces in March 1944, then Grandview Air Force Base beginning on 1 October 1942.
, the United States Army Air Forces
I Troop Carrier Command
built a facility on part of the airfield in 1944 which was used as a sub-base for Sedalia AAF (later Whiteman Air Force Base
) for overflow traffic and training uses. The United States Navy also used the airport as an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) to Nas Olathe, Kansas where aviators were trained for carrier operations.
The main USAAF unit at Grandview Airport was the 813th AAF Base Unit. After the war, the AAF facility was turned over to Continental Air Forces with C-46 Commando
s occasionally using the field until it was closed in November 1945. The airfield was declared surplus on 13 December 1945 and was transferred to Army Division Engineers on 1 March 1946 for disposal.
military buildup, Grandview Airport was leased by the United States Air Force
on 1 January 1952. After some construction and upgrading of facilities, Grandview Air Force Base was opened on 1 October 1952, with the 4610th Air Base Squadron being the base operating unit (operating from Fairfax Field
in Kansas City
, Kansas
). No military personnel were assigned prior to 1954 while major construction took place of runways, taxiways, aprons and support facilities.
s, assigned to the 33d Air Division and equipped with F-86D Sabre interceptors. The 326th upgraded to the F-102 Delta Dagger
in 1957, and inactivated on 2 January 1967. Also in March 1954, the ADC Central Air Defense Force
(CADF), a command and control organization established its headquarters at Grandview AFB, and the 20th Air Division activated its headquarters on 8 October.
Early in 1955, additional units were stationed at Grandview. The 442d Air Base Group assumed the base support function of the provisional 4767th ADG; the 328th FIS came under the command of the 328th Fighter Group, which controlled the interceptor squadrons at the base until inactivating in July 1968. The 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron arrived January 1967 from Selfridge AFB, Michigan with the F-106 Delta Dart
, also inactivating in July 1968.
The C-46 Commando
-equipped 442d Troop Carrier Wing was activated as a reserve unit under Continental Air Command
Tenth Air Force
. The 442d provided logistical support for CADF and later ADC units at Grandview (later Richards-Gebaur) Air Force Base for the next 25 years, upgrading to C-119 Flying Boxcar
s in 1957; C-123 Provider
s in 1961 and C-130 Hercules
transports in 1971 until its inactivation in 1982. The ADC provisional 4650th Air Transport Squadron (later designated 4650th Combat Support Squadron) was established on 1 September 1959, providing active-duty personnel to the logistics mission for ADC at Richards-Gebaur. The 4650th operated the C-118 Liftmasters for personnel transport as well as C-123 Provider
s and C-119 Flying Boxcar
s from Detachments located at Stewart AFB, New York and Hamilton AFB, California. The 4650th inactivated on 31 July 1972.
In 1957, the next major organization to activate at Richards-Gebaur was the 4620th Air Defense Group. This was a training organization for the forthcoming ADC Semi Automatic Ground Environment
(SAGE) system, to train operators and command personnel. Between May 1957 and June 1962, the 4620th ADG trained over 7,000 personnel in the use of SAGE system gear in all 22 ADC sectors planned in the United States and Canada. Its mission was completed with the last sector going operational and each sector assuming the training mission. The manual control center (MCC-2) used operators in the control center. They used the information to move markers on a large operational map, representing aircraft MCC-2 was commanded by the Kansas City Air Defense Sector
(Manual) (KCADS) until its inactivation on 1 January 1962
The SAGE environment expanded in 1961 with the transfer from Malmstrom AFB, Montana of the 29th Air Division (SAGE), and the activation of the computerized SAGE Data Center DC-08. SAGE used massive AN/FSQ-7
computers to combine reports sent in via teletype linked radar stations to produce a picture of all of the air traffic in a particular "sector"s area. The information was then displayed on terminals in the building, allowing operators to pick defensive assets (fighters and missiles) to be directed onto the target simply by selecting them on the terminal. In addition to the Data Center, Richards-Gebaur, Combat Center (CC-06) operated from the SAGE blockhouse.
The 29th AD was moved to Duluth AFS, Minnesota on 1 April 1966, SAGE operations remained under Tenth Air Force
/Headquarters Central NORAD Region until being inactivated on 31 December 1969 when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down many SAGE Data Centers.
As the threat of Soviet air attack diminished during the 1960s, the Air Defense presence at Richards-Gebaur was reduced. The inactivation of the 328th Fighter Group in July 1968 and the closure of DC-08/CC-06 in 1969 effectively ended the use of the base by the re-designated Aerospace Defense Command.
At Richards-Gebaur, HQ AFCS established directorates to undertake hundreds of communications projects. These included microwave and cable modernization programs; improved tropospheric scatter transmission systems; high frequency transmission upgrades; solid-state electronics equipment renewal and upgrading of satellite communications equipment. In 1977, the first operational use was made of the global Air Force Satellite Communications System, designed to carry all Air Force communications via satellite links to and from anywhere in the world.
Beginning in 1978, HQ AFCS was given responsibility for the design, operation and maintenance of Air Force automated data processing systems. The Air Force Chief of Staff directed the integration of the communications, data automation and office automation disciplines Air Force-wide to take advantage of the then-emerging technologies. AFCS undertook major efforts to plan replacement of older early 1960s computer systems in base support functions such as supply, maintenance, personnel and finance.
During the 1970s, the 1801st Air Base Wing was the non-flying host unit at Richards-Gebaur. Established on 1 October 1970, it was inactivated and replaced on 1 October 1977. Military Airlift Command
established a presence on the base with the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing in 1970; the 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Flight in 1974, and several Mobile Aerial Port Squadrons for deployment around the world.
Operational control of the base was turned over to the Air Force Reserve 1607th Air Base Group on 1 October 1977. HQ AFCS moved to Scott Air Force Base
, Illinois
on 1 October 1980, with jurisdictional control being turned over to AFRES.
(MATS), later Military Airlift Command
(MAC), begin using the base in 1955 as a reserve troop carrier unit facility under the auspices of the 2472nd Air Force Reserve Training Wing. C-119 Flying Boxcar
s and later C-124 Globemaster cargo and transport aircraft were flown by the 442d Troop Carrier (Later: the 442d Air Transport Wing / Military Airlift Wing / Tactical Airlift Wing)and assigned 935th Troop Carrier / Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Group / 303d Troop Carrier / Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Squadron and 936th Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Group / 304th Troop Carrier / Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Squadron until being transitioned to a fighter unit. MAC assumed control of the base in 1977 442nd TAW / 935th TAG - 303d TAS and the 936th TAG - 304th TAS to the base for training in flying C-130 Hercules
aircraft.
aircraft and became operationally-gained by Tactical Air Command
(TAC) as the 442d Tactical Fighter Wing
(442 TFW). Prior to the 442d's transition to the A-10, the wing also supported the 901st Tactical Airlift Group, which later moved to Peterson Air Force Base, being re-designated as the 302d Tactical Airlift Wing in 1985. In 1992, as part of an Air Force-wide reorganization, the 442d was renamed the 442d Fighter Wing
(442 FW) and became operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
(ACC).United States Air Force Reserve Colonel Garey M. Reeves, most recently the Commander of Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base and the 442nd Combat Support Group located there. Colonel Reeves became Commander of Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base on October 1, 1980. Under his command Richards-Gebaur was extensively remodeled and upgraded, modified for use as a shared facility with the Kansas City, Missouri Aviation Department and hosted numerous highly successful "Operation Handshake" programs, all while maintaining the combat readiness status of his command. As part of a Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) decision to close Richards-Gebaur ARS, the 442 FW began transferring to its current home of Whiteman AFB, Missouri in 1993 and the last military aircraft departed Richards-Gebaur ARS on 12 June 1994, ending military use of Richards-Gebaur.
Today, many of the remaining buildings of the former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base are occupied by private companies and some of the former Officer's Housing areas are being utilized by the Marine Corps. The former Base Exchange building is now an Army Reserve Center.
After a Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) memo in the early 1960s declared that the city's Kansas City Downtown Airport
was the most unsafe major airport in the country, the city considered relocating its main airport to Richards-Gebaur. However, the city government ended up relocating the facility north of the city at Kansas City International Airport
.
Between 1983 and 1997 the city of Kansas City lost $18 million operating Richards-Gebaur Memorial airport and in 1998, the Federal Aviation Authority approved a plan to close the airport. In 2001 the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision to close the airport in a suit brought by Friends of Richards-Gebaur Airport of Grandview, Missouri
.
The former airport is now used as the Kansas City SmartPort
for Kansas City Southern Railroad to ship cargo to and from Mexico
. Several businesses, in major agreement with the City of Kansas City and the State of Missouri, are removing the old runway and facilities and building a large truck-to-rail freight center, with above-ground and underground storage. The CenterPoint-Kansas City Southern Intermodal Center will cover 1340 acres (5.4 km²) of rail and industrial space. Phase I of the project will include 4500000 square feet (418,063.7 m²) of covered industrial warehouses and distribution centers. Developer CenterPoint Properties of Chicago bought the property from the Port Authority of Kansas City, which still owns 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and with Hunt Midwest Enterprises, Inc., will mine limestone and create underground storage spaces. Major transportation companies include Kansas City Southern railway and Schneider National, Inc., a truck line. Kansas City Southern's main line runs from the intermodal center at Richards-Gebaur all the way to a deep-sea Pacific port at Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. The first phase is expected to cost $250M and when complete will be able to handle up to 250,000 shipping containers per year.http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/11/17/focus23.html
The main user of the base is the United States Army Reserve
's 308th Tactical Psychological Operations Company, the Army Reserve Center, as well as the United States Marine Corps
' Mobilization Command. The Army and Marines have upgraded the buildings they use, as well as constructing new facilities. The Army Reserve Center occupied the building that was the brand new Base Exchange (BX), which was only open for military personnel for a very short time before the base lost its primary active duty status.
Richards-Gebaur AFB was a very nice well kept facility with modern updates including new Base Exchange prior to 1976. The golf course had been expanded and was top grade. The base even had a saddle club that included the best arena in the southern KC area. The RG Saddle Club was host to many horse shows and events including the Golden Circle Horse Show circuit. With a youth center and even an airman's club the base had a lot to offer to the active duty personnel their families and the retired that lived in the area.
Today the facility is essentially abandoned, with the buildings and flightline in a deteriorating state. Many of the Air Force buildings such as the Officers and NCO Clubs, the Commissary, Hospital, Base Theater, Wing Headquarters buildings and some housing units have been completely demolished and removed.
Most of the old ADC facilities still exist (including the SAGE
block-house), the alert hangars and pads remain, although the runway and taxiways are deteriorating. Many of the old hangars have been torn down for the new rail-to-truck freight center, and portions of the runway are slowly being removed as rails are installed.
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...
base. It is located 17.7 miles (28.5 km) south of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. It was closed in 1994.
Opened in 1941 as a civil airport, Grandview Airport was used by both the Army Air Forces and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as an overflow training airfield for Sedalia Army Airfield and Naval Air Station Olathe
Naval Air Station Olathe
Naval Air Station Olathe is a former United States Navy base located in Gardner, Kansas. On its grounds at one point was Olathe Air Force Station...
beginning in March 1944. The airport was acquired by the Army Air Forces Continental Air Forces, becoming an entirely military installation in February 1945. It later became a major United States Air Force base during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
History
Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base was named on 27 April 1957 in honor of Kansas City natives 1st Lieutenant John Francisco Richards IIJohn Francisco Richards II
John Francisco Richards II was a first lieutenant in the 1st Aero Squadron, who was shot down during Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I....
(1894–1918) and Lieutenant Colonel Arthur William Gebaur Jr.
Arthur William Gebaur Jr.
Arthur William Gebaur Jr. was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for action in the war. The Air Force named Grandview Air Force Base Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in his honor.Gebaur was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Northeast High School in 1936...
(1919–1952). Lieutenant Richards's Nieuport
Nieuport
Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...
was shot down on 26 September 1918 during an artillery surveillance mission on the first day of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
.
Prior to its renaming in 1957, the facility was designated Grandview Airport from the date of its acquisition by the Army Air Forces in March 1944, then Grandview Air Force Base beginning on 1 October 1942.
World War II
The City of Kansas City built Grandview Airport (IATA code GVW) in 1941. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
I Troop Carrier Command
I Troop Carrier Command
The I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
built a facility on part of the airfield in 1944 which was used as a sub-base for Sedalia AAF (later Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately south of Knob Noster, Missouri; east-southeast of Kansas City, Missouri....
) for overflow traffic and training uses. The United States Navy also used the airport as an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) to Nas Olathe, Kansas where aviators were trained for carrier operations.
The main USAAF unit at Grandview Airport was the 813th AAF Base Unit. After the war, the AAF facility was turned over to Continental Air Forces with C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
s occasionally using the field until it was closed in November 1945. The airfield was declared surplus on 13 December 1945 and was transferred to Army Division Engineers on 1 March 1946 for disposal.
United States Air Force
As a result of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
military buildup, Grandview Airport was leased by the United States Air Force
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...
on 1 January 1952. After some construction and upgrading of facilities, Grandview Air Force Base was opened on 1 October 1952, with the 4610th Air Base Squadron being the base operating unit (operating from Fairfax Field
Fairfax Airport
Fairfax Airport was an airport in Kansas City, Kansas from 1921 until it closed in 1985. It is most famously associated with the construction of most of the B-25 Mitchell bombers....
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
). No military personnel were assigned prior to 1954 while major construction took place of runways, taxiways, aprons and support facilities.
Air Defense Command
Beneficial occupancy of Grandview AFB began on 16 February 1954 when the provisional 4676th Air Defense Group was activated by Air Defense Command on the new base. The 4676th ADG's mission was the management of the station facilities, commanding the Air Base squadron, Material and Supply squadrons, Infirmary and other support units. Shortly afterwards, in March 1954 the first operational flying unit arrived, the 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 328th Fighter Wing stationed at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri. It was inactivated on 2 January 1967.-History:...
s, assigned to the 33d Air Division and equipped with F-86D Sabre interceptors. The 326th upgraded to the F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
in 1957, and inactivated on 2 January 1967. Also in March 1954, the ADC Central Air Defense Force
Central Air Defense Force
The Central Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. It was deactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
(CADF), a command and control organization established its headquarters at Grandview AFB, and the 20th Air Division activated its headquarters on 8 October.
Early in 1955, additional units were stationed at Grandview. The 442d Air Base Group assumed the base support function of the provisional 4767th ADG; the 328th FIS came under the command of the 328th Fighter Group, which controlled the interceptor squadrons at the base until inactivating in July 1968. The 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron arrived January 1967 from Selfridge AFB, Michigan with the F-106 Delta Dart
F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
, also inactivating in July 1968.
The C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
-equipped 442d Troop Carrier Wing was activated as a reserve unit under Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
. The 442d provided logistical support for CADF and later ADC units at Grandview (later Richards-Gebaur) Air Force Base for the next 25 years, upgrading to C-119 Flying Boxcar
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
s in 1957; C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
s in 1961 and C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
transports in 1971 until its inactivation in 1982. The ADC provisional 4650th Air Transport Squadron (later designated 4650th Combat Support Squadron) was established on 1 September 1959, providing active-duty personnel to the logistics mission for ADC at Richards-Gebaur. The 4650th operated the C-118 Liftmasters for personnel transport as well as C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
s and C-119 Flying Boxcar
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
s from Detachments located at Stewart AFB, New York and Hamilton AFB, California. The 4650th inactivated on 31 July 1972.
In 1957, the next major organization to activate at Richards-Gebaur was the 4620th Air Defense Group. This was a training organization for the forthcoming ADC Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) system, to train operators and command personnel. Between May 1957 and June 1962, the 4620th ADG trained over 7,000 personnel in the use of SAGE system gear in all 22 ADC sectors planned in the United States and Canada. Its mission was completed with the last sector going operational and each sector assuming the training mission. The manual control center (MCC-2) used operators in the control center. They used the information to move markers on a large operational map, representing aircraft MCC-2 was commanded by the Kansas City Air Defense Sector
Kansas City Air Defense Sector
The Kansas City Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 29th Air Division, being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri...
(Manual) (KCADS) until its inactivation on 1 January 1962
The SAGE environment expanded in 1961 with the transfer from Malmstrom AFB, Montana of the 29th Air Division (SAGE), and the activation of the computerized SAGE Data Center DC-08. SAGE used massive AN/FSQ-7
AN/FSQ-7
The AN/FSQ-7 was a computer model developed and built in the 1950s by IBM in partnership with the US Air Force. Fifty-two were built and used for command and control functions for the Semi Automatic Ground Environment air-defense system...
computers to combine reports sent in via teletype linked radar stations to produce a picture of all of the air traffic in a particular "sector"s area. The information was then displayed on terminals in the building, allowing operators to pick defensive assets (fighters and missiles) to be directed onto the target simply by selecting them on the terminal. In addition to the Data Center, Richards-Gebaur, Combat Center (CC-06) operated from the SAGE blockhouse.
The 29th AD was moved to Duluth AFS, Minnesota on 1 April 1966, SAGE operations remained under Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
/Headquarters Central NORAD Region until being inactivated on 31 December 1969 when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down many SAGE Data Centers.
As the threat of Soviet air attack diminished during the 1960s, the Air Defense presence at Richards-Gebaur was reduced. The inactivation of the 328th Fighter Group in July 1968 and the closure of DC-08/CC-06 in 1969 effectively ended the use of the base by the re-designated Aerospace Defense Command.
Air Force Communications Service
On 1 July 1970, the base was transferred over to the Air Force Communications Service (AFCS), with HQ AFCS establishing its headquarters on the base. On that same date, AFCS was merged with the Air Force Ground Equipment Engineering and Installation Agency (GEEIA).At Richards-Gebaur, HQ AFCS established directorates to undertake hundreds of communications projects. These included microwave and cable modernization programs; improved tropospheric scatter transmission systems; high frequency transmission upgrades; solid-state electronics equipment renewal and upgrading of satellite communications equipment. In 1977, the first operational use was made of the global Air Force Satellite Communications System, designed to carry all Air Force communications via satellite links to and from anywhere in the world.
Beginning in 1978, HQ AFCS was given responsibility for the design, operation and maintenance of Air Force automated data processing systems. The Air Force Chief of Staff directed the integration of the communications, data automation and office automation disciplines Air Force-wide to take advantage of the then-emerging technologies. AFCS undertook major efforts to plan replacement of older early 1960s computer systems in base support functions such as supply, maintenance, personnel and finance.
During the 1970s, the 1801st Air Base Wing was the non-flying host unit at Richards-Gebaur. Established on 1 October 1970, it was inactivated and replaced on 1 October 1977. Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
established a presence on the base with the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing in 1970; the 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Flight in 1974, and several Mobile Aerial Port Squadrons for deployment around the world.
Operational control of the base was turned over to the Air Force Reserve 1607th Air Base Group on 1 October 1977. HQ AFCS moved to Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on 1 October 1980, with jurisdictional control being turned over to AFRES.
Military Airlift Command
Along with the Air Defense and Communications mission, the Military Air Transport ServiceMilitary Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
(MATS), later Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
(MAC), begin using the base in 1955 as a reserve troop carrier unit facility under the auspices of the 2472nd Air Force Reserve Training Wing. C-119 Flying Boxcar
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
s and later C-124 Globemaster cargo and transport aircraft were flown by the 442d Troop Carrier (Later: the 442d Air Transport Wing / Military Airlift Wing / Tactical Airlift Wing)and assigned 935th Troop Carrier / Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Group / 303d Troop Carrier / Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Squadron and 936th Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Group / 304th Troop Carrier / Air Transport / Military Airlift / Tactical Airlift Squadron until being transitioned to a fighter unit. MAC assumed control of the base in 1977 442nd TAW / 935th TAG - 303d TAS and the 936th TAG - 304th TAS to the base for training in flying C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
aircraft.
Air Force Reserve
On 1 October 1980, MAC turned over Richards-Gebaur to the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) and its 442d Tactical Airlift Wing (442 TAW) tactical airlift mission, transitioned to the A-10 Thunderbolt IIA-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
aircraft and became operationally-gained by Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) as the 442d Tactical Fighter Wing
442d Fighter Wing
The 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command fighter wing, operationally-gained by Air Combat Command . It is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri...
(442 TFW). Prior to the 442d's transition to the A-10, the wing also supported the 901st Tactical Airlift Group, which later moved to Peterson Air Force Base, being re-designated as the 302d Tactical Airlift Wing in 1985. In 1992, as part of an Air Force-wide reorganization, the 442d was renamed the 442d Fighter Wing
442d Fighter Wing
The 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command fighter wing, operationally-gained by Air Combat Command . It is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri...
(442 FW) and became operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC).United States Air Force Reserve Colonel Garey M. Reeves, most recently the Commander of Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base and the 442nd Combat Support Group located there. Colonel Reeves became Commander of Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base on October 1, 1980. Under his command Richards-Gebaur was extensively remodeled and upgraded, modified for use as a shared facility with the Kansas City, Missouri Aviation Department and hosted numerous highly successful "Operation Handshake" programs, all while maintaining the combat readiness status of his command. As part of a Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
(BRAC) decision to close Richards-Gebaur ARS, the 442 FW began transferring to its current home of Whiteman AFB, Missouri in 1993 and the last military aircraft departed Richards-Gebaur ARS on 12 June 1994, ending military use of Richards-Gebaur.
Major commands to which assigned
- I Troop Carrier CommandI Troop Carrier CommandThe I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
, February 1945 - Continental Air Forces, 16 April 1945-1 March 1946
- Air Defense Command, 1 January 1952
- Redesignated : Aerospace Defense CommandAerospace Defense CommandAerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
, 15 January 1968- Air Force Communications Service, 1 July 1970
- Military Airlift CommandMilitary Airlift CommandThe Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
, 1 October 1977 - Air Force Reserve, 1 October 1980 - 30 June 1994
Major units assigned
- 4676th Air Defense Group, 16 February 1954 - 18 August 1955
- HQ, Central Air Defense ForceCentral Air Defense ForceThe Central Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri. It was deactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
, 24 February 1954 - 1 July 1960 - Kansas City Air Defense Sector (Manual), 1 January 1960 - 1 January 1962
- 20th Air Division (Defense), 8 October 1955-1 January 1960
- 442d Troop Carrier (later Air Transport, Military Airlift, later Tactical Airlift) Wing442d Fighter WingThe 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command fighter wing, operationally-gained by Air Combat Command . It is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri...
, 3 April 1955-1 October 1982 - 4620th Air Defense Group (SAGE - Programing & Training), 8 May 1957 - 15 December 1958 : Redesignated as the 4606th Air Defense Group (SAGE - Programing & Training), 15 December 1958 - 25 June 1962
- 4660th Support Squadron (SAGE), 25 June 1962 - 31 December 1969
- 4650th Combat Support Squadron, 1 September 1959 - 31 July 1972
- 4715th Ground Observer Squadron, 8 October 1955 - ca: 1 March 1959
- 50th Communications Squadron (Air Force), 24 February 1954 - 1 January 1960
- 33d Air Division (SAGE), 1 January 1960 - 1 July 1961
- 935th Troop Carrier, 935th Air Transport, 935th Military Airlift, 935th Tactical Airlift Group, 17 January 1963 - 1 November 1974
- 303d Troop Carrier, 303d Air Transport, 303d Military Airlift, 303d Tactical Airlift Squadron
- 936th Troop Carrier, 936th Air Transport, 936th Military Airlift, 936th Tactical Airlift Group, 17 January 1963 - 30 November 1974
- 304th Troop Carrier, 304th Air Transport, 304th Military Airlift, 304th Tactical Airlift Squadron
- HQ, Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 1 April 1966 - 31 December 1969 - 123d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing123d Airlift WingThe 123d Airlift Wing is a Kentucky Air National Guard unit, part of the United States Air Force. It is located at Louisville International Airport, Kentucky.-History:...
, 1968–1969 - 4676th Air Base Group, 18 July 1968 - 1 July 1970
- Redesignated: 1840th Air Base Wing, 1 July 1970 - 31 December 1978
- 1607th Air Base Group, 1 October 1977 - 9 October 1978
- Redesignated: 1607th Air Base Squadron, 9 October 1978 - 1 October 1980
- 442d Combat Support Group, 1 October 1980 - 30 June 1994
- 328th Fighter Group (Air Defense)328th Armament Systems WingThe 328th Armament Systems Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.Currently the wing reports to the Air Armament Center, part of Air Material Command....
, 18 August 1955 - 1 February 1961 (Consolidated with the 328th Fighter Wing (Air Defense)328th Armament Systems WingThe 328th Armament Systems Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.Currently the wing reports to the Air Armament Center, part of Air Material Command....
, 1 February 1961 - 18 July 1968
- 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron326th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 328th Fighter Wing stationed at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri. It was inactivated on 2 January 1967.-History:...
(1954-1967) (F-86D, F-102) - 65th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron65th Aggressor SquadronThe 65th Aggressor Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group and stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
(1957-1958)- 328th Fighter Wing (Air Defense)328th Armament Systems WingThe 328th Armament Systems Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.Currently the wing reports to the Air Armament Center, part of Air Material Command....
, 1 February 1961 - 18 July 1968
- 328th Fighter Wing (Air Defense)
- 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron326th Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 328th Fighter Wing stationed at Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri. It was inactivated on 2 January 1967.-History:...
(1961-1967) (F-102) - 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron71st Fighter SquadronThe 71st Fighter Squadron was a squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 1st Operations Group of the 1st Fighter Wing, and stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. The squadron is equipped with the F-15C Eagle, the last squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing to fly the...
(1967-1968) (F-106)- 442d Fighter Wing442d Fighter WingThe 442d Fighter Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command fighter wing, operationally-gained by Air Combat Command . It is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri...
, 1955 - 1994 (A-10)*
- 442d Fighter Wing
- *Previously designated as 442d Tactical Fighter Wing (A-10), 442d Tactical Airlift Wing (C-130), 442d Military Airlift Wing (C-124) and 442d Air Transport Wing (C-124), 442d Troop Carrier Wing (C-119)
Civil use after 1994
After a Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) memo in the early 1960s declared that the city's Kansas City Downtown Airport
Kansas City Downtown Airport
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport , also known as Kansas City Downtown Airport, is a public airport located in Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri, United States. This airport is publicly owned by City of Kansas City.-History:...
was the most unsafe major airport in the country, the city considered relocating its main airport to Richards-Gebaur. However, the city government ended up relocating the facility north of the city at Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport...
.
Between 1983 and 1997 the city of Kansas City lost $18 million operating Richards-Gebaur Memorial airport and in 1998, the Federal Aviation Authority approved a plan to close the airport. In 2001 the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision to close the airport in a suit brought by Friends of Richards-Gebaur Airport of Grandview, Missouri
Grandview, Missouri
Grandview is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 24,475 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Grandview is located at , along U.S...
.
The former airport is now used as the Kansas City SmartPort
Kansas City SmartPort
Kansas City SmartPort is an economic development group for the existing logistics industry in Kansas City and the attraction of logistics investments in the Kansas City Region...
for Kansas City Southern Railroad to ship cargo to and from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Several businesses, in major agreement with the City of Kansas City and the State of Missouri, are removing the old runway and facilities and building a large truck-to-rail freight center, with above-ground and underground storage. The CenterPoint-Kansas City Southern Intermodal Center will cover 1340 acres (5.4 km²) of rail and industrial space. Phase I of the project will include 4500000 square feet (418,063.7 m²) of covered industrial warehouses and distribution centers. Developer CenterPoint Properties of Chicago bought the property from the Port Authority of Kansas City, which still owns 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and with Hunt Midwest Enterprises, Inc., will mine limestone and create underground storage spaces. Major transportation companies include Kansas City Southern railway and Schneider National, Inc., a truck line. Kansas City Southern's main line runs from the intermodal center at Richards-Gebaur all the way to a deep-sea Pacific port at Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. The first phase is expected to cost $250M and when complete will be able to handle up to 250,000 shipping containers per year.http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2008/11/17/focus23.html
The main user of the base is the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
's 308th Tactical Psychological Operations Company, the Army Reserve Center, as well as the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
' Mobilization Command. The Army and Marines have upgraded the buildings they use, as well as constructing new facilities. The Army Reserve Center occupied the building that was the brand new Base Exchange (BX), which was only open for military personnel for a very short time before the base lost its primary active duty status.
Richards-Gebaur AFB was a very nice well kept facility with modern updates including new Base Exchange prior to 1976. The golf course had been expanded and was top grade. The base even had a saddle club that included the best arena in the southern KC area. The RG Saddle Club was host to many horse shows and events including the Golden Circle Horse Show circuit. With a youth center and even an airman's club the base had a lot to offer to the active duty personnel their families and the retired that lived in the area.
Today the facility is essentially abandoned, with the buildings and flightline in a deteriorating state. Many of the Air Force buildings such as the Officers and NCO Clubs, the Commissary, Hospital, Base Theater, Wing Headquarters buildings and some housing units have been completely demolished and removed.
Most of the old ADC facilities still exist (including the SAGE
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
block-house), the alert hangars and pads remain, although the runway and taxiways are deteriorating. Many of the old hangars have been torn down for the new rail-to-truck freight center, and portions of the runway are slowly being removed as rails are installed.
See also
- Missouri World War II Army AirfieldsMissouri World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Missouri for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- 7th Psychological Operations Group (United States)7th Psychological Operations Group (United States)The 7th Psychological Operations Group is a psychological operations unit of the United States Army Reserve. Organized in 1965, it was a successor to United States Army Broadcasting and Visual Activity, Pacific. It is currently based at Moffett Field, California.Constituted 19 August 1965 in the...
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations