425th MUNS (USAF)

The 425th Munitions Maintenance Squadron was activated on 5 March 1964. As a result of Air Defence Command Special Order G-79 dated 17 July 1964, the 425th MUNMS was organized on 1 October 1964. The squadron was formed to provide "Custodial and Maintenance functions for US material in Canada". The US materials in question were, in fact, the nuclear or "special weapons" warheads for the CF-101 launched Douglas AIR-2 Genie rockets, also known as the MB-2, and the Boeing-built CIM-10B/99B Bomarc Surface to Air Missiles.

The Squadron was originally assigned to the 26th Air Division and was stationed at Stewart AFB, New York. The majority of the squadron personnel were stationed in Canada at six detachments spread throughout the country. While the unit personnel were assigned to a respective RCAF Station, they actually worked with specific squadrons at each station. Detachment 1 was located at RCAF Station North Bay and worked with No. 446 Surface-to-Air Missile Squadron. Detachment 2 was at La Macaza and worked with No 447 Surface-to-Air Missile Squadron. In the case of Det 1 and 2, the 425th MUNMS personnel worked with the CIM-10B/99B Bomarcs. Detachment 3, located at RCAF Station Bagotville, operated with No. 425 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron, while Detachment 4 at RCAF Station Chatham worked with No. 416 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron. RCAF Station Comox was the host of Detachment 5 which operated with No. 409 All-Weather (Fighter) Squadron. Detachment 6 was located at RCAF Station Bagotville Detachment Val d'Or. There they worked with the deployed elements of No. 425 AW (F) Squadron.

By the end of July 1972, the warheads for the Bomarcs had been returned pending the standing down of Nos. 446 and 447 Squadrons. With the departure of the weapons, Detachments 1 and 2 were disbanded. That same year, the headquarters element of the squadron moved from Richards-Gebaur AFB, to which they had moved in 1969 from Stewart AFB, to Ent AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The squadron was redesignated as the 425th Munitions Support Squadron (425th MUNS) on 1 January 1974. The unit again moved in 1976 when Ent AFB was closed. The move was not far was they simply relocated to the Chidlaw Building at Peterson AFB, also located at Colorado Springs. Detachment 4 at Chatham and Detachment 6 at the renamed Canadian Forces Station Val d'Or were also closed out that year.

With the closing out of CF-101 Voodoo operations in favour of the new CF-18, Detachments 3 and 5 were stood down in 1984 and the squadron itself was inactivated on 1 October 1984 exactly 20 years to the day after it had been organized.

During their twenty year existence, the squadron accumulated a number of significant events including the first USAF qualified Explosive Ordancne Technician as well as maintaining bilingual USAF personnel for postings to Detachment 3 at Bagotville, Quebec. The squadron also acquited a number of nuclear and ground safety awards which was in itself a measure of the quality of the work done by the unit personnel. The very fact that they were not well known outside of the areas they were posted was, in itself, a testimony to their service and to the professionalism to which they carried out their duties.

Updated: February 15, 2001