Goose Bay, Labrador

1960 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division


Historical Record
641st AC&W Squadron
Goose Bay, Labrador
1 July 1960 to 30 September 1960

Section I

REQUIRED DATA

  1. Unit and Location

641st AC&W Squadron
APO 677, New York, NY

  1. Name and Grade of Commander

Delbert R Smyth, Major, USAF

  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)
  2. 641st AC&W Squadron
    Goose Air Defense Sector
    64th Air Division (Defense)
    Air Defense Command

  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)
  • None

  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)
  • The mission of the 641st AC&W Squadron is to conduct Air Defense operations within area of assignment as outlined in ADC (RCAF) ASI 3/4/3, to support the Goose NORAD/CONAD Combat Center area of responsibility as described in NORAD GO Nr. 14 and CONAD GO Nr. 8 dated 13 May 1960, and to function as a Master Direction Center within the Air Defense system.

    Authority: Paragraph 1, Goose Air Defense Sector Regulation 20-2, dated 30 June 1960.

  • Personnel
  •    

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     
     

    Assigned

    29

    290

    13

    332

     
     

    Attached

    1

    26

    2

    29

     
                 
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
  • AN/CPS-6B Prime Radar, AN/FPS-502 back-up Search Radar, AN/GPX-6 Radar Identification, 10 Cummins Diesel Generators, 8 AN/GRC-27 Multi-Channel UHF Transmitter-Receivers, 6 AN/GRT-3 Single Channel UHF Transmitter-Receivers, 6 AN/GRR-7 Single Channel Receivers, 5 AN/FRT-502 VHF Transmitters, 11 AF/URG-60 VHF Receivers.

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

    Operations:

    Operation "Sky Shield", a combined NORAD-SAC exercise, was held in September. The principal part played by the 641st ACWRON was in passing local track information to higher headquarters. During the period of this report, the NORAD/CONAD Combat Operations Center achieved complete operational status and assumed operational control of the NORAD/CONAD region. The NORAD/CONAD COC is physically located in the Operations Room of the 641st ACWRON. For the three months represented by the period of this report, the 641st ACWRON conducted the following training schedules:

    (see the matrix at the end of this report)

    The intercept rate during this period was .9425 or 94 percent.

    C&E Performance and Maintenance:

    The AN/TPS-502 height finder was dismantled and turned in to Squadron Supply. The 502 tower was dismantled in preparation for a new tower to house the AN/FPS-6 height finder. Structural work on the new tower was completed by September. Work was halted at this point because of the unavailability of wall and insulation material.

    Command assistance was requested for procurement of spare gears for the AN/UPA-35 scopes. These gears have been on an RNFP order for eight (8) months.

    Modification kits were received and installed on the Selective Identification Feature to provide SIF code read-outs on the AN/UPA-35 scopes.

    A Canadian Marconi Company team of technicians performed a complete overhaul of all our air-to-ground radio equipment. The team did not provide a solution to the problem of abnormal space propagation.

    A communications emergency caused by a damaged distribution cable forced the movement of all receiver equipment from the remote receiver site to the transmitter building. The forced move resulted in superior management capability and will remain in effect. The damaged cable, a 404 pair conductor, caused an outage time of two hours per circuit before re-routes could be accomplished. A rearranged Goose Air Defense Communications Center located in the 641st ACWRON handled over nine thousand wire messages in September. Logs from a year previous indicate an increase of thirty times the traffic of September 1959. A Special Commander’s Briefing Circuit was established for the Commander of Goose Air Defense Sector. This circuit connects the GADS Commander to the 640th and 641st ACWRONs for special conference features.

    Supply:

    Eight commercial vehicles were requisitioned under the SUNEC program. These vehicles are intended as replacements for the presently authorized M Series vehicles.

    Civil Engineering:

    The Preventative Maintenance Program consumed a total of $8,000 in material and services during this period. Work Order Requests totalling $3,500 were approved for minor improvement projects. In preparation for winter travel between Goose Air Base and this squadron, a specially constructed and heated passenger compartment was built for use on two and a half ton truck beds. The passenger unit is removable.

    Motor Pool:

    Drivers of the 641st ACWRON have totalled 209,389 miles of road travel without a reportable accident. Total number of days without a road accident amount to 785. Motor Pool statistics for this period are as follows:

    (see the matrix at the end of this report)

    Food Service:

    Winter rations in the amount of 350,000 pounds were moved from docks at Goose Air Base to the food service warehouse and cold storage in August.

    A new stove and a stainless steel reach-in refrigerator were received and installed in August.

    Special Services:

    A winter bowling league was established in September when remodelling was completed on the squadron bowling alley. A squadron team will represent the 641st ACWRON in the Goose Air Base Bowling Winter Tournament. The Squadron’s AFRS equipment was overhauled in September. Approximately 12,000 records are now available to the AFRS Station.

    Distinguished Visitors During July, August and September:

    (see the matrix at the end of this report)

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    Delbert R Smyth, Major, USAF

    Signature

     

    Operations Training by Equipment

    AN/GPS-T2

    52 hours

    AN/UPS-T5

    91 hours

    MD-1

    2 hours

    ECM

    7 hours

    Motor Pool Driving Statistics

    Vehicles Assigned

    8

    Miles Travelled

    32,711

    Passengers Transported

    12,921

    Cargo Transported, Lbs.

    687,273

    Gasoline Consumed

    4,514

    Unit Vehicles Dispatched

    1,170

    Distinguished Visitors

    Representative Van Zandt, Pennsylvania

    General Kuter, NORAD

    Major General Niehausen, NORAD

    Major General Estes, USAF

    Lieutenant General Lee, Air Defense Command

    General Low, NORAD