Armstrong, ON

Throughout 1973, CFS Armstrong continued to collect, discriminate, and transmit radar data to 23 NORAD Region SAGE Center at Duluth, Minnestota.

The station participated in fourteen 23 NORAD Region exercises as well as in Wintex 73, and was commended for its part in the 23 NORAD Region Operational Evaluation in November. Goals and objectives of the MBR Program were met with one exception for the period ending 30 Sep. That exception was the FPS-26 which suffered an unserviceable pulse transformer along with an unserviceable klystron magnetic amplifier in Jun. The stations reaction to this sudden unserviceability won high praise from a technical inspection team which happened to be visiting at the time. Two vulnerability tests were conducted: one in May and the other in Oct. In Nov, the station passed an NBC EDP evaluation by ADCHQ.

Visits by Brigadier General ABC Johnson, Deputy Commander 23 NORAD Region, ADCHQ Logistics Staff, ADCHQ Communications and Electronics Staff, and Colonel SD Walker ADCHQ/CCE, occurred in Feb, May, Jun and Oct respectively.

A total of 34 personnel attended 27 different off-unit courses ranging from technical equipment maintenance to pest control. On-unit training totalled 444,204 man hours on 47 different courses.

The normal 80% turnover of military personnel during the summer included change of command. LCol F Chin departed for CDLS London in Jul. LCol JA Mitchell arrived from Vietnam in Aug.

Extensive social and recreational activities continued throughout the year. In Jun, four Corporals returned from a 560 mile canoe trip down the Ogoki and Albany River systems to James Bay. The snack bar and curling club were renovated, and a network of cross country ski trails was cleared in the fall.

The entire electrical distribution system was overhauled during the summer and an additional 98 acres was surveyed in Sep. However, plans for major construction of a barrack block, a sewage system, and an expanded trailer park were cancelled in early Oct.

The highlight of the year was the announcement, 10 Oct 73, that the station would cease to be operational 1 Apr 74 and would be vacated 30 Sept 74. Most civilians judged the closure announcement to be an omen of extinction for the nearby hamlet of Armstrong. The station provides not only the base for the local economy, but also much of the electrical power, all road maintenance, snow clearing, fire fighting, ambulance service, and recreational facilities. Detailed planning for the closure kept Canadian Forces personnel bust for the balance of the year.

JA Mitchell
Lieutenant Colonel
Commanding Officer
CFS Armstrong