Hopedale, Labrador

923^rd AC&W Squadron, (ADC)
APO 434, New York, New York.

Fredric F Champlin, Major, USAF

AN/FPS-3C; AN/TPS-502; AN/FPS-6B.

Personnel:

The overlap in replacements is getting better, but it is still not sufficient for the new men to be trained into the job. If the present trend continues, the squadron will be short of Medics and Food Service personnel, with a large number of radar maintenance personnel scheduled to PCS about the middle of the calendar year.

Changes in key personnel are as follows: First Lieutenant James I Anderson arrived on 11 February to assume the duties of Personnel Officer replacing Captain John C Tilley who departed PCS on 18 February 1963. Captain William O Cox arrived at this station on 19 March 1963 as Communications Officer and will replace Captain Fiorontino Zuzulo who is slated to leave early next month.

Operations:

During this quarter Operations personnel conducted 384 intercepts and participated in 5 exercises involving live aircraft. Nineteen simulated training missions were conducted. A total of 3,055 tracks were plotted of which 85 were classified as unknown. There were two aircraft involved in emergencies while under out control. Both were recovered safely.

The 64^th Air Division tactical evaluation team arrived 8 January. Captain Kiser inspected Operations and the 923^rd was awarded a Satisfactory rating. A Goose Air Defense Sector staff visit for operations was accomplished by Major Easley and Major Fitzpatrick from 30 January to 1 February 1963.

Lt. Kermit S Armbruster departed PCS on 23 January 1963. Captain James A Coleman arrived for duty on PCS orders and was immediately placed on training status. On 13 February Captain James J Smith relieved Captain Lemuel G Lloyd as Operations Officer and appointed Captain Bobby D Wagnon as Assistant Operations and Training Officer. Captain Lloyd departed PCS on 22 March 1963.

The T-2 was inoperative for this entire period which hampered all of the 923^rd’s STP Missions. Mr. Anderson of Gilfillen Corporation arrived in late March to repair the T-2, but had not completed repairs by the end of the reporting period.

Communications and Electronics:

During this period the AN/GPS-T2 trainer was inoperative awaiting depot level maintenance. All C&E standard maintenance procedures were re-accomplished. The 64^th Air Division IG Team completed their annual inspection in January 1963. Redline action was completed on the latest PCSP document. Corrections were forwarded to ADC. A complete C&E area clean up for excess equipment cables and miscellaneous items were identified and turned in for disposition.

Radar Maintenance:

The floor of the AN/GPS-T4 trainer room was strengthened to better support the consoles. A base power failure during January 1963 caused excessive radar downtime and extensive maintenance on both search and height equipment. Power failure procedures were reviewed and rewritten to include close co-ordination action by Radar Maintenance and power plant personnel. Support equipment requirement for the programmed AN/FPS-20 is in progress during this reporting period. From 1 January to 31 March 1963 five Radar Maintenance technicians were up-graded to the AFSC 30352. Three airmen (30332) did not meet the requirements.

Wire Maintenance:

Complete rewiring of the patch panel at the transmitter-receiver site was accomplished by radio personnel during January 1963. Bench stock requirements and realistic levels were established by all work centers. Wire Maintenance lowered the phone switchboard in Operations for operational convenience. Re-location of the LS-104 loudspeakers for the fire reporting system was accomplished for additional area coverage during February 1963. Wire Maintenance installed and tested two phone lines – Saglek administrative and the 641^st flight handover line in March 1963. A material control work center was established with utilization of a Radio Maintenance technician to perform this function because a supply technician is not available at this organization. Direct line communication facility utilization plan for maintenance co-ordination to work centers was approved by the 64^th Air Division. One master station and six slave stations are to be requisitioned through supply channels.

Supply:

An extensive materiel improvement program was undertaken by supply during the quarter. Emphasis was placed on supplies and equipment management and the records and reports attendant thereto. By the end of March inventories of tech supply and unit supply items had been completed and records adjusted accordingly. During the inventory process a complete re-warehousing was accomplished for tech supply items. Over $10,000 of excesses were returned to base supply in this period.

Several facility improvement projects were completed during this period. An L-Shaped partition separating tech supply storage from tropo power storage was removed for more effective space utilization. The stock list library was rearranged for greater convenience and floor tile was installed in the tech supply office area. Several charts and signs were either discarded or re-accomplished to provide a neater appearance or more meaningful data. Unit and tech supply office areas were rearranged to provide greater efficiency and a more professional appearance.

M/Sgt. Page replaced T/Sgt. Sidberry as NCOIC of supply and A/1C Ramsey took S/Sgt. McCray’s place in the supply administrative section. A/2C Mundie was runner-up and Airman of the Month for January and February respectively. He was then selected as Airman of the Quarter for the squadron and for Goose Air Defense Sector. Sgt. Page was accorded similar laurels, being selected NCO of the Month for March and NCO of the Quarter for the squadron and Goose Air Defense Sector.

Power System:

The CMC Team completed the 3000 hours overhaul to diesel unit number 1 and 2. Unit number 3 is in the process of being overhauled. The exciter unit of number 4 was sent to the CMC Depot for repairs. During the period of overhaul to unit numbers 1 and 2 base power supply was maintained by the old plant utilizing three 100 KW Cummings. Weekly no break tests under load were successfully accomplished during this period.

The power plant radiator room was filled with snow to approximately 5 feet as a result of the storm on 24 January 1963. A detail of 10 personnel was required to clean the room, and the outside areas from which air is drawn into the diesel engines.

Heating Plant:

On 12 January 1963, a boiler failure occurred due to lack of fuel. Trouble was quickly traced to electrical problems in the upper pumphouse controls. Fuel supply was then furnished by manual control of the pumps in ample time to prevent the failure from getting out of control. The total down time was 75 minutes.

Civil Engineering Shops:

Station personnel completed repairs to the Airman’s Club and alteration to the Officer’s recreation/laundry room. Improving the appearance of the Operations entrance is in progress.

Mobile Maintenance Team (MMT):

The MMT completed the modification of tower number 2 and the improvements to the station theater.

Inspections:

Corrective action was taken on all discrepancies noted by the 64^th AD IG Team. The Fire Prevention Inspectors from GADS and SAC made an inspection of the station. Discrepancies noted were corrected on the spot.

An officer from the Preventive Medicine Section at Goose AB inspected the station. He was favorably impressed with the recent acquisition of noise suppressers for personnel assigned to the power plant. The decibel reading taken measured 125 units of power-level. A sample of water was satisfactorily tested for chlorination, acidity and alkalinity. The location of the mechanical cow was not acceptable and C&E personnel have since relocated it.

Ground Safety:

Mr. Ronald Fagan, station electrician seriously cut two fingers on his right hand while leaning against the planer in the shop. He was sent to Goose AB Infirmary and expected to be absent from duty for 5 weeks.

Fredric F Champlin, Major, USAF