Resolution Island, NWT

920^th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Resolution Island Air Station, NWT, Canada

William R Sickman, Major, USAF

Primary equipment: AN/FPS-3(C) –1– Primary Search; Mark X (SIF) AN/GPX-7A –1; and AN/FPS-502 –1- Back-up search; AN/TPS-502 -1- Height Finder.

Operations:

During the first month of the quarter, this section was short one Weapons Controller (1744) and two Radar Operators (273X0). However, by the end of the reporting period, these shortages were corrected and no projected shortages are anticipated during the next quarter.

At the present time, this squadron does not have the latest air-mass positioning computers. A request was submitted to the 64^th Air Division for the computers, but the 64^th Air Division was unable to furnish them. Correspondence has been initiated to the Interceptor Weapons School, Tyndall, AFB, Florida and they have promised to supply three of the latest type by November 1959.

All directors at this station are on "Training" status due to the lack of live intercept training, and at the present time there are no plans available to this station for making up this deficiency. Since no live intercepts are available, the directors are maintaining as high a degree of proficiency as possible by utilizing the AN/UPS-T5 (15-J-1C) to run simulated intercepts. During the reporting period, the directors ran a total of one hundred multiple and four hundred and six single simulated intercepts.

Personnel-wise, during the reporting period, the Operations Section lost four airmen (273XX) and gained five (273XX). Two officers (1744) were lost and five were gained (four 1744, one 1716) during this period. Major Herbert Russell replaced Captain Clifton O Deny and Operations Officer.

Personnel:

During the reporting period this site continued to have shortages in the 702X0 and 622X0 fields. Numerous messages and correspondence have been initiated to the 64^th Air Division requesting relief from this situation. Three 66250’s (Cook) were assigned to this station TDY from 4737 Air Base Group, Pepperrell AFB on July 29, 1959. They were assigned for a ninety day period and this period has been extended for forty days. These TDY assignments will relieve the 622X0 shortage temporarily but this station remains under-strength according to the latest Unit Manning Document. Not counting the TDY personnel, this unit is short five 622X0s.

In the 702X0 field, this unit is authorized six personnel and there are only three presently assigned. Again, numerous contacts with the 64^th Air Division were made but at the end of the reporting period no results have been obtained.

The retention rate for the quarter averaged approximately sixty-five percent. The majority of the personnel separating were airmen in the lower three grades.

Replacement personnel in the support AFSC’s such as 702X0, 622X0, 731X0, 641X0, and others, have not been physically present prior to the departure of the personnel they replaced. This has placed a handicap on the replacement, and the unit, since the replacement had little or no briefing as to specific problems or characteristics of his job.

During the reporting period, there was a predominate influx of supervisory AFSC personnel and not enough personnel in the E3 and E4 grade spread. The unit Morning Report indicates that almost fifty percent of the total personnel assigned are Non-Commissioned Officers.

The On-The-Job Training Program was reorganized during the quarter and no problems have been encountered in this area since.

The average unit strength for the quarter ending 30 September 1959 was 121 airmen and 10 officers. These figures include personnel of the 1876 Radio Relay Squadron attached to this unit.

Facilities:

During the reporting period, Colonial Construction Company completed the following projects which were originally started during the calendar year 1958: Project GOS 32-9, Repair Roofs; Project GOS 105-7, Caulk Building Joints; Project GOS 135-8, Modify Storm Entrances; Project GOS 320-9, Repair Storm Windows; and, Project GOS 382-8, Correct Floor Drains in Motor Pool Building. A list of deficiencies in the above listed projects was furnished to Headquarters, 64^th Air Division and the contractor personnel departed this station.

The final acceptance by 64^th Air Division on the above projects, and Project GOS 318-8, Modify Fire Detection System, which was accomplished by Bryant Electric Company during calendar year 1958, was pending at the close of the reporting period.

At the close of the reporting period, Bryant Electric Company was sixty percent complete on project GOS 371-9, Instrumentation of Heating Plant.

Projects GOS 319-9, Repair Kitchen and GOS 351-9, Repair Insulated Sewer Line, are under contract and have been definitely postponed until the next construction season.

At the close of the reporting period, no decision had been received from 64^th Air Division as to whether or not construction would be started on the following projects this construction season: GOS 325-9, Repair Tile Flooring, GOS 401-9, Install Tile in Latrine; GOS 30-9, 30A-9, Install Explosion-Proof Electric Fixtures in POL Pump House; GOS 334-9, Repaint Dorms, Corridors and Latrines; and GOS 352-9, Repair Roofs, Pole Vault Buildings.

Representatives of CA Pitts Company are on the site and are receiving construction materials in preparation for BMEWS construction at this station.

64^th Air Division Mobile Maintenance Team visited this station during the reporting period and accomplished much worthwhile maintenance during the reporting period, including repairing the Ric-Wil water line and patching a large leak in the POL storage tank at lower camp.

The summer diesel fuel oil pumping from Yellow Beach to Lower Camp was accomplished, and the end of October will find the final diesel oil pumping until next summer accomplished.

Communications and Electronics – Maintenance:

During the reporting period, a total of three hours and thirty five minutes of unscheduled maintenance was performed on the AN/FPS-3C. This breakdown was due to a bad pulse transmitter and magnetron. Radome replacement, performed by Canadian Marconi Radome Replacement Team on 16 September through 7 October, inclusive accounted for one hundred eight hours and ten minutes down time, and a total of forty-six hours and fifteen minutes scheduled maintenance was performed.

On 1 September 1959, the Mark X SIF system became operational at this station. This equipment presented many problems at first, because of its newness and the fact that none of the maintenance personnel had been trained to maintain this equipment. However, by the end of the reporting period, two radar maintenance personnel had been sent to SIF school, one at Goose AFB, and one at Pepperrell and this should relieve this situation. A total of thirty-five hours and thirty-five minutes were spent on preventative maintenance, and ten hours and thirty minutes spent on unscheduled maintenance on this equipment.

No major problems were encountered with the AN/TPS-5 (15-J-1C) and only normal maintenance was performed.

Communications:

During July, all VHF and UHF antennas were re-guyed using heavy-duty turnbuckles. This should reduce the possibility of loosing the antennas during heavy icing and high winds.

One AN/GRT-3 transmitter (7-282) went out of commission during July due to a defective C-621 capacitor. The item was placed on priority 2 requisition on 8 July 1959, and was received in August 1959. The capacitor received was the wrong size, through no fault of Supply, and the capacitor was re-ordered immediately. The correct capacitor was received on approximately 25 September, and the transmitter was placed into operation.

On 14 September a severe ice and wind storm disabled the following equipment: all Net 61 antennas; antenna for the Resolution Island Beacon (URN-5); two VHF antennas; all guy wires for VHF and UHF antennae; and parts of the HY-Gain TRI-Element amateur radio beam antenna; plus Pole Vault circuitry to the south. Through the use of MARS equipment, contact was established with V8DNY, Jackson, Michigan, who set about alerting 64^th Air Division of the request to establish a net. Contact was made with KOUEN/VO1 at St. Anthony and traffic was then established via this net. Stations too numerous to mention participated in the net and are to be commended for the excellent work in establishing such an efficient link through which to pass operations traffic. This station operated on the net until 0100Z (approximately) 17 September 1959 and passed 173 messages during this period. This did not include many messages passed from Transport (924^th AC&W Squadron located at Saglek, Labrador) to 64^th Air Division to advise them of status. Messages were passed to and from Transport via aircraft operation between this station and Transport. MARS equipment and personnel were the sole link between the island and the outside world, and their value was proven again.

The Canadian Marconi Communications Overhaul Team arrived 25 September 1959 and had completed eighteen percent of their work by the end of the reporting period. Estimated completion date for this project is 20 October 1959.

The station teletype equipment was overhauled 7-9 September by Mr. McCarthy of Canadian Marconi. Mr. McCarthy declared the teletype equipment at this station to be in the best condition he had ever observed in the 64^th Air Division. Credit is due to S/Sgt. Gerald JT DuPris, section NCOIC, and his men for their outstanding performance.

The previous Site Engineer, Mr. Pat MacDonald, departed this station on 23 July 1959. His replacement, Mr. Robert W McWilliams, did not arrive on site until approximately 15 August 1959, thus leaving the site without a Site Engineer for a period of three weeks. Captain James R Robero Jr. replaced Captain Woodruff as Communications Officer in July 1959 and Captain Walter Vicaitu replaced Captain Franklin K Brown as Electronics Officer in September 1959.

Supply and Air Transportation:

During the reporting period, this station experienced one ROCP in July, one RNFP in August (lateral support from 926^th AC&W Squadron filled the priority the same day) and no ROCP or RNPF in September. The ROCP experienced in July was from 14 July to 21 July, and was due to a 4J50 magnetron malfunction. The re-order point had been adhered to and the requisition was upgraded when the stock level reached two (2) each. The tube was available at Frobisher Bay but could not be shipped due to bad weather. It is our experience that "maggies" fail in a matter of days when they have been packed for more than two years, i.e. from 5 June to 23 June the average tube life was eighty-five hours. All the tubes were packed in 1955 and 1956. A request has been sent to 64^th Air Division to look into the possibility of only shipping fresh stock, and/or have all "maggies" checked in mock-up equipment to determine their serviceability.

The USNS Tokle arrived at this station on 1 September 1959 and departed on 8 September 1959, after off-loading approximately eight hundred long tons of cargo. Six hundred tons of this cargo was material to be used by TDK Rooney Company Ltd. No one from TDK Rooney was present on this site until approximately seventy-five percent of their material had been warehoused. Much of the material has been damaged during Trans-shipping, off loading, and due to poor packaging. Two hundred and four long tons of SUNEC 59 supplies made up the remainder of the cargo. At the end of the reporting period these supplies were being inventoried and warehoused. It is estimated that these supplies will constitute approximately ninety percent of SUNEC 59. Pilferage was kept to a minimum by the use of NCOs sitting on each truck and the Officer of the Day on the beach at all times.

Captain Peter T DiCroce assumed accountability of the Unit Supply from 1^st Lt. Robert G Stein on 1 July 1959.

The support missions flown by the supply aircraft, a De Havilland Otter, are listed below by months:

(see chart at end of report)

Inspections:

The annual General Inspection of the 920^th AC&W Squadron was conducted during the period 14-19 September 1959 by personnel of Headquarters, 64^th Air Division. All sections were found to be satisfactory overall, and able to effectively accomplish the mission. Minor discrepancies pointed out by the Inspection Team had all been completed or near to completed by the end of the reporting period.

Morale:

The morale of this station was very good during the reporting period. This was partially due to the good weather which enabled the "Otter" to make more flights, and therefore bringing more mail. Also, the good weather permitted the personnel to be out of doors more often.

Prepared by: Marvin D Crombee, 1^st Lt., USAF, Historical Officer

William R Sickman, Major, USAF