Neat b-52 history

[whistlingdeath77]

Took this photo about a week ago at the great New England wings and wheels show. It was held at west over Air Force reserve base. It was a major point for b-52s during the Cold War and Vietnam before it closed and switched to different aircraft. This building Is where crews would live in case of a nuclear strike,( survive,) and possibly strike back. Notice the 2 tunnels, one going up and the other going straight under ground. The ma. State police use the building now. Really wish I could have taken a tour

[cptsmith]

My reserve company was located in the ready bunker in Orlando. The Army Reserve had that bunker as well as a B-52 nose maintenance hangar and a building that used to have a paraloft. The bunker is on the SE side of the airport across from the Airtran maintenance hangar. The fire department uses the ramp area were the alert planes were parked. The other buildings are located across the street from the NEX.
I have old plans fron the bunker: the lower floor has the living quarters (2 and 3 man rooms, showers and latrine). The upper floor has the briefing room, mess hall, officers and enlisted lounges, library and planning area. It would be nice to see one of these building restored and turned into a museum.

[JohnB]

Took this photo about a week ago at the great New England wings and wheels show. It was held at west over Air Force reserve base. It was a major point for b-52s during the Cold War and Vietnam before it closed and switched to different aircraft. This building Is where crews would live in case of a nuclear strike,( survive,) and possibly strike back. Notice the 2 tunnels, one going up and the other going straight under ground. The ma. State police use the building now. Really wish I could have taken a tour

I hate to disagree with you, but you've got the story a built incorrect. Rather than post-attack, that's the alert facility where crews would live while the were standing alert....back in the old days about a (secret percentage) or 5-6 bombers and several tankers from each wing would be on ground alert for a week at a time. That is where crews had to live. They could travel to select places on base (Wing/squadron HQs, CBPO, Combat Crew Comm/planning, BX/barber shop, Dining hall, chapel, O' Club) but only as group in specially marked vehicles.
You had to have a special pass to go in it, and families were not allowed. Most places had "family centers" and a playground just outside the fence. Each alert facility had its own dining hall.
It really had nothing to do with post-strike environment...because beginning in the 60s, SAC knew the base would be targeted by ICBMs...so I don't think they expected the half buried shelters to do much good.

I've been in several, and many were half-buried...why I don't know.

[Craig59]

Took this photo about a week ago at the great New England wings and wheels show. It was held at west over Air Force reserve base. It was a major point for b-52s during the Cold War and Vietnam before it closed and switched to different aircraft. This building Is where crews would live in case of a nuclear strike,( survive,) and possibly strike back. Notice the 2 tunnels, one going up and the other going straight under ground. The ma. State police use the building now. Really wish I could have taken a tour

I hate to disagree with you, but you've got the story a built incorrect. Rather than post-attack, that's the alert facility where crews would live while the were standing alert....back in the old days about a (secret percentage) or 5-6 bombers and several tankers from each wing would be on ground alert for a week at a time. That is where crews had to live. They could travel to select places on base (Wing/squadron HQs, CBPO, Combat Crew Comm/planning, BX/barber shop, Dining hall, chapel, O' Club) but only as group in specially marked vehicles.
You had to have a special pass to go in it, and families were not allowed. Most places had "family centers" and a playground just outside the fence. Each alert facility had its own dining hall.
It really had nothing to do with post-strike environment...because beginning in the 60s, SAC knew the base would be targeted by ICBMs...so I don't think they expected the half buried shelters to do much good.

I've been in several, and many were half-buried...why I don't know.

Spot on, I can attest, having spent six years of my life pulling SAC alert duty at McConnell AFB, Kansas. I don't know when our alert facility was built but, it's two-story construction was all above ground which would leave me to believe by the time it was constructed, building it even one story below ground would prove fruitless in a nuclear exchange.

In our facility, each crewmember had their own room, sharing a bathroom with the adjoining room. Indeed we had our own dining facility, rec room, briefing room, etc. as well as a family center outside the secure area where we could spend time with our families. We could access many of the facilities on base and at McConnell, that included a few holes on the golf course. It was all predicated on how quickly we could return to the alert facility during a klaxon.

[whistlingdeath77]

Thanks for the updated information. Hope you like the photo

[whistlingdeath77]

Took this photo about a week ago at the great New England wings and wheels show. It was held at west over Air Force reserve base. It was a major point for b-52s during the Cold War and Vietnam before it closed and switched to different aircraft. This building Is where crews would live in case of a nuclear strike,( survive,) and possibly strike back. Notice the 2 tunnels, one going up and the other going straight under ground. The ma. State police use the building now. Really wish I could have taken a tour

I hate to disagree with you, but you've got the story a built incorrect. Rather than post-attack, that's the alert facility where crews would live while the were standing alert....back in the old days about a (secret percentage) or 5-6 bombers and several tankers from each wing would be on ground alert for a week at a time. That is where crews had to live. They could travel to select places on base (Wing/squadron HQs, CBPO, Combat Crew Comm/planning, BX/barber shop, Dining hall, chapel, O' Club) but only as group in specially marked vehicles.
You had to have a special pass to go in it, and families were not allowed. Most places had "family centers" and a playground just outside the fence. Each alert facility had its own dining hall.
It really had nothing to do with post-strike environment...because beginning in the 60s, SAC knew the base would be targeted by ICBMs...so I don't think they expected the half buried shelters to do much good.

I've been in several, and many were half-buried...why I don't know.

Spot on, I can attest, having spent six years of my life pulling SAC alert duty at McConnell AFB, Kansas. I don't know when our alert facility was built but, it's two-story construction was all above ground which would leave me to believe by the time it was constructed, building it even one story below ground would prove fruitless in a nuclear exchange.

In our facility, each crewmember had their own room, sharing a bathroom with the adjoining room. Indeed we had our own dining facility, rec room, briefing room, etc. as well as a family center outside the secure area where we could spend time with our families. We could access many of the facilities on base and at McConnell, that included a few holes on the golf course. It was all predicated on how quickly we could return to the alert facility during a klaxon.

Have you been to west over afb?

[JohnB]

Have you been to west over afb?

Yes (BTW it's Westover...one word). But it was when I was doing TV news (I flew there and back in a C-130) and had nothing to do with SAC?b-52s or the Alert facility. I saw it there and thought nothing of it, knowing it was an old SAC base.

[tinbender2]

Yep,

Alert Facility located in an Alert Aircraft Parking Area (AAPA).

non-survivable,

and if the incoming nukes didn't kill ya, all that asbestos insulation hanging off the tunnel walls would get you years later.


Can't think of any place that was really hardened at my SAC base. Even the bunkers inside the Weapons Storage Area wouldn't have survived the overpressures of a close nuke. Guess that's why everyone with half a brain, already had a plan to get the heck out of Dodge after the first wave of bombers launched.

I remember a dark stormy night returning to base. About 30 miles away, I saw numerous flashes of ball lightning over the base area. I decided to stop and watch for mushroom clouds before proceding further.

An active Wing Command Post or Base Intel would have been more interesting to see than an Alert Facility, but the movies have actually portrayed them fairly realistically.

[whistlingdeath77]

Have you been to west over afb?

Yes (BTW it's Westover...one word). But it was when I was doing TV news (I flew there and back in a C-130) and had nothing to do with SAC?b-52s or the Alert facility. I saw it there and thought nothing of it, knowing it was an old SAC base.

Thank you very much for the one word correction. I wouldn't have known that even though its located the next town over from me. My phone thinks its two words, not me.