BLAINE AFS 757th Radar Squadron

This site is not an official link to USAF. It provides a informative perspective on this cold war era radar installation.

The 1970's saw even more changes in the roll of the unit. The AN/GSA-51 Radar Course Directing Group was the interface that was used . The stations mission saw the reestablishment of LRR Long Range Radar. The GAP FILLER P-46A was decommissioned
The growth of the base grew by leaps & bounds due to the staffing issues so crucial to the mission of being a back up station if the SAGE ever went off line. The seventies saw the enlistment of women, there was an estimated dozen or less women stationed at the 757. Women quarters were in the bottom level of BAQ 518.

In 1972 the station gained more off station housing near Bellingham when the Naval Security group activity station near Marietta closed. It could house an estimated 20 families

    The Bowling alley was converted from the old personnel and family services building. With the upcoming growth in the satellite communications, the military decided that the radar was not as useful and satellites. Satellites could covertly scan the skies for the enemy. The Radar Bases around the northern part of the continent were closing at this time. At the time of site closure, it was still operating all three radar's : AN/FPS-24 long-range search radar, and the AN/FPS-6A and AN/FPS-26A long-range height finder radar. Finally the word was given in 1978, the base would close in January of 1979. The bases personnel slowly was stationed elsewhere. Leaving a skeleton crew to disassemble radar equipment and pickling buildings, "to cut off all utilities and to maintain only a shell". Orders were given to keep the dining hall intact, so potential buyers could use it in some manner. So January 1979 rolled around and the base slipped into history forever.

Here is a poem about the closing of the 757th

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AIRMAN SITTING AT RADAR SCOPE
airman Ed Curtis sitting at radar console scanning the sky

WORKING ON THE POWER SUPPLY OF TOWER 24
electronics specialists working on the electronics

BOWLING
bowling in the 2 lane alley in the family services building