Loring Air Force Base

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Loring Air Force Base

Shield Strategic Air Command.png
Part of Strategic Air Command
Limestone, Maine
Loring Air Force Base.jpg
USGS 1970 Aerial Photo
Type Air Force Base
Coordinates 46°56′59″N 67°53′20″W / 46.94972°N 67.88889°W / 46.94972; -67.88889
Built 1953
In use 1953-1994
Loring AFB is located in Maine
{{{alt}}}
Loring AFB
Location of Loring Air Force Base, Maine
Original plans for Loring
For the civil use of this facility and airport information, see Loring Commerce Center

Loring Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base that was under the operational control of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) for most of its existence. In 1992, it was transferred to the newly-established Air Combat Command, and it was finally closed as an active Air Force installation in 1994. Loring is located in the town of Limestone, Aroostook County, Maine. It is treated for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place. At the 2000 census, the base had a total population of 225. It was named for Major Charles J. Loring, Jr., USAF, a Medal of Honor recipient during the Korean War. From 1951-1962, it was co-located next to Caribou Air Force Station.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Beginnings

Loring AFB was carved out of the woods of Maine beginning in the late forties and officially dedicated in 1953. It was named after Charles J. Loring, Jr., who was killed in the Korean War. Along with the nearby Presque Isle Air Force Base, some of its roads were named after states in the Union. It was the closest Air Force base on the east coast to Europe. It was originally built with a capacity of 100 B-36 Peacemaker bombers and equipped with a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runway. Fuel was delivered to the base via a 200 mile pipeline, which started to the south in Searsport, Maine.

[edit] 42nd Bomb Wing

The host wing for Loring AFB throughout its existence was the 42nd Bomb Wing. The wing originally flew the B-36 Peacemaker, converting later to the B-52 Stratofortress. The wing also flew the KC-135 Stratotanker. When the wing transitioned to B-52s, the overruns were added to the base.

To provide air defense of the base, United States Army Nike-Hercules Surface-to-air missile sites were constructed during 1956. Sites were located near Caribou (L-58) 46°53′02″N 068°00′32″W / 46.88389°N 68.00889°W / 46.88389; -68.00889; Caswell (L-13) 47°01′42″N 067°48′35″W / 47.02833°N 67.80972°W / 47.02833; -67.80972; Connor Twp. (L-85) 47°00′29″N 068°01′06″W / 47.00806°N 68.01833°W / 47.00806; -68.01833, and Limestone (L-31) 46°55′04″N 067°47′32″W / 46.91778°N 67.79222°W / 46.91778; -67.79222 Maine.

The New England Division of the Army Corps of Engineers managed the construction of these sites. Manned by Regular Army units, these sites provided defense for Loring AFB and the northeastern approaches to the United States. In 1960, sites L-13 and L-58 underwent conversion from Ajax to Hercules missiles. These sites remained operational until 1966, although the site at Limestone was closed in September 1958.

[edit] Weapons storage area

The Nuclear Weapons Storage Area at Loring once operated as a separate, top secret facility. Originally called the North River Depot, the remote area to the northeast of Loring’s property was the first U.S. Operational site specifically constructed for the storage, assembly, and testing of atomic weapons.[1]

A parallel series of four fences, one of which was electrified, surrounded the heart of the storage area. This area was nicknamed the “Q” Area, which denoted the Department of Energy’s [Q clearance] a classified security clearance required to have access to Restricted Data.

In June 1962, the [United States Atomic Energy Commission] released its custody and ownership of the weapons to the Air Force. The personnel and property of the later named Caribou Air Force Station, were absorbed into the adjacent Loring Air Force Base.

[edit] Closure

Loring AFB was first targeted for closure in 1976. The Air Force's primary rationale at that time was the poor condition of Loring AFB's facilities. In 1976, it was estimated that Loring AFB needed up to $300 million in facilities improvements. Between 1976 and 1979, considerable debate took place over the strategic importance of Loring AFB, resulting in a reversal of the Air Force decision to close the base. When the decision to keep Loring AFB open was made in 1979, Congress committed itself to upgrading the base facilities. Since 1981, nearly $300 million in military construction and operations and maintenance funds were spent to upgrade the facilities.

In 1991, the Secretary of Defense, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Air Force, identified six Strategic Air Command bases for closure. Loring Air Force Base was one of the six bases on the closure list.

The official base closure date was 30 September 1994.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the base CDP has a total area of 8.2 mi² (21.3 km²). 8.2 mi² (21.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 mi² (0.1 km²) of it (0.36%) is water.

[edit] Things unique to Loring

[2]

  • Contained 14,300 acres (58 km2), making it the biggest SAC base in the country
  • 2 runways, only two other SAC bases had two runways
  • The largest capacity for weapon storage and for fuel storage in all of SAC (Its overall capacity ranked second among all 21 SAC bases)
    • Weapons storage capacity was 10,247,882 NEW (Net Explosive Weight) (the highest in all of SAC)
    • 1st in all of SAC in fuel storage capacity (9,193,374 gallons)
  • Ramp space exceeds 1.1 million square yards. (2nd among all SAC bases in total ramp space, 1st in excess ramp space)
  • One of two fully capable conventional weapons storage facilities in CONUS maintained by SAC.
  • A small downhill ski area provided recreation for personnel and their dependents, operating on the base from the early 1960s until the base's closure in 1994.[3]
  • It was here that a cheering crowd greeted President Richard Nixon after he returned from an important summit in Moscow. This was a month before he resigned.

[edit] Units based at Loring

[edit] Planes based at Loring

[4]

[edit] Post base usage

The 9,472-acre (38.33 km2) base property is now administered by the Loring Development Authority of Maine. The base is now called the Loring Commerce Center and is marketed as an "aviation and industrial complex and business park".

Military users to the old base include:

Civilian users of the facility include:

  • Loring Job Corps Center
  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife National Wildlife Refuge (administering 4,700 acres (19 km2) of the base property)
  • various call centers, food processing and forestry operations, light manufacturing, and aviation services
  • The home of an office belonging to Stantec

The airfield at Loring Commerce Center was used by the popular jam-band Phish, to hold its massive festival concerts, "The Great Went" in 1997, the Lemonwheel in 1998 and "It" in 2003. Estimated attendance was 65,000 concert-goers and Phish was the only band. Fans camped on-site in tents, creating a community of fans that became the second largest city in Maine during all three events.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 225 people, 82 households, and 57 families residing on the base. The population density was 27.4/mi² (10.6/km²). There were 355 housing units at an average density of 43.2/mi² (16.7/km²). The racial makeup of the base was 81.33% White, 10.22% African American, 2.22% Asian, 5.33% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.78% of the population.

There were 82 households out of which 53.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.38.

On the base the population was spread out with 37.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 43.6% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household on the base was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $39,844. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $25,724 for females. The per capita income on the base was $19,888. None of the families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of 18 or ages 65 and older.

[edit] Accidents and incidents

  • 23 December 1975- FB-111A-CF, 68-290, c/n B1-62, crashes in the area of the Ashland forest in Maine, ~45 minutes after takeoff from Loring.

[edit] In pop culture

The base is mentioned in the 1983 movie, WarGames.

[edit] Gallery

  • Copy of 1970 aerial photograph of Loring Air Force Base. Photograph located at air force base conversion agency, Loring Air Force Base, Maine. Haer me,2-lime.v,1a-11 (Library of Congress photo)

  • View showing northwest corner of Building 8250 (Arch Hangar), with Building S251 (Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Shops Building addition) in foreground.

  • Interior view of Building 8250 (Arch Hangar), looking northwest.

  • Detail of structure over south door of Building 8250 (Arch Hangar).

  • View of Building 8280 (Double Cantilever Hangar) looking northwest, with Building 8250 (Arch Hangar) in background.

  • View of Parking Apron looking southwest from South Runway Observation Building toward Building 8280 (Double Cantilever Hangar).

  • Interior view of Building 8280 (Double Cantilever Hangar) looking northeast. Showing three story concrete shop structures dividing hangar into three work bays.

  • View of Alternate Runway (Taxiway J) looking northwest from south runway observation building toward Building 8250 (Arch Hangar) and flightline buildings.

  • View of North-South Runway from north overrun, showing runway approach lights in foreground.

  • Aerial photograph of west side of base.

  • Aerial photograph of Flightline showing Building 8280 (Double Cantilever Hangar) at left. Photo dated 18 January 1968.

  • Aerial photograph showing Weapons Storage Area (originally called Caribou Air Force Station), from Master Plan of Caribou AS. Photograph, probably taken in the 1960s.

  • Northwest Corner of Building 216 (Ammunition Maintenance Shop) in Assembly Area showing shape of Earthen Mound Covering and Retaining Wall.

  • View of Igloo Fields taken from Guard Tower. View looks southwest and shows Buildings 279-273.

[edit] See also

Portal icon United States Air Force portal
Portal icon Military of the United States portal

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Loring Air Force Base

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. ^ Historic American Engineering Record. Loring Air Force Base, Weapons Storage Area, Northeastern corner of base at northern end of Maine Road, Limestone vicinity, Aroostook County, ME. On file with The Library of Congress.
  2. ^ Loring AFB - 42nd Bomb Wing - B-36, B-52
  3. ^ Loring AFB
  4. ^ 42nd Air Base Wing: History: Aircraft Assigned
  5. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  • Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History 1984. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
  • Mueller, Robert (1989). Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. ISBN 0-912799-53-6; 0160022614

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Loring_Air_Force_Base&oldid=477121395"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages