Iraklion Air Station

Iraklion Air Station
Iraklion Air Station
Part of Air Force Intelligence Command (AFIC)
Located adjacent to Gournes, Crete
	Emblem of 7276th Air Base Group
	Iraklion AS Location of Iraklion Air Station, Crete
Coordinates	35°19′48″N 025°17′07″E / 35.33000°N 25.28528°E
Type	Military Air Station
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1954
In use	1954- 1993
Garrison information
Garrison	7276th Air Base Group

Iraklion Air Station was a United States Air Force facility located 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) east of the city of Iraklion near the village of Gournes, in the north central section of the Greek island of Crete.

History

Major commands to which assigned

Detachment 2, 34 Radio Squadron Mobile, USAFSS, 1953-1955

United States Air Forces in Europe, 1954–1979
U.S. Air Force Electronic Security Command, 1979–1991
Air Force Intelligence Command, 1991–1993

Major units assigned

Det 2, 34th Radio Squadron Mobile, USAFSS 1953-1955
Det 1, 1603d Air Transport Wing (MATS), 1 October 1954-January 1966
6938th Radio Squadron Mobile (RSM), April 1955
7222d Air Base Squadron, 1 August 1955-1 January 1958
Det 1, 7206th Spt Group, 1 January 1958
6930th Radio Group, Mobile (RGM) (6931st Scty Gp), 1 April 1958-1 July 1963

Redesignated: 6931st Security Group (SG) 1 July 1963-1 October 1978

6931st Security Squadron (SS), 1 July 1974-1 October 1979

Redesignated: 6931st Electronic Security Squadron (ESS), 1 October 1979-30 September 1993

7276th Air Base Group, 1 October 1978—30 June 1994
2115th Communications Squadron, 2 March 1979-30 September 1993
USAF Hospital Iraklion 1985-1987

Operational history

A non-flying facility, Iraklion Air Station (Iraklion AS) began operations in support of activities of the 1603rd Air Transport Wing and other USAFE liaison operations in Crete beginning on 5 October 1954. The base also supported units of USAFSS, USAFE and NATO as directed. The base provided administrative and logistical support to the 6931st Electronic Security Squadron, as well as policy guidance in administrative, logistical and support matters for all regular and other tenant organizations at Iraklion AS, and as well as other dispersed U.S. Department of Defense units located on the island of Crete from October 1, 1978, until the closure of the base in 1994. Iraklion AS also provided liaison and base support services for the United States Embassy located in Athens, Greece.

Since the station's closure in 1994, the facility has been abandoned and appears to have been looted and vandalized. It is in an unkept state being taken over by weeds. Currently, an aquarium known as the Cretaquarium, a dinosaur park and an exhibition center are housed at the site.

References

Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Erwin H. Lerner, former A/2C, stationed at facility 1954-1955, serving as cryptographer in Detachment 2, 34th Radio Squadron Mobile, United States Air Force Security Service.

External links