Wurtsmith Air, Force Base was constructed with a runway layout specifically for this. As an officer Mr. Norton had to sit in on Court-Martials. [1], The usefulness and mission type of the KC-135 in maintaining air superiority, as well as supporting missions originating in the United States meant that they would have longer assignments, as well as much more fluid assignments than other types of squadrons. This cycle was from Wednesday to Wednesday. Wurtsmith Air Force base was one of fivenorthern tier bases in the Strategic Air Commands arsenal. Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05) and Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) today urged the U.S. Air Force to take more significant steps to address PFAS contamination around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base near Oscoda. Report also stated that the Oscoda Michigan gunnery field was very rough and sandy and notoriously hard on wheels, landing gears etc. [1] As tensions increased around the world and the likelihood of an actual mission being flown while on ready alert increased, the week, The typical activities while not on ready alert varied greatly, from person to person. Although in the past the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was extremely successful there are some prevalent issues with it today. Located in Iosco County, Michigan, Wurtsmith Air Force Base operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. This could be from hydrant flushing or a water main break. 2 talking about this. It was a feeble effort, for the plane seemed to lift for only a few feet and then it crashed, nose first, into the water. For example a KC-135 could take off from Wurtsmith Air Force Base, fly across the Pacific Ocean, land in Spain, have the flight crew be relieved by a fresh crew, fly into theater, complete the mission and return to Spain, where the original crew would be rested and ready to fly the KC-135 back to Wurtsmith Air Force Base. WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. This lead to Wurtsmith transferring to Air Combat Command control, and then on June 30th 1993, Wurtsmith Air Force Base closed. [1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base was 2nd Lt. Nortons first, permanent duty station in the United States Air Force. By Steve Elliott 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs. [5] While the 379thBomb Wing was stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base they were part of the ReadyAlert Nuclear Strike Force. The Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12 engine behind the pilots seat drove the propeller by means of a driveshaft mounted under the pilots seat. The EPA Superfund Contaminants of Concern Update of June 3, 2016 lists all the same contaminants listed in 38-3307(7)(i) as it relates to USMC Camp Lejeune water contaminants. [1] This meant that there was always at least threeB-52s armed with nuclear bombs, ready to take off at a moments notice. He brought this idea to the attention of his squadron commander Major Carl Spaatz. The P-6E was quite a good-looking airplane, and became the most famous of the Hawk line of biplane fighters. I was born on base November 1978, and lived on base with my mom, brother born 1989 on base, and my dad, a civil engineer stationed on base until oct 1982. 70-77 lived on base housing with family, flight line assistant supervisor. Wurtsmith Air Force Base has been an integral part of the United States Air Force from the 1920's to June 3rd 1993. . Most Air Corps/Force types used Oscoda at one time or another. The Air Force's decline to commit to Michigan's standards is among a litany of frustrations Oscoda residents say they have . During those efforts, they noted several areas they wanted to investigate, including one about four miles north of the Blue Water Bridge. Section 107, the written material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for educational purposes. ircraft operated from Oscoda Army Airfield. These chemicals have been shown to cause problems with thyroid, liver, kidney, reproduction, and other health problems. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base that was closed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC 2) and is a proposed EPA Superfund site. The sources Im using include The Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFRA); Photo collections from Wurtsmith Museum; Photo collections from Selfridge Museum, Selfridge AFB Historical files; and Aircraft Accident Reports. My son, was born on the base, has a malformed aorta and congenital nerve damage hearing loss. P-6E, serial number 32-156, 17th Pursuit Squadron from Selfridge Field Michigan. As seen, in the picture of the runways, there is a Christmas tree coming off of the, beginning of the runway with a building next to it. The views and opinions expressed in this website/articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the U.S. government, We are the men and women of the U.S. Military, Wurtsmith AFB is a Superfund Site. 1946. A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. Their children developed asthma, spinal defects and thyroid problems. This happened a couple weeks before the IOC which is in the wing,ahistorical records on microfilm. The Losinskis found an account of the crash in the Times Herald. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. One of the unfortunate risks in flying is a crash. These are simply the specific . Senator Gary Peters (MI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today called on the Air Force to expedite PFAS cleanup efforts at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda.In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy John . Nothing contained herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of a competent Veteran Service Officer (VSO)in good standing and licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. In 1977 the 379th Bomb Wing upgraded the B-52H fleet to B-52G, During the Gulf War B-52s from Wurtsmith Air Force Base were flown. The 5,221-acre site is bounded by Van Etten Lake to the north and east . Dover Air Force base, Delaware. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. These bases wereresponsible for a housing a Ready Alert Nuclear Strike Force. It had everything in it. WAFB began operations in 1923, under the name of Camp Skeel, and was officially named the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 1953. David Losinski said he and his son were assisting the state Department of Environmental Quality with a barge that sank in Lake Huron in July 2012. Typically, brown-ish water occurs when there is large change in pressure/flow in a distribution system. Before we move on to that, however, it is very much worth examining a very similar incident that occurred over Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan on 30 th October. The intent is to create a self-help registry for those who were harmed by the extremely toxic organochlorine pesticide contamination detected at Military Family Housing. Our biodegradation . Had some issue at Loring Maine where I was stationed from 86-88 and nothing.VA is cricket s on this Richard Stanfill, 12/5/21I was stationed there from 1982 to October of 1985 and lost my left kidney to 3rd stage clear cell carcinoma I never smoked or did drugs. The married officers lived in a standalone house with their family. However, the P-6 differed from the P-1 in having its fuselage rounded out to match the fatter engine cowling required by the Conqueror engine. [5] The 379th flew with a Triangle K tail flash to continue the, tradition from their World War II counterparts. [1], Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigator, and a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerous, deployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the United, States into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons in, theater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, Saudi, Arabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. "The Department of Defense is evaluating [cleanup standards], and we take our lead from what the Department of Defense says," said Stephen TerMaath, who leads the Air Force division in charge of Wurtsmith cleanup. These planes arrived at dawn on the first day of the Gulf War. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base that was closed by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC 2) and is a proposed EPA Superfund site. DISCLAIMER: Information displayed on U.S. The 1st Combat Evaluation Group (initially "1CEG", later "1CEVG") was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit. As seenin the picture of the runways, there is a Christmas tree coming off of thebeginning of the runway with a building next to it. My family lived on this base in 1983 to 1987, are we at risk? The P-47s radial engine proved remarkably resistant to battle damage and, with its heavy armament and well-armored cockpit, the Thunderbolt established a reputation as one of the most effective fighter-bombers of the war. On June 30th, 1993 the 379th Bomb Wing was disbanded and Wurtsmith Air Force Base was closed. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to . Aircraft was at Camp Skeel, Oscoda Michigan for Aerial Gunnery training. Lester Graham. . Veteran Compensation Programs (www.veteranprograms.com) does NOT represent or warrant, and makes no claims, promises or guarantees about, the usefulness, completeness, adequacy or accuracy of any information, posts, surveys, topics, comments, blogs or responses contained in or linked to this website, or the competency, qualifications or identity of any person providing information or making a post, survey, topic, comment, blog or response contained in or linked to this website. Military History of the Upper Great Lakes, Over the 50 years of operation Wurtsmith Air Force Base had many, different missions. He was stationed at the base. Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. [5] The B-52s did not get to travel nearly as much as the KC-135s. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to sou [1], The ready alert flight crews were rotated on a three week cycle. After being relieved, the flight crew had until the following Monday morningoff. State officials' concerns about pollution in the area date back to 2012, when the health department issued a "do not eat" advisory for all fish caught near Wurtsmith Air Force Base. The Airacobra reached its peak usage in the USAAF in early 1944, with over 2100 in service. The married enlisted airmen who lived on base lived in a condo type set up with their family. These, planes would regularly fly missions from Wurtsmith Air Force Base during the, The 379th Bomb Wing moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in June of, 19661. It is one of the most famous bases located in our state. This article is from 2018.. The human-made chemicals are in your blood, your clothes, your cosmetics. The good speed of the P-6E was counterbalanced by some unsatisfacory handling characteristics which made it sluggish in response to controls. This meant that Wurtsmith Air Force Base was essentially a self-contained airport with all of the necessities to support a full community on Base. A map of the base locations listed above can be viewed below. [1], The northern tier Strategic Air Command Ready Alert Strike Force bases were considered less than desirable duty stations for one main reason. This is desirable from a strategic standpoint, but for the airmen that served on the bases themselves this meant that they were removed from the vast majority of society. Over the course of Mr. Nortons career as both a KC-135 Navigatorand a DC-10 Pilot, Mr. Norton served as a flight commander, served numerousdeployments during the Gulf War escorting fighter squadrons from the UnitedStates into theater, supporting fighter squadrons and bomber squadrons intheater, served multiple temporary duty assignments to England, Spain, SaudiArabia, Alaska, and other Air Force Bases around the globe. They want the site to remain a memorial divers can visit. The base was put into a standby status to be there just in case something happened in those areas. In 2016, residents near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan discovered that the water they drank, bathed in, swam in, and fished in was contaminated with jet fuel, cancer-causing chlorinated . Dallas Naval base, Texas. Because of this KC-135 squadrons would routinely fly 175 day assignments and return to their home base. The Realignment of Griffiss Air Force Base. The Wurtsmith Air Museum is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving the history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and aviation in Northeastern Michigan. [4] In the later, years of World War II Wurtsmith Air Force Base was used as a fighter-interceptor training base and housed the 332d fighter group, which was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. [4] In the lateryears of World War II Wurtsmith Air Force Base was used as a fighter-interceptor training base and housed the 332d fighter group, which was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. Fast forward to 1992, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US Air Force inactivated Strategic Air Command. .. did this bill die in the committee s? History Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, served primarily as a combat crew and bomber training base throughout its 70-year history. A total of 15,683 Thunderbolts were produced by wars end, more than any other U.S. fighter. The plane was equipped with the cannon and four .50-caliber machine guns two mounted on the wings, two more just behind the propeller and timed to fire through the spinning blades. This building was like the barracks, but each officer had his own room. Facebook: Wurtsmith AFB Water Health Issues via water Created to serve as a reference point for former WAFB residents to share information regarding health issues, and probable chemical exposure via base water sources. Two years after release I started to experience very visible loss of musculature and strength. It has been discovered that the chemicals that are impacting the health of these local citizens are chemicals that come from the foam that fire fighters used to put out fires that were on the base.
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