Ozona Air Force Station
Ozona Air Force Station | |
|---|---|
| Part of Air Defense Command (ADC) | |
  Ozona AFS Location of Ozona AFS, Texas | |
| Coordinates | 30°42′15″N 101°07′00″W / 30.70417°N 101.11667°W |
| Type | Air Force Station |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
 United States Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1957 |
| In use | 1957-1963 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 662d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron |
Ozona Air Force Station (ADC ID: TM-187) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Ozona, Texas. It was closed in 1963.
History
Ozona Air Force Station came into existence as part of Phase III of the Air Defense Command Mobile Radar program. On October 20, 1953 ADC requested a third phase of twenty-five radar sites be constructed.
The 732d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was assigned to Oznoma AFS by the 33d Air Division on 8 November 1956. It began operating an AN/FPS-3 search radar and an AN/FPS-6 height-finder radar at the station, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes.
In addition to the main facility, Ozona operated several AN/FPS-14 Gap Filler sites:
- McCamey, TX (TM-187A): 30°54′13″N 102°04′51″W / 30.90361°N 102.08083°W
- Comstock, TX (TM-187B): 29°51′29″N 101°09′42″W / 29.85806°N 101.16167°W
Ozona was closed in 1963 due to budget reductions. Operations ceased on 1 August 1963 and the squadron was discontinued. Today, what was Ozona Air Force Station is privately owned. The station is abandoned, the remaining buildings are frozen in time complete with electrical wires connected to substation which no longer remains. Most of the buildings that remain are in a very deteriorated condition. The former Air Force housing area is in use as single family residences, now called "Crockett Heights".
Ozona AFS most important mission was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Its Radars and radio were used to keep track of the U2's being flown out of Laughlin AFB on their flights over Cuba. The crisis delayed closing the base for another year.
Air Force units and assignments
Units:
- 732d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Assigned 25 July 1957 to Ozona Air Force Station
- Activated on 8 November 1956 by 33d AD at Oklahoma City AFS
- Discontinued on 1 August 1963
Assignments:
- 33d Air Division, 25 July 1957
- Albuquerque Air Defense Sector, 1 January 1960
- Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector, 15 September 1960
- 4752d Air Defense Wing, 1 September 1961
- Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector, 25 June-1 August 1963
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
- Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
- for Ozona AFS, TX
