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unless they had a need to go outside during the winter season. The coverings of the station's three radar towers were heated from within to keep the covering from becoming brittle from extreme cold, and thus subject to being damaged or destroyed by high winds. Tours at the station were limited to one year because of the psychological strain and physical hardships.
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The station and radar site was constructed on a flat area just to the west of some hills. The buildings were, except for the civil engineering building connected by heated hallways. As a result, personnel stationed there, with only very few exceptions, were able to wear "summer" uniforms year round,
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B radars. As a surveillance station, its mission was to monitor the airspace for aircraft activity and provide information 24/7 to the air defense
Direction Center at Fire Island AFS near Anchorage, where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were
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Bethel Air Force
Station was very expensive to maintain, and was inactivated due to budget reductions on 15 May 1963, its mission being taken over by other AAC surveillance radar sites with upgraded and more capable equipment.
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Today the site remains abandoned and deteriorating. Aerial imagery clearly shows abandoned buildings, radar towers and communications antennas, all in a highly deteriorated state.
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was constructed near the site, about halfway between the station and Bethel, allowing cargo transports and personnel to fly into and out of the area.
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Bethel AFS was a continental defense radar station constructed to provide the United States Air Force early warning of an attack by the
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Plans were made for a permanent radar site beginning in late 1956. In 1957, acreage was acquired approximately 5 miles west of
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near
Anchorage. The guardsmen were returned to state control in March 1952 and the provisional station was closed.
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5039th
Aircraft Control & Warning Group (later 5040th Aircraft Control and Warning Group), 1 June 1957
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and the threat of a communist attack on Alaska. The guardsmen were designated as
Detachment "C-3",
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for construction of the station. Using the existing port facilities at Bethel on the
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General
Surveillance Radar station. It was located 402 miles (647 km) west of
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Closed United States Air Force
General Surveillance Radar station (1958-1963)
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The
Alaskan Air Command, after investigating various options, constructed a
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A radar site was initially activated in
September 1951 at
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Emblem of the 713th
Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
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The 713th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron operated
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713th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (1953-1969)
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Buildings and structures in Bethel Census Area, Alaska
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Installations of the United States Air Force in Alaska
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communications site at the station, operated by the
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46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
518:Discontinued and inactivated on 1 October 1963
612:Radar stations of the United States Air Force
512:Activated at Elmendorf AFB on 8 February 1957
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506:713th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
340:626th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
632:Military installations established in 1958
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77:Learn how and when to remove this message
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294:Bethel Air Force Station (AAC ID: F-21)
637:Military installations closed in 1963
528:5039th Air Base Wing, 8 February 1957
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581:Air Force Historical Research Agency
549:, 1 November 1961 - 1 October 1963
515:Moved to Bethel AFS on 1 June 1957
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430:White Alice Communications System
627:1963 disestablishments in Alaska
575: This article incorporates
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434:Air Force Communications Service
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487:Air Force units and assignments
138:Location of Bethel AFS, Alaska
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622:1958 establishments in Alaska
325:Alaska Air National Guardsmen
283:GPX (secondary coordinates)
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334:radar as a result of the
278:GPX (primary coordinates)
253:Map all coordinates using
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436:(AFCS). The Bethel site
323:, manned by Federalized
261:Download coordinates as:
92:Bethel Air Force Station
32:This article includes a
541:5070th Air Defense Wing
476:was activated in 1958.
342:, and commanded by the
298:United States Air Force
209:United States Air Force
61:more precise citations.
577:public domain material
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456:60.78111°N 161.88611°W
381:60.78056°N 161.83583°W
168:60.78528°N 161.88278°W
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425:friendly or hostile.
273:GPX (all coordinates)
587:Alaskan Air Defenses
461:60.78111; -161.88611
386:60.78056; -161.83583
327:and equipped with a
236:Garrison information
173:60.78528; -161.88278
560:Alaskan Air Command
547:Alaskan Air Command
451: /
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106:Alaskan Air Command
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467:Bethel White Alice
197:Controlled by
34:list of references
537:, 1 November 1959
535:10th Air Division
344:10th Air Division
302:Anchorage, Alaska
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187:Air Force Station
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67:December 2012
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329:World War II
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314:Soviet Union
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296:is a closed
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215:Site history
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53:Please help
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523:Assignments
459: /
446:161°53′10″W
384: /
371:161°50′09″W
316:on Alaska.
228:In use
171: /
159:161°52′58″W
147:Coordinates
59:introducing
601:Categories
592:Bethel, AK
566:References
465: (
443:60°46′52″N
390: (
368:60°46′50″N
336:Korean War
156:60°47′07″N
132:Bethel AFS
332:AN/TPS-1B
231:1958-1963
554:See also
422:AN/FPS-6
418:AN/FPS-6
414:AN/FPS-4
410:AN/FPS-8
241:Garrison
104:Part of
308:History
55:improve
420:, and
206:
500:Units
220:Built
108:(AAC)
40:, or
223:1958
184:Type
346:at
268:KML
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
