Loring Air Force Base

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Loring Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Aroostook County, Maine, treated for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place. As of the 2000 census, the base had a total population of 225. It is located at 46°57′00″N, 67°53′00″W.

Contents

[edit] History and background [1]

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)
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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)

Loring Air Force Base in Maine was the closest base in the continental United States to the Soviet Union east of the Ural Mountains, to Europe and to the Middle East. Loring was a megabase, with enormous capacity, and was the second-largest in the Strategic Air Command (SAC), having two runways (only two other SAC bases had two runways). It also had the largest capacity for weapon storage and for fuel storage, as well as the most operational flexibility for expansion out of the three SAC bases in the Northeast.

Loring AFB was built in the 1950s to accommodate 100 B-36 bombers. Consequently, its ramps, parking areas, weapons storage, and fuel storage capacities all have far exceeded later requirements and its overall capacity ranked second among all 21 SAC bases. The second runway was completed in 1985. Ramp space exceeds 1.1 million square yards which ranks second among all SAC bases in total ramp space and first in excess ramp space.

Weapons storage capacity was 10,247,882 NEW (Net Explosive Weight) — the highest in all of SAC. Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, which had the second highest weapons storage capacity, had less than 28% of Loring AFB's weapons storage capacity. Loring AFB ranked first in all of SAC in fuel storage capacity (9,193,374 gallons). The nearest SAC base to Loring AFB, Plattsburgh AFB, had less than 35% of Loring AFB's fuel storage capacity.

Loring's air space was unencumbered, in contrast to every other SAC base in the Northeast. CERT (Conventional Enhanced Release Training) is a bombing range located adjacent to the runway on which B-52's can drop practice ordnance and was one of four SAC bases that had a CERT. A major low level training area entrypoint lies just 165 miles from Loring AFB. This area contains several alternative routes and training opportunities, and provides varied training options throughout the year. The preponderance of bombing and navigation training is accomplished during low level flight activity.

While Loring AFB's location was ideal for wartime, it had the disadvantage of being far from the western Strategic Training Route Complex (STRC), and the Nevada and Utah bombing ranges — the only U.S. ranges where B-52's may drop live munitions. Since SAC training requirements only require crews to drop ordnance on these ranges twice a year, this isn't as much as a drawback as it might otherwise be. Far more frequent training is conducted in the low level route structure adjacent to Loring AFB and on the CERT which is located at Loring AFB. Furthermore, since all Eastern Seaboard-based B-52's must fly several hours to reach the STRC and live bombing ranges this problem is not unique to Loring AFB.

Loring AFB straddles the primary great circle route for the entire eastern half of the United States to Europe, the Soviet Union, the Middle East, and the Persian Gulf. As the "last stop" along that route, Loring AFB was ideally situated to provide tanker support in both wartime and peacetime operations.

[edit] Weapons Storage Area[2]

The Nuclear Weapons Storage Area at Loring once operated as a separate, top-secret base. Originally called Caribou Air Force Station, the remote area to the northeast of Loring’s property was the first U.S. site specifically constructed for the storage, assembly, and testing of atomic weapons.

A parallel ribbon 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" level security clearance required to enter.

In June 1962, the Atomic Energy Commission released its custody and ownership of the weapons to the Air Force. The personnel and property of Caribou Air Force Station were absorbed into that of 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, the Congress committed itself to upgrading the base facilities. Since 1981, nearly $300 million in military construction and operations and maintenance funds have been spent to upgrade the facilities at Loring AFB.

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, in Limestone, Maine, was one of the six bases on the closure list.

The official base closure date was September 30, 1994.

[edit] Gallery

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 obstruction lights in foreground.

Aerial photograph of west side of base.

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

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

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

[edit] References

  1. ^ Historic American Engineering Record. Loring Air Force Base, Limestone vicinity, Aroostook County, ME. On file with The Library of Congress.
  2. ^ 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.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/o/r/Loring_Air_Force_Base_9d01.html"