King Salmon Combat Alert Center

Introduction:

A Combat Alert Center (hereafter referred to as the CAC), part of the old

Air Defense Command and NORAD, is the local facility at any given location

that has a number of aircraft that are on alert, to intercept and/or destroy

enemy aircraft that penetrate the air corridors of the United States.

The Combat Alert Center itself is in a security envelope, where only

authorized personnel are allowed to enter. Depending on the mission

of each CAC, the controllers (persons assigned to the CAC)

may or may not wear sidearms, to ensure a safe secure environment, where

nobody but them can initiate a launch of the alert aircraft.

* While stationed at Randolph AFB, near San Antonio, Texas, I received an

assignment to King Salmon Air Base, in Alaska. The year was 1979. My duty was to

be the Non-commissioned Officer In Charge of the Combat Alert Center, and to

supervise about 7 experienced controllers, and function as senior controller

* My first stop was at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, to receive cold weather survival

training, and how to survive in the frigid waters of Alaska, in case our aircraft crashed

or was forced down, enroute to King Salmon (something pleasant to think about). I

was then flown to King Salmon in a small civilian airliner. Thiis was the only way in or

out ... by air. Or, you could catch a supply or fishing boat out in the bay

* King Salmon was a collection of interconnected WW ll era buildings, that had long

hallways running the whole length. They were heated very well, because in the cold

season, one could not afford to get stuck outside. I can remember 50 degrees below

zero one day! I spit on the ground, to see how cold it really was, and before I could

step on it - it was frozen! There were also two or three 2-story dormitory type buildings

that were living quarters. In the cold season, ice formed on the inside of the glass.

* I was supposed to have a two week training period, with the person I was replacing.

After four days, he was shipped back to the states! Great ... here I was, charged with

supervising the CAC, and performing a multitude of duties I had never done before. I

was the custodian and responsible person for a ton of classified war plans, and

cryptographic authenticators. I knew I was going to sink with the ship if I didn't do

something fast. I reported directly to the CAC at Elmendorf AFB, and didn't have to

answer to anyone at King Salmon. That didn't sit well with the Lt. Colonel that was my

base commander. I was part of his Staff, but he had no control over me or the CAC.

He was later put under house arrest and relieved of his command, and sent back to

Elmendorf AFB, where his family was, in disgrace. But, that's another story ... high

ranking officers should never stalk young enlisted girls, and be seen sneaking in and

out of their rooms at all hours of the night! It was sad, in a way - he was well-off, and

had his own private airplane to fly back and forth to see his family.

* For my first week or so, I stayed in the CAC for about 16 hours or so each day,

reading the War Plans, and learning the classified authenticators, and procedures.

This was the only way to communicate with NORAD in the event of an incident, or

attack. Most everything was given in code, and had to be decoded by the controller

immediately. The working area of the CAC was a small cab that was attached just

below the roof line, to the side of the main building (hangar) that housed two F-4E

Phantom jet fighters (interceptors). There were large tinted windows on the front, and

on each side ... similar to control towers at any airport. On the main console was

a bank of telephones, UHF aircraft radios, and two speaker boxes - one of them,

having three colored lights below it. These speaker boxes could activate at any

moment, and command us to launch our two aircraft. The largest speaker was

activated at NORAD (Cheyene Mountain, in Colorado Springs, Co.). When it

activated, a voice came alive, and gave a coded message (or in the clear - uncoded)

that was being received by EVERY Air Defense Command and NORAD facility in the

United States, at one time! At the end of the message, NORAD would co nduct a

roll-call of each facility, to ensure the message was received. The smaller speaker

box (with the colored lights) was activated in the same manner, but was sent from HQ.

Alaskan Air Command, at Elmendorf AFB, to each of about four CACs in Alaska. We

could be directed to launch the aircraft by voice command OR from one of the colored

lights coming on. Each light had a different meaning, requiring a certain action. We

frequently had faulty indications on the lights, and had to verify the validity on each light

activation. The type of Russian aircraft we were most likely to intercept in the event of

an active air defense scramble, was the "Bear 'D'." It somewhat resembled the U.S.

B-52 bomber, except it had twin counter-rotating props (four engines). The props

turned at a supersonic speed, and many pilots complained of the loud noise when they

pulled into the intercept position with the Bears.

Late one night, in September (1979), The speaker from NORAD activated, and

announced that NORAD had an indication that Russia had launched multiple ICBMs

(intercontinental ballastic missiles) towards the U.S., and was issuing a Missile Attack

Warning! All CACs were directed to scramble all aircraft to the end of the runway, and

HOLD! That means don't take off until further instructions are received. Atleast the

aircraft wouldn't be sitting in the hangar, with the pilots asleep ... they'd be ready to

take-off ASAP. The security police sent a vehicle to pick me up at the dormitory, and

by the time I got to the CAC, the aircraft were just about to the end of the runway. I was

brought up to speed on what happened, and we just sat and waited ... for the next

message, or a missile to hit the base. After about thirty minutes, the next message

said to abort, and return the aircraft to alert status (back to the hangars). The next

morning, a General from Ala skan Air Command called me on the phone and wanted

to know why we didn't tell our aircraft to take-off. Not knowing what else to say, I told

him the truth - we followed the orders that were given to us! "Well," he said, "you were

one of only two or three units that didn't launch their aircraft! I just wanted to know why

you didn't launch." He was pleased with what I told him, and hung up. I have the

feeling that a lot of heads rolled that day, for launching contrary to NORAD orders. Not

only did some of the fighters launch, but some of the SAC aircraft (air refueling

aircraft, etc.) launched as well. I made sure that my controller was well recognized for

doing a fine and correct job. You just didn't know what's going to happen from one

moment to the next, during the Cold War. Well, almost the same thing happened

three months later, in December. I was back in Texas, on leave, and missed that one.

This kind of reminds me of one of my favorite movies ... War Games.

Like I said at the top, this was one of my best assignments during my 21 year career

in the A.F. Adjoining the CAC, was a lounge and recreation area for the four pilots,

that were there for 7-day alerts. Both the aircraft and the pilots came to King Salmon

from Elmendorf AFB, for their alert tour. I was also a babysitter. One of my extra

duties was making sure they had plenty of movies to watch. I picked up full size reels

from the base theater, and projected them. Of course, I was instrumental in running

the poker and blackjack table in the lounge also. There was an adjoining dining hall

for all of us, and the cook always had food and snacks for us, any time of the day or

night. Other activities, were the pilots chasing one another around the lounge and

dining hall, trying to stuff popcorn into the shorts of another pilot. All in all, it was a

great year out of my life, and gave me a lot of experience. The only drawback was that

it happened in Alaska, and my family was in Texas!