Antigo Air Force Station
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2012) |
| Antigo Air Force Station Air Defense Command (ADC) | |
|---|---|
| South-southwest of Antigo, Wisconsin | |
 USAF photo, 14 January 1972 | |
| Coordinates | 45°02′54″N 089°14′02″W / 45.04833°N 89.23389°W |
| Type | Air Force Station |
| Code | ADC ID: P-19, NORAD ID: Z-19 |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  United States Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1951 |
| In use | 1951-1977 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 676th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron |
Antigo Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south-southwest of Antigo, Wisconsin. It was closed in 1977 and is currently classified as a high risk toxic waste site involving groundwater, sediment, soil and surface water.[1][2]
History
In late 1951
On 1 May 1951 the 676th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron began operating an
During 1960 Antigo AFS joined the
During 1962 an
In addition to the main facility, Antigo operated the following
- Norway, MI (P-19A) 45°47′19″N 087°52′06″W / 45.78861°N 87.86833°W
- Two Creeks AFS, WI (P-19B) 44°19′25″N 087°34′47″W / 44.32361°N 87.57972°W
- Brooks, WI (P-19C) 43°49′39″N 089°42′54″W / 43.82750°N 89.71500°W
Over the years, the equipment at the station was upgraded or modified to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the information gathered by the radars.
In March 1977 the Air Force announced that the station would be closing due to what was called "redundancies with more strategically located radars". The 676th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was inactivated on 30 June 1977, and the facility was closed.
Today, Antigo Air Force Station remains abandoned, badly deteriorating 30 years after its inactivation.
Toxic site
The United States Department of Defense classifies Antigo Air Force Station as a toxic waste site of high concern, involving both toxins and radiation.[1]
Air Force units and assignments
Units
- Established as 676th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
- Activated on 1 May 1951
- Redesignated 676th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 15 July 1960
- Redesignated 676th Radar Squadron on 1 February 1974
- Inactivated on 30 June 1977
Assignments
- 543d Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 1 May 1951
- 31st Air Division, 6 February 1952
- Eastern Air Defense Force
- 4706th Defense Wing, 16 February 1953
- 37th Air Division, 8 July 1956
- 30th Air Division, 1 April 1959
- Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector, 1 April 1960
- Duluth Air Defense Sector, 1 October 1963
- Chicago Air Defense Sector, 1 June 1964
- 20th Air Division, 1 April 1966
- 30th Air Division, 1 December 1967
- 34th Air Division, 1 July 1968
- 29th Air Division, 14 November 1969 – 30 June 1977
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ a b "Bombs in Your Backyard: ANTIGO AIR FORCE STATION". propublica.org. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
- ^ "Property Information Page". rsgisias.crrel.usace.army.mil.
- Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, [1] Archived 2016-02-13 at the Wayback Machine Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980).
- Winkler, David F. & Webster, Julie L., Searching the Skies, The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, [2][dead link] US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, Champaign, IL (1997).
- Information for Antigo AFS, WI
