Osceola Air Force Station

Osceola Air Force Station
Air Defense Command (ADC)
Osceola Air Force Station Air Defense Command (ADC)
	22 May 2000
	Osceola AFS Location of Osceola AFS, Wisconsin
Coordinates	45°15′05″N 092°38′34″W / 45.25139°N 92.64278°W
Type	Air Force Station
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1951
In use	1951–1975
Garrison information
Garrison	674th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

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Osceola Air Force Station (ADC ID: P-35, NORAD ID: Z-35) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located 5.6 miles (9.0 km) south-southeast of Osceola, Wisconsin. It was closed in 1975.

History

In late 1950

East Farmington, Wisconsin site as one of twenty-eight radar stations built as part of the second segment of the permanent radar surveillance network. Prompted by the start of the Korean War

, on July 11, 1950, the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the second segment of the permanent network. Receiving the Defense Secretary's approval on July 21, the Air Force directed the Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction.

Construction of the station began in 1950 and was opened in June 1951. The 674th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was assigned and began operating a pair of

AN/FPS-6

A height-finder radars were installed during 1959.

During 1959 Osceola AFS joined the

AN/FPS-90

sets in 1963. One of the AN/FPS-90 was retired a few years later.

In addition to the main facility, Osceola operated the following

AN/FPS-18

Gap Filler sites:

Northfield, MN (P-35B) 44°25′14″N 093°11′05″W / 44.42056°N 93.18472°W / 44.42056; -93.18472 (P-35B)
Jim Falls, WI (P-35C) 45°02′12″N 091°20′54″W / 45.03667°N 91.34833°W / 45.03667; -91.34833 (P-35C)
La Crescent, MN (P-35F) 43°51′35″N 091°18′59″W / 43.85972°N 91.31639°W / 43.85972; -91.31639 (P-35F)

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 November 1974 the Air Force announced that Osceola would be closing due to what was called "redundancies with more strategically located radars". The 674th Radar Squadron (SAGE) was inactivated in March 1975 as part of a draw-down of ADC, and was closed on 30 April.

Today, Osceola Air Force Station is used as an Association Retreat Center. Most of the buildings are in use and well-maintained. The former radar towers are still standing.

Air Force units and assignments

Units

674th Radar Squadron

Constituted as the 674th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Activated on 8 October 1950

Redesignated 674th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 15 July 1959

Redesignated 674th Radar Squadron on 1 February 1974

Inactivated 31 March 1975^[1]

Assignments

543d Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 18 October 1950
37th Air Division, 1 January 1959
30th Air Division, 1 April 1959
Duluth Air Defense Sector, 1 July 1959
29th Air Division, 1 April 1966
34th Air Division, 15 September 1969
29th Air Division, 14 November 1969
23d Air Division, 19 November 1969 – 31 March 1975^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ Approved 24 August 1953.

Citations

^ ^a ^b Cornett & Johnson, p. 159

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W. (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program (PDF). Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories.
LCCN 97020912. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2013.* Information for Osceola AFS, WI