Hancock Field Air National Guard Base
Encyclopedia
Hancock Field Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force
base, co-located with Syracuse Hancock International Airport
. It is located 4.6 miles (7.4 km) north-northeast of Syracuse, New York
.
Hancock Field is the home station of the New York Air National Guard 174th Fighter Wing
(174 FW), with the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron (274 ASOS) as an additional tenant command. Both units belong to the New York Air National Guard
and are operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
(ACC).
was formed at Hancock Field on October 28, 1947 as the 138th Fighter Squadron (FS). The squadron was a re-designation of the World War II
505th Fighter Squadron, a component of the VIII Fighter Command
339th Fighter Group
that had deployed to the European Theater of Operations
.
The 138th FS was the first post-World War II Air National Guard
flying unit in New York State. The unit initially flew P-47D Thunderbolts. Over the past 60 years, the unit has been based at Hancock Field, operating fighter aircraft. The wing has been awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1981, 1983, 1986, and 1990.
On 11 August 2008, it was reported that the 174th Fighter Wing would replace all F-16 Fighting Falcon
fighter aircraft with MQ-9 Reaper
unmanned combat aircraft. On 6 March 2010, the last 2 F-16Cs departed Hancock Field marking the end of F-16 aircraft operations at the base. Aircraft 85-1570 and 85-1561 made three low passes for the assembled crowd gathered to commemorate the end of manned aviation at the Syracuse ANG base. The unit then transitioned to the remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper
, and presumably will be re-designated as an Attack Wing with the new aircraft.
, many believed that the East Coast was vulnerable to enemy attack. On December 31, 1941, twenty-four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor
, the Office of the Chief of the Army Air Force authorized the construction of an air base at Syracuse, New York
.
A 3,500 acre parcel located north of the city was selected, displacing several inhabited farms. Authorized on 1 January 1942, three 5,500 foot runways were built, at a cost to the Army of more than $16,000,000. These runways were constructed over existing asparagus beds, which continue to produce asparagus to this day. The first military personnel arrived on the airfield on 16 August 1942.
Syracuse Army Air Base (also Mattydale Bomber Base) was intended to be a First Air Force all-purpose station, but it became a personnel activation station instead and provided first phase training for recruits. Beginning in 1943, the First Concentration Command, later known as the Air Technical Service Command, used the base to assemble and test B-24 Liberator
aircraft, and then were sent to fly bombing missions over England. The airfield had an extraordinary large number of hardstands were used for aircraft in transient status. The first airmen to train at this base were known as The Boys from Syracuse. They used the base as a staging and storage area, repairing and re-outfitting the B-17 and B-24 aircraft that had been used in World War II. One of the first units to pass through Syracuse was the 305th Bombardment Group, flying B-17s and led by Colonel Curtis E. Lemay, who later became the Air Force Chief of Staff.
On July 22, 1946, the City of Syracuse took over the Mattydale Bomber Base on an interim lease. In 1948, the base was dedicated as a commercial airfield. The Clarence E. Hancock Airport opened to the public on September 17, 1949.
exercised a right of return to the Syracuse Army Air Base in 1951 and activated Hancock Field on 15 February 1952 under Air Defense Command (ADC). The base was renamed Syracuse Air Force Station on 1 December 1953. The 4624th Air Base Squadron was activated as the host unit at Hancock Field. Upgraded to the 4624th Support Group on 1 January 1960, it remained the base support organization until Hancock Field's inactivation as an active-duty air force facility on 31 December 1983
Eastern Air Defense Force
moved the 32d Air Division to the new station on 15 February 1952 from Stewart AFB. Initially, it assumed responsibility for an area including Maine
, Vermont
, Massachusetts
, New Hampshire
, and part of New York
, using a manual control center. It also supervised the construction of the SAGE blockhouses and the installation and testing of the SAGE electronic and data processing equipment which, when made operational made the air defense system of the 32d AD obsolete. The Division then was moved to Dobbins AFB, Georgia on 15 November 1958.
(SAGE) Data Center (DC-03) and Combat Center (CC-01) was established at Syracuse, located about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) 43°07′19"N 076°06′01"W north-northwest of the ANG facility.
The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. This automated control system was used by NORAD for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft. In the later versions the system could automatically direct aircraft to an interception by sending instructions directly to the aircraft's autopilot.
Data was collected at Syracuse from over 100 different sources such as radar, human volunteers and aircraft sightings. This information was collated and forwarded via telephone communication lines to the Data Center (DC). The information was interpreted by the computer and displayed on something totally revolutionary for that time period: a cathode ray tube display screen. The display, while similar to a radar screen, was extremely versatile. The operator of the terminal could pull up past positions of aircraft or missiles, as well as project future locations. In addition, the system used another feature far in advance of its time: a light gun. The gun was used by the operators to point at an aircraft on the screen, and the computer would respond by displaying related identification information about that aircraft. The system has the dubious distinction of holding the record for the world's largest (physical size) computer ever created.
DC-03/CC-01 had two separate computers, the second serving as a "hot standby" in case the active computer failed. With this backup, availability was an unprecedented 99.6%, when many other computers from that era would fail every few hours. The computer weighed 300 tons and typically occupied one floor of a huge windowless 4-story concrete blockhouse. On another floor, dozens of Air Force operators watched their display screens and waited for signs of enemy activity.
SAGE was never designed to counter a space or missile threat. It was designed to counter the air threat. As a final irony, in the last years of its use, replacement vacuum tubes had to be purchased from Soviet-bloc countries where they were still being widely manufactured.
Command and Control of DC-03/CC-01 was initially under the Syracuse Air Defense Sector
(SADS) which was activated under the 32d AD on 15 August 1958. The SADS was a designational of the 4624th Air Defense Wing which was activated at Syracuse ADS on 1 October 1956. The SADS was inactivated on 4 September 1963 and merged with the Boston Air Defense Sector
(BADS), with control of DC-03/CC-01 coming under the BADS. It was again reassigned to the 35th Air Division upon BADS's inactivation on 1 April 1966. On 19 November 1969, the 35th AD was inactivated, and control was reassigned to the 21st Air Division at Syracuse AFS. In 1979 Hancock Field came under Tactical Air Command
(TAC) jurisdiction with the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and the creation of ADTAC. Both DC-03 and the 21st AD were inacivated on 23 September 1983 when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down SAGE and transitioned to the 21st North American Aerospace Defense Region's new Northeast Region Operations Control Center (NE ROCC) at Griffiss AFB, New York.
The remaining ADTAC operations at Syracuse were moved to Griffiss AFB on 1 December 1983 and active Air Force use of Hancock Field ended on 31 December. Today, an Army switching center had been located on the 3rd floor of the old SAGE DC/CC blockhouse. It is rumored to be slated for demolition, to make room for another runway.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base, co-located with Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Syracuse Hancock International Airport
Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located northeast of Syracuse, in Onondaga County, New York, off of Interstate 81 near Mattydale, New York. The main terminal complex is located at the eastern end of Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard.-History:In 1927...
. It is located 4.6 miles (7.4 km) north-northeast of Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
Hancock Field is the home station of the New York Air National Guard 174th Fighter Wing
174th Fighter Wing
The Air National Guard's 174th Fighter Wing is a Close Air Support fighter unit located at Hancock Field in Syracuse, New York.-History:The 174th Fighter Wing was formed on 28 October 1947 as the 138th Fighter Squadron . The 138th FS was the first post-WWII Air National Guard flying unit in New...
(174 FW), with the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron (274 ASOS) as an additional tenant command. Both units belong to the New York Air National Guard
New York Air National Guard
The New York Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of New York. It is, along with the New York Army National Guard, an element of the New York National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as its state mission...
and are operationally gained by the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC).
Overview
The installation consists of approximately 350 acres (1.4 km²) of flight line, aircraft ramp and support facilities on the south side of the airport. The base employs approximately 2,000 personnel consisting of full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR), Air Reserve Technicians (ART) and traditional part-time Air National Guardsmen. The facility maintains the BAK-14 arresting gear on the airport's primary runway for emergency use by military tactical jet aircraft and also operates its own fire station with USAF crash vehicles that augment the airport's civilian Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) organization.174th Fighter Wing
The New York Air National Guard 174th Fighter Wing174th Fighter Wing
The Air National Guard's 174th Fighter Wing is a Close Air Support fighter unit located at Hancock Field in Syracuse, New York.-History:The 174th Fighter Wing was formed on 28 October 1947 as the 138th Fighter Squadron . The 138th FS was the first post-WWII Air National Guard flying unit in New...
was formed at Hancock Field on October 28, 1947 as the 138th Fighter Squadron (FS). The squadron was a re-designation of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
505th Fighter Squadron, a component of the VIII Fighter Command
VIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
339th Fighter Group
339th Fighter Group
The 339th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 66th Fighter Wing, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 18 October 1945....
that had deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
.
The 138th FS was the first post-World War II Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
flying unit in New York State. The unit initially flew P-47D Thunderbolts. Over the past 60 years, the unit has been based at Hancock Field, operating fighter aircraft. The wing has been awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1981, 1983, 1986, and 1990.
On 11 August 2008, it was reported that the 174th Fighter Wing would replace all F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
fighter aircraft with MQ-9 Reaper
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle , capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the CIA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Royal...
unmanned combat aircraft. On 6 March 2010, the last 2 F-16Cs departed Hancock Field marking the end of F-16 aircraft operations at the base. Aircraft 85-1570 and 85-1561 made three low passes for the assembled crowd gathered to commemorate the end of manned aviation at the Syracuse ANG base. The unit then transitioned to the remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle , capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the CIA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Royal...
, and presumably will be re-designated as an Attack Wing with the new aircraft.
Origins
With the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many believed that the East Coast was vulnerable to enemy attack. On December 31, 1941, twenty-four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the Office of the Chief of the Army Air Force authorized the construction of an air base at Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
A 3,500 acre parcel located north of the city was selected, displacing several inhabited farms. Authorized on 1 January 1942, three 5,500 foot runways were built, at a cost to the Army of more than $16,000,000. These runways were constructed over existing asparagus beds, which continue to produce asparagus to this day. The first military personnel arrived on the airfield on 16 August 1942.
Syracuse Army Air Base (also Mattydale Bomber Base) was intended to be a First Air Force all-purpose station, but it became a personnel activation station instead and provided first phase training for recruits. Beginning in 1943, the First Concentration Command, later known as the Air Technical Service Command, used the base to assemble and test B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
aircraft, and then were sent to fly bombing missions over England. The airfield had an extraordinary large number of hardstands were used for aircraft in transient status. The first airmen to train at this base were known as The Boys from Syracuse. They used the base as a staging and storage area, repairing and re-outfitting the B-17 and B-24 aircraft that had been used in World War II. One of the first units to pass through Syracuse was the 305th Bombardment Group, flying B-17s and led by Colonel Curtis E. Lemay, who later became the Air Force Chief of Staff.
On July 22, 1946, the City of Syracuse took over the Mattydale Bomber Base on an interim lease. In 1948, the base was dedicated as a commercial airfield. The Clarence E. Hancock Airport opened to the public on September 17, 1949.
Air Defense Command
The United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
exercised a right of return to the Syracuse Army Air Base in 1951 and activated Hancock Field on 15 February 1952 under Air Defense Command (ADC). The base was renamed Syracuse Air Force Station on 1 December 1953. The 4624th Air Base Squadron was activated as the host unit at Hancock Field. Upgraded to the 4624th Support Group on 1 January 1960, it remained the base support organization until Hancock Field's inactivation as an active-duty air force facility on 31 December 1983
Eastern Air Defense Force
Eastern Air Defense Force
The Eastern Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.-History:...
moved the 32d Air Division to the new station on 15 February 1952 from Stewart AFB. Initially, it assumed responsibility for an area including Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and part of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, using a manual control center. It also supervised the construction of the SAGE blockhouses and the installation and testing of the SAGE electronic and data processing equipment which, when made operational made the air defense system of the 32d AD obsolete. The Division then was moved to Dobbins AFB, Georgia on 15 November 1958.
SAGE Data/Combat Center
In 1958 a Semi Automatic Ground EnvironmentSemi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
(SAGE) Data Center (DC-03) and Combat Center (CC-01) was established at Syracuse, located about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) 43°07′19"N 076°06′01"W north-northwest of the ANG facility.
The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. This automated control system was used by NORAD for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft. In the later versions the system could automatically direct aircraft to an interception by sending instructions directly to the aircraft's autopilot.
Data was collected at Syracuse from over 100 different sources such as radar, human volunteers and aircraft sightings. This information was collated and forwarded via telephone communication lines to the Data Center (DC). The information was interpreted by the computer and displayed on something totally revolutionary for that time period: a cathode ray tube display screen. The display, while similar to a radar screen, was extremely versatile. The operator of the terminal could pull up past positions of aircraft or missiles, as well as project future locations. In addition, the system used another feature far in advance of its time: a light gun. The gun was used by the operators to point at an aircraft on the screen, and the computer would respond by displaying related identification information about that aircraft. The system has the dubious distinction of holding the record for the world's largest (physical size) computer ever created.
DC-03/CC-01 had two separate computers, the second serving as a "hot standby" in case the active computer failed. With this backup, availability was an unprecedented 99.6%, when many other computers from that era would fail every few hours. The computer weighed 300 tons and typically occupied one floor of a huge windowless 4-story concrete blockhouse. On another floor, dozens of Air Force operators watched their display screens and waited for signs of enemy activity.
SAGE was never designed to counter a space or missile threat. It was designed to counter the air threat. As a final irony, in the last years of its use, replacement vacuum tubes had to be purchased from Soviet-bloc countries where they were still being widely manufactured.
Command and Control of DC-03/CC-01 was initially under the Syracuse Air Defense Sector
Syracuse Air Defense Sector
The Syracuse Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 26th Air Division, being stationed at Syracuse Air Force Station, New York.- History :...
(SADS) which was activated under the 32d AD on 15 August 1958. The SADS was a designational of the 4624th Air Defense Wing which was activated at Syracuse ADS on 1 October 1956. The SADS was inactivated on 4 September 1963 and merged with the Boston Air Defense Sector
Boston Air Defense Sector
The Boston Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force Air Defense Command organization. Its last assignment was with the ADC 26th Air Division, being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York.-History:...
(BADS), with control of DC-03/CC-01 coming under the BADS. It was again reassigned to the 35th Air Division upon BADS's inactivation on 1 April 1966. On 19 November 1969, the 35th AD was inactivated, and control was reassigned to the 21st Air Division at Syracuse AFS. In 1979 Hancock Field came under Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) jurisdiction with the inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and the creation of ADTAC. Both DC-03 and the 21st AD were inacivated on 23 September 1983 when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down SAGE and transitioned to the 21st North American Aerospace Defense Region's new Northeast Region Operations Control Center (NE ROCC) at Griffiss AFB, New York.
The remaining ADTAC operations at Syracuse were moved to Griffiss AFB on 1 December 1983 and active Air Force use of Hancock Field ended on 31 December. Today, an Army switching center had been located on the 3rd floor of the old SAGE DC/CC blockhouse. It is rumored to be slated for demolition, to make room for another runway.
Known ADCOM units assigned
- 21st ADCOM Region, Designated and activated, 8 December 1978
- Transferred to ADTAC as 21st NORAD Region, 1 October 1979-31 December 1983
- 32d Air Division, Reassigned, 12 February 1952 – 15 August 1958
- 26th Air Division, Reassigned, 15 August 1958-16 June 1964
- 35th Air Division, Organized, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
- 21st Air Division, Activated, 19 November 1969
- Transferred to ADTAC, 1 October 1979-31 August 1983
- 4624th Air Defense Wing, Activated, 1 October 1956
- Re-designated: Syracuse Air Defense SectorSyracuse Air Defense SectorThe Syracuse Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 26th Air Division, being stationed at Syracuse Air Force Station, New York.- History :...
,1 October 1956-4 September 1963
- 4624th Support Group, Activated, 1 January 1960-1 September 1963
- 4789th Air Base Group, Activated, 1 May 1971
- Transferred to ADTAC, 1 October 1979-31 December 1983
- 672d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Activated on 1 December 1956-1 July 1957
- 644th Radar Squadron, Activated 1 October 1954-1 July 1955
- 907th Radar Squadron, Activated on 26 May 1953-1 April 1955
- 4673d Ground Observation Squadron, Reassigned on 15 February 1952-15 August 1958
See also
- New York World War II Army AirfieldsNew York World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in New York for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations