Volk Field Air National Guard Base
Encyclopedia
Volk Field Air National Guard Base is a military airport
located just outside the village of Camp Douglas
, in Juneau County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. The base also houses Camp Williams, which is supported by the Wisconsin Army National Guard
.
By 1903 the camp had expanded to over 800 acres (3.2 km²) and was used for training by the then reorganized National Guard. From that date until the Federal Call of 1916 the camp was frequently visited by officials of other states who came to observe the model Wisconsin National Guard.
The site was named Camp Williams in 1927 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Williams, the Chief Quartermaster of the post from 1917 until his death in 1926. Camp Williams grew slowly following the First World War, but with the increasing development of the airplane, it was all but inevitable that an airstrip would be built, and in 1935 and 1936, the first hard-surface runways were constructed.
In 1954 the federal government leased the field from the State of Wisconsin for use as a permanent field training site. That same year work began on the air-to-ground gunnery range near Finley, Wisconsin. In 1957, the Wisconsin Legislature officially designated the facility a Permanent Field Training Site and named it in memory of 1st Lieutenant Jerome A. Volk, the first Wisconsin Air National Guard
pilot killed in combat in the Korean War
.
In 1989 the site was re-designated a Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC). The 128th Air Control Squadron, Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation system (ACMI), Air Base Operability and Ability to Survive and Operate (ATSO) training missions were added in 1991.
and concrete
paved runway
(9/27) measuring 9,000 x 150 ft (45.7 m). (2,743 x 46 m).
a majority of B-47 bombers with capability to drop nuclear payloads were "dispersed" to Volk, among other bases, to make it harder for the Soviets to threaten USAF assets..
At around midnight on October 25 1962, a guard at the Duluth Sector Direction Center saw a figure climbing the security fence. He shot at it, and activated the "sabotage alarm." This automatically set off sabotage alarms at all bases in the area. At Volk Field, Wisconsin, the alarm was wrongly wired, and the Klaxon sounded which ordered nuclear armed F-106A interceptors to take off. The pilots knew there would be no practice alert drills while DEFCON 3 was in force, and they believed World War III had started.
Immediate communication with Duluth showed there was an error. By this time aircraft were starting down the runway and Volk was too small for a control tower (its aircraft were dispatched from Duluth 300 miles (482.8 km) away). A truck raced from command center and successfully signaled the aircraft to stop.
The intruder was later identified as a black bear, not the Soviet saboteurs in advance of a nuclear attack the sentry was expecting.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located just outside the village of Camp Douglas
Camp Douglas, Wisconsin
Camp Douglas is a village in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 592 at the 2000 census. Camp Douglas is home to Volk Field Air National Guard Base.-History:...
, in Juneau County
Juneau County, Wisconsin
Juneau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the population was 24,316. Its county seat is Mauston. It should not, however, be confused with the city of Juneau, Wisconsin, to which it has no connection.-Geography:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The base also houses Camp Williams, which is supported by the Wisconsin Army National Guard
Wisconsin National Guard
The Wisconsin Army National Guard has dual state and federal roles, and is jointly funded and maintained by both governments. Its federal mission is to provide trained units to the United States Army in time of war or national emergency...
.
History
The origin of the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) can be traced back to 1888 when the State Adjutant General, General Chandler Chapman, purchased a site for a rifle range and offered it to the state for a camp. In 1889 the State Legislature authorized the Governor to purchase land near the site for a permanent campground and rifle range for the Wisconsin National Guard.By 1903 the camp had expanded to over 800 acres (3.2 km²) and was used for training by the then reorganized National Guard. From that date until the Federal Call of 1916 the camp was frequently visited by officials of other states who came to observe the model Wisconsin National Guard.
The site was named Camp Williams in 1927 in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Williams, the Chief Quartermaster of the post from 1917 until his death in 1926. Camp Williams grew slowly following the First World War, but with the increasing development of the airplane, it was all but inevitable that an airstrip would be built, and in 1935 and 1936, the first hard-surface runways were constructed.
In 1954 the federal government leased the field from the State of Wisconsin for use as a permanent field training site. That same year work began on the air-to-ground gunnery range near Finley, Wisconsin. In 1957, the Wisconsin Legislature officially designated the facility a Permanent Field Training Site and named it in memory of 1st Lieutenant Jerome A. Volk, the first Wisconsin Air National Guard
Wisconsin Air National Guard
The Wisconsin Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is, along with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, an element of the Wisconsin National Guard...
pilot killed in combat in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
In 1989 the site was re-designated a Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC). The 128th Air Control Squadron, Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation system (ACMI), Air Base Operability and Ability to Survive and Operate (ATSO) training missions were added in 1991.
Facilities
Volk Field has one asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
and concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
(9/27) measuring 9,000 x 150 ft (45.7 m). (2,743 x 46 m).
Bear incident
During the Cuban missile crisisCuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
a majority of B-47 bombers with capability to drop nuclear payloads were "dispersed" to Volk, among other bases, to make it harder for the Soviets to threaten USAF assets..
At around midnight on October 25 1962, a guard at the Duluth Sector Direction Center saw a figure climbing the security fence. He shot at it, and activated the "sabotage alarm." This automatically set off sabotage alarms at all bases in the area. At Volk Field, Wisconsin, the alarm was wrongly wired, and the Klaxon sounded which ordered nuclear armed F-106A interceptors to take off. The pilots knew there would be no practice alert drills while DEFCON 3 was in force, and they believed World War III had started.
Immediate communication with Duluth showed there was an error. By this time aircraft were starting down the runway and Volk was too small for a control tower (its aircraft were dispatched from Duluth 300 miles (482.8 km) away). A truck raced from command center and successfully signaled the aircraft to stop.
The intruder was later identified as a black bear, not the Soviet saboteurs in advance of a nuclear attack the sentry was expecting.
External links
- Volk Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB) (official site)
- Wisconsin Airport Directory: