Army Announces Closing of All State Nike Bases
In this article, which appeared in the March 4, 1971 edition of the Milwaukee Journal, the Army announces that the three remaining Nike missile bases in Wisconsin would close.
A scan of the article is at left; the text of the article is below.
A scan of the article is at left; the text of the article is below.
Milwaukee Journal
March 4, 1971
Army Announces Closing of All State Nike Bases
In economy moves announced Wednesday, the Army said it was closing all three missile facilities in Wisconsin—the closings were reported by congressional sources earlier—and the Air Force said it was cutting operations at Volk Field near Tomah.
Defense of the Milwaukee area will be handled by missile facilities in the Chicago and Minneapolis areas.
The Air Force also said it was transferring the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from Duluth International Airport to K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Mich.
The moves, which will take effect June 30, are part of nationwide economy measures and realignments of the air defense system begun in early 1960s when the Soviet Union began concentrating more on intercontinental ballistic missiles instead of manned bombers.
The Army said it would close the Nike Hercules firing bases operated by the Army at 2000 W. Brown Deer Rd., River Hills, and at Roberts, Wis., and the facility at S7-W22187 Davidson Rd. in Waukesha operated by the Army National Guard.
The actions are among 38 missile site closings in 15 states, which the Army said would save about $31 million a year. Forty Nike Hercules bases will be left.
The River Hills and Waukesha bases are part of the Army’s Chicago-Milwaukee-Gary air defense network and the Roberts facility is part of the Minneapolis network.
The Army said the 102 acre River Hills site and the 60 acre Waukesha site would be offered for use to other federal agencies. If none wants them, the land will be declared surplus and disposed of by the federal government, the Army said.
A Nike site on former Maitland Field on Milwaukee’s lakefront and its radar site on the bluff in Lake Park was closed, also for economy reasons, in 1969. Another, near the House of Correction in Franklin, was closed in 1963.
The Army said personnel at the two Army bases would be transferred to other Army Air Defense Command units and that efforts would be made to find other positions for the Army National Guardsmen at the Waukesha site.
The Air Force said it was cutting out 125 military jobs and one civilian job at Volk Field, which services squadrons from Kincheloe Air Force Base near Sault St. Marie and from Duluth.
An Air Force spokesman said it had not determined how much money it would save by the Volk Field and Duluth base moves. The nationwide Air Force economy move affecting 18 locations in 13 states will do away with 3,556 military and 359 civilian jobs.
At Duluth, 755 military and 51 civilian jobs will be eliminated. Other air defense units will remain at Duluth, with about 1,600 persons to remain on the job there.
March 4, 1971
Army Announces Closing of All State Nike Bases
In economy moves announced Wednesday, the Army said it was closing all three missile facilities in Wisconsin—the closings were reported by congressional sources earlier—and the Air Force said it was cutting operations at Volk Field near Tomah.
Defense of the Milwaukee area will be handled by missile facilities in the Chicago and Minneapolis areas.
The Air Force also said it was transferring the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from Duluth International Airport to K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Mich.
The moves, which will take effect June 30, are part of nationwide economy measures and realignments of the air defense system begun in early 1960s when the Soviet Union began concentrating more on intercontinental ballistic missiles instead of manned bombers.
The Army said it would close the Nike Hercules firing bases operated by the Army at 2000 W. Brown Deer Rd., River Hills, and at Roberts, Wis., and the facility at S7-W22187 Davidson Rd. in Waukesha operated by the Army National Guard.
The actions are among 38 missile site closings in 15 states, which the Army said would save about $31 million a year. Forty Nike Hercules bases will be left.
The River Hills and Waukesha bases are part of the Army’s Chicago-Milwaukee-Gary air defense network and the Roberts facility is part of the Minneapolis network.
The Army said the 102 acre River Hills site and the 60 acre Waukesha site would be offered for use to other federal agencies. If none wants them, the land will be declared surplus and disposed of by the federal government, the Army said.
A Nike site on former Maitland Field on Milwaukee’s lakefront and its radar site on the bluff in Lake Park was closed, also for economy reasons, in 1969. Another, near the House of Correction in Franklin, was closed in 1963.
The Army said personnel at the two Army bases would be transferred to other Army Air Defense Command units and that efforts would be made to find other positions for the Army National Guardsmen at the Waukesha site.
The Air Force said it was cutting out 125 military jobs and one civilian job at Volk Field, which services squadrons from Kincheloe Air Force Base near Sault St. Marie and from Duluth.
An Air Force spokesman said it had not determined how much money it would save by the Volk Field and Duluth base moves. The nationwide Air Force economy move affecting 18 locations in 13 states will do away with 3,556 military and 359 civilian jobs.
At Duluth, 755 military and 51 civilian jobs will be eliminated. Other air defense units will remain at Duluth, with about 1,600 persons to remain on the job there.