Summer Nebraskan
Page 3
Strategic Air Command
Red Telephone
Tuesday, June 27, 1961
By Judy Harrinj;tkB
The hub of our nation's
air defense wheel is buried
In the Midwest
But tt is not dormant by
any means.
The central workings of
the Air Force s Stragtr.c
Air Command lie beneath
the ground, 11 miles south
of Omaha, Nebraska. - .
Here, at Offutt Air Fare
Base, rests one of the most
important instruments ia
the workS the fames
SAC red telephone. Frim
this phe every coatrtl
rn ia the Vailed States
raa be reached. ;
When dialed, it sets off a
network of alarm bells and"
flashing lights. Within sec
onds the controller is able to
order execution of any of
the many emergency war
plans already ia the hands
of combat wing command
ers. . .... .
And la 3 ta 15 minutes,
aircraft carrying nuclear
weapons will be wheels-tip
and flying to pre-detertained
targets ia all comers of the
world. . .
AB-Ost War
Bat while it is the duty of
SACs Commander, Gen.
Thomas S. Power, and his
SSJkttXNaan force to be
traiaed, alert and capable
of waging all-out war, it is
their hope that, such will
sever crone to pass.
It seems iroaak that such
important baa&juaiters, vi
tal to national defease, be
m Nebraska's plains in the
first place; for the Midwest
constantly is cMded for be
ing slow, net quite in the
swims of things, truant con
ceroing items of national
and international interest.
Ia earner days the Mid
west, inland as it is, a-
Golds
Of MEeusca
THE BREEZE-COOL
Arrow
Declon
Tiitt et
rmii fMJ!j'tfir aa
v-SKhm iibe a bww,
libitiic tht iron. t?lfJ
wifii iiimf(irUiSile ShaM
vnrtible fcr-.F otillar.
Siapt lt-VL
COLD'S Men 's Stare
of Defense WMeel Buried in Midwest
, suraed an isolationist's rale.
Bat today, when peace is as
shaky as elm leaves ia a
strong Nebraska wind, this
fertile farm laad quarters
the "iron fist" of the Free
World the lS-year-ald
Strategic Air Command..
What a visitor to the base
would see would be aa un
imposing, saadxured
building giving no hint of its "
powerful influence 45 feet
underground. Modem Hermita ;
In the event of war, up
stairs occupants would
scramble to the three-story
sub-ground quarters wher
they would be sealed oft
like modern hermits
equipped with air-filtering
machinery and a 39-day sup
ply of food. The war would
be fought through a re
markable communications
system.
Contact with bases around
fee world, in Japan, JNorta
Africa and Britian. is in
stantaneous from the coo
trol room. Detailed plans
are at the military's finger
tips, displayed on huge pan
els normally curtained. Glo
bal weather can be seen at
a glance as well as the dis
position of every one of
SACs 3,509 aircraft. Tele
types, dased circuit televi
sion and 8 internatsao
al clocks keep ever-changing
world conditions up-to-date.
Other phones, M of then,
provide instant voice ea
tact with each of the Cota
nui'j asmfcered Air
Forees the 3rd Air Bhri
smw at Gaaaa, tV Tt Air
Riviuoa ia England, the
Itta Air Force ia Spaia, the
SSh Air Force at Westaver,
Mass, the Sad Air Force
at Barksdale ia LaaMaaa
CRITICAL- fA?5C
... Strut How
'A- . hM
1 m r
At Lm. Sft
VI I 1 i .Want Ada
. aad the 15th Air Farce at
Riverside. CaKf.
This array of communka
tion is designed for one pur
pose: at any hour of the
day to account for the Com
mands potential to deter
war.
. The number is changing
r. all the' time, but at any
hour SAC has an average of
311 planes in the air: Each
, crew has a predetermined
mission. The loss of any
, plane means that temproar-
ily some area is not being
covered.
Flying Safety
: For this reason great em-
' phasis is placed on flying
safety. In 133S, the Com
mand reported only 5 acci-
, dents per 100.000 flying
hours. Gen. Power expects
a personal explanation from
a base commander who
loses an aircraft.
SAC feels it must be alert
- and at full force because the
next war, if it comes, will
be a quick one. Everyone
must be ready to go when
the whistle blows. An air
man on leave miles eai
the base may never get into
the war. It could be all over
by the time be reported in.
By the same takes, a
plane ia the repair hangar
might never Ry a Btissfoa.
For that reason, aircraft
noted aa the maps fat the
war roam as oat at service
are not coasted apoa.
Alerts keep the men
primed for that possible day
of attack. At a signal, fee
crews on 72-hour alert shifts
scramble to their posts. The
first plane takes off three
minutes after the whistle,
the last in 15 minutes.
Tough Punch
Why the effort to get the
force airbora in miiroimura
7- gwrmwrm
Wxal Ads
Cmr imar. kwu. aut manr. raw
AMI inMHW mine w aiuiilanB n.USumia
Need Extra
.Money?
A4 to fee rriulM is
Che cflafitaol aMOam af ttte
.waatr 3EdB-aajua art be
MKWBgiKBafti try ataanp
f the pom filnaisc sail
xnt limacM tm rata III.
time? Because the Com
mand believes that initia
tive provides a tremendous
advantage. If opposing
. forces are equal,. the one
to hit first Ais expected to
: throw the toughest punch.
Another jump SAC has on
obsolete war maneuvers is
the power of "recall.' Not
only can the Command put
its mighty machine in ac
tion in seconds and guide
its . weapons to destruction,
but it can stop the entire
plan in mid-flight by a re
call system known as "Pos
itive Control."
The Inventory af this air
wr has progressed bora
Warld War II kit-ever
B-STs to aa aB-jet bomber
command. The only aoa-jet
aircraft is the KC-s7 "Fly
ing Gas Statjoa, and it is
being eased oat by the all
jet engine EC-135 tanker.
Missiles on the inventory
include the long range Min
uteman. Atlas and Titan, all
capable of being fired 6 SCO
miles. Smaller missiles are
the intermediate-range Tbor
and Jupiter, and the Hound
Dog, and Skyholt, which are
launched from the bottom of
the B-5S and B-47, respec
tively. Missile Bases
Three Atlas missiles bases
with three missiles at each
site are in the Omaha
area. These, at Valley, Ia.,
are above ground. Also near
Omaha, at LocisviLJe. Neb.
and Treynor. Ia.. are two
Nik e-Hemiles anti-missile
aircraft bases.
Twelve Atlas missiles
Love Library Staff Recommends
General, Technical Space Books
A special list of recomeiiiid
ed books in the fields of mis-
sile and space research and
deveSfpsseffll has been provid
ed by the Love Memorial Li
brary staff.
These books imdhsie somne
easy reading, some technk-al
works and se merance
material out the sasbjjedt 4
space aad its alliied sttoiidiies.
Martiin CsiJa. Cantdia fr
Toumctow . The inside slusrv
of earth sateMtes, rockets
and missilfs aind the race be
tween Anneracaia amd Soviet
scseacc This is an iltesratted
bistekal devetopesseiiiit off the
space age. Maniy aspects M
the space ae are dnsssed
boat priicniairy tftnsjp&asiis has
been placed em rassle
Lanc&aig. Thiis is a ncm-tecib-nical
account si cwiHd be
readaty aaoiSerstood toy lay
BDeo. Tht xsfi&nsr has had
tamstt bamd exjKsmsM in ttos
braBch cf sdtesnx tfiDesretane
libe MiirciaQasm s&aiaJJ 1 be
very reJiaMe.
Eachard WsOml The Ckal!kae
f tae ScwbuU- Wafi the &a-
I vue&s paradnQg a oew Jksitff-
k farce foetfane me iwm,
several famBUits Ajn!rkasis
respooJ winlb bow Aitn&irka
was smeetaEi,g tCbe ctoltomge.
Fanms Mmmg itese sat me
prartiiiag weme twrwa- pmssi
demt Easeo&iiwes-, Clare
Eajt2ae Lmce, Etoraami Ei
radii. Emic Sevamekd, Claairtes
EL Wjlvom. a3d Ttaiias K.
FimtoJer.
Arthur C. GLaxke. Gajt las
Saee. This is auadber ilaas
tralad, ppttoly wtMm ac
cmalL of mans projedtiad
S&mnay ioto mnaoite 5M.
The aoJ&cr has writutfen sfiace
iadliiam as well as rotBa-Sktocm.
Ttzs mat may bare eJenaoiLs
cf haOn kiaiis. hs& prmiainilly
it is SIQ&-iCl&U!BL.
Patract Maome. Earth Satel
lites. OtftjRH t3ae moiBtfi:iLJLluit
tax ftnxod iuKfieJU' eat cf
6ep wixa reaSiEg the flood
sfftechmical ijnrmi&cm
i.t,n,iiH sfkbtt trjsvii aisd imiic
sile iletiiikEjpiiieESL He aa-
. tiiar"j istTOt bas toeea to gi
a general pktane cf w&at its.
goiffig cm so Khat adVar re&d
BDg Ms aooaiHl t2 BEftHfeSi
cd cmlaotfar w3 fmd it easi
er ta BQitorslaQd Eacsre tedb
Ekal expasaiirms.
ViDMsal F. CaTlahaa Space
Gm&e. Ha Nteal Aeriica a
tkj aad. Space AdTnimiiB
tratiaa sets ffarSi Is pnesedl
aeni dare actifiSsfs in t2xs
GOING H03IE?
your car ready?
3 Hate aw aawlLawics Ioft.
ati jsttCmrsU tkat naeaat
OECaQE kkaub
1 -.t v. 1
a T01 ?f. loti
t Vf' ',. ' "
MISSILE COMPITOR Located at the
Strategic Air Command Headquarters at
Offal Air Force Base, this computer, com
pleted ia vm, is. the targeting center for
ail iatercentinental ballistic missile bases
stand watch around Lincoln
at Tecumseh. Brain ard.
Eagle, Wilber, York, Sew
ard. Dorchester, Beatrice,
Cortland, Nebraska City,
E 1 m w o o d and Palmyra.
They are the hard type,
boused in concrete silos in
the ground.
Two more Nike-Hercules
bases are at Crete and Ag
new.
When aS are aperatiaaal,
they will form a complete
air defease ring around the
Uacota-Omaaa area.
The Lincoln Air Force
Base itself is the only com
This new agency as
created by Congress in JaiHy
of 19SS as the civilian agen
cy to comvhuti and coordinate
IIS. research problems of
Eigftt witMn and witbomt the
earth's aflffiuosphere.
Advances in Astrwantkal Sci
eaees. TMs is am ac
&mA of the EMi m a series
of anaDQial raeeflinigs spiMSifliired
by the ABmeracam Astroiniaifflti
cal Saciety. It has been writ
ten witiln tine specialiist in
' mml arad baskaiilly the pa
pers appear just as Kt abu
tters wrote them.
Homnier E. NewelL Soaadiag
Rockets. TMs book descrites
.smile off the madeira roctos
ttiBS. nave beem used in soesB
tefk: research off flae nupper
atEMsp&ere ami sod. These
swnhfflf rockets, as they are
mm calkd. peasetrate iregMcs
oltlaerwise raadessiiblle to
man amid make observatsoxES
U caswt be made from
t2oe gmmroi. PtermissMm was
cibuskaed tirsma tftie Anserican
Racket Switty to pMiish
part off this maateriial winacfti
was takem finoai the refwt cf
tJae SyMijwffisiaiiiB ca High AJSi
tmiiiSe Swm&mg Rackets.
Harry SLjsie. Earth SxtelStes
asd the Race fur Sparc S
pemrdy. Hie aaiittw bas bM
imiiiiiimaite,, lnirst-toiadl expert
eance in that be has gaaitiki-ll
potted in batdinedls cf rocket
ffjuriissgs, iEMlaidMag the wcawd
breaking AeraJsee-Mi re
seajndh rockets. In this ac-'
cuat he s5s totth a piaa faxr
the cdDipestt cf space by pa
Ecg saario cliaSiemgaEg cpes
tutts as: Why is a mazHmadle .
sattelffile vital to Aroeraca'? j
Cam AMoerka soarvinre wittlb-
is emir tiiiimiealliAe to the
wwa? And ran we bare a
inaKted sjce statjiw by
13E7?
Mre teciaical bLs oa
space tratel aad asmiSe de
neJtofneat ItZvmz
1L J. Zocnsw. Aircrait aad
MifidSe Prifwliioa. Ttes is a
Ttestlmii wTiiton far first
year gradsalle stakdests. In it
are discmsssed the noderlyraig
prinaaplcs cf the tedtaaotegy
pertEoert to the ffiiUowiag pn
pElEsjffl eEgBJM. The taarbia
pnsjp, the tsnrte jet, the tana
jet, the 1 i j m i d-piropeEaint
roctot, aM the amid prcpell
lazft rckcL That the teaks
were wrMiSn for stofeMas is
eviteiced by the motatiiam fiar
cSaapitfflrs, large usanEibers off
mvtr yaw ear and male
aaaaMtli mMoiite ahead.
liqeil service
m? a r
HE 2-7960
bat operational base in the
state and one of the few
two-wing bomber bases in
the SAC Command.
In terms of worth, the en
tire Command is compara
ble to one of the biggest of
America's businesses. Its
payroll tops 2t,(KX) men
and women on 0 bases on
4 continents. It operates
nearly a thousand more air
craft than all the airlines
in the world outside the Iron
Curtain.
Enemy Kaaws
The enemy knows about
Omaha and the striking
ffluastrataas. exercise prob
. terns together with their
answers and tahSes of the
IsnKfeJcss reqwed far prob
lem solving. The hbrary has
two of the three vol
uime work.
la the forra of ufarcnce
books a the sahject, the U
braiy has. aawiag others,
tbe ioQowiag:
UJS. library cf Cosngress Ref
erence De-pt. RassiaVEagSs
GlttHary of Goided Missile,
Rocket, and Satellite Terms.
Compiled by Alexander Ros
enberg. W'ashmgton. B51
This poiKcatwoin shosiiid be of
great interest for sciieiniti'sISs
am this- field. It contains over
esttrks and is intended
to assist translators, afesarac
ters. and research wwkers.
The tenuis included were tak
en firon EMmiiographs nd
Ijaerw&rals ptiibiLshed in the
USSR in the years 1255-5&
aad the English eiqitaarvatenills
were based nnaimlry can Soviet
ItrffintsILattassottS cf British and
AnnerBcasi traimslatiiiHiiis.
UwS. Library off Cmgress. Sci
cmc asod Techssiiiltogy Divi
Aerafpace Medkiae
aad Bkfegy. TMs is a three
votiiiae work wtose title was
eteisfed firasna Aviatwu Med
ionie''" to "Aerospace IWkdi-
crae and Biology.
Soft
jixptesskm
CLAYTOME
GABARDINE
SUITS
irendnamtr far "6t - - owoAcd W
CalWe IHbA tar aanreapofrta
mam iwifti o aium. ftw liiidL
vvSeni'uifitiA bodtown- &hamm )Ww M
lAe new Dacmwi emdl Wamdedl
21I0 ymfaomdtn far lA aak umS
tti af bW4 cHcynnn. "
CflBlfflllff
wsa T
UNnoxsmr of keixasxa umckh
1127 "IT Street Phone HE 2-2042
fmfi
inchtdiag the Atlas complex near Llncohu
It supplies trajectory aad space data into
the guidance systems of the 5M mile
range missiles.
force it controls. It knows,
too, that a war might mean
elimination of all large cit
ies, plus 100,000,000 casual
ties, if not toal destruction.
But the day may coma
when the enemy wQl feel
like a gambler, willing to
tease or to test oar
strength.
In that event, the Stra
tegic Air Command is here
to order retaliation on tha
war-making potential of tha
enemy in one mighty holo
caust of nuclear force.
This is the power oa th
plains.
change brings into relief the
fact that the general subject
scope of the bibliography has
been expanded to include
new areas of interest in
space medial and space,
biological research. The balk
of the pcMicatKWJ is devoted
to journal articles, reports
and mswDOgraphs; references
are arranged alphabetically
by author; abstracts are in
formative and Ml bihSio
grapfcac informatioo is pro
vided, including foreign and
translated titles, volume and
issnae numbers, place of
publication, etc The hQ&og
rap&y itself is cot of date;
however selected abstracts
from current aerospace aad
biio-astronautic literature are
polished monthly in Aero
space Medkiae, the official
organ of the Aeroeoedacal
AssooatsiQ. The library has.
vohmmes 2 and 3 of the bibli
ography as well as some is
sues of the EMClMy piltSca
tkm Aerospace Medkiae.
WATCH & CLOCK
REF.lia
X alar terrier!
StwaVcwt rraeesS
CiCTS WATCH SHYIQ
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