The Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range (LBGR) was a World War II and Cold War facility that included 4 of the 6 HGM-25A Titan I missile launch complexes southeast of Denver, Colorado. [1]
The area of the Lowry range was initially part of the 1937 Buckley Field's 102.4 sq mi (265 km2) that became an Army Airfield in 1942. [1] In World War II, bombing with "practice and HE bombs", training in "fixed and flexible gunnery", and rifle training were conducted at the range. [1] The 1st of the Army Air Forces Bombardier Schools was at Lowry from July 1940 through March 14, 1941, [2] used the Buckley range and graduated 3 instructor classes of graduates who opened the bombardier school at Barksdale Field. [3]
Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range was designated after the "Tech-Division Air Training Command" on September 20, 1946, transferred [7] 93.5 sq mi (242 km2) to the custody of Lowry Field, and the 9800th Technical Service Unit cleared the 1st site at LBGR--1,920 acres (3.00 sq mi)—of munitions, and the site was certified along with the "BT1" site as clear on November 16, 1948. [1] Post-war the west end of LBGR was used as an explosives demolition site. [1]
The "Air-to-Ground Bombing and Gunnery Mission" at LBGR terminated in 1956, [1] : 2–1 and RBS by the redesignated (1955) Detachment 1, 11th RBS Sq, continued until it moved to the former La Junta Army Airfield (La Junta Bomb Plot, 1959-1990). [8] In 1963, a portion of LBGR (Lowry Missile Site No. 1) had been "cleared of surface MEC"—munitions and explosives of concern). [1] From 1960 and 1980, ~63,600 acres (99.4 sq mi) of the LBGR were transferred to various other state and federal agencies and private owners. [9]
Lowry Missile Site No. 1 ("Lowry Air Force Missile Site" before being renamed in 1960) of 85.1 sq mi (220 km2) included a large portion of the LBGR [1] and began in September 1958 with the start of construction prior to excavation [7] for the eventual 4 complexes (1 off of LBGR,--additional Site No. 2 also had a complex on the former range). Construction on the 1st operational complex, Titan I Missile Complex 1A, began in April 1959, mining excavation of 1/2 million cubic yards of rock [10] was completed by 4 June 1961, and the site was finished in December 1961 [7] (the dedication was on April 18, 1962). Complex 1A was on 442.42 acres (179.04 ha) with ~36 acres (15 ha) "bounded by a chain-link fence". [7] Missiles were assembled at the Glenn L. Martin plant southwest of Denver (the co-located test site with 4 stands had been transferred to the Air Force), [10] : 48 and Lowry AFB's 724th Strategic Missile Squadron (April 26, 1961 – June 25, 1965) commanded the Site No. 1 complexes. Site No. 1 was adjacent to the Lowry Landfill on the west and Complex 1A was privatized on January 31, 1969. [7]
In January 1964 the Secretary of Defense informed congress the Titan 1 bases would be closed in 1965, [10] and the last Lowry missile was taken off alert status March 26, 1965 (all Titan 1s were in storage by April 18). [11] (Titan 1s were stored at Mira Loma Air Force Station, California, until being scrapped in Spring 1966.) [11] Titan I Missile Complex 2A on the former LBGR was transferred to the Department of the Army on October 12, 1977. [7]
A total of six missile complex sites operated in the Denver area from 1960 – 1965.
In 1969, Lowry Training Annex adjacent to the former LBGR area was established after the Department of the Navy transferred ~3,700 acres (5.8 sq mi) to the U.S. Air Force [9] (the Navy had nearby land as early as July 30, 1948, and used the bombing range in 1952 for training). [7]
The Bennett Army National Guard facility of 242 acres (0.378 sq mi) at the former Complex 2A (southeast corner of LBGR) was a Colorado Army National Guard military installation used for training. [1] In 2006 the Bennett facility was excessed by the government and was the "last federal property transferred" [1] : 2–1 of the former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range.
In 2012, oil was struck on the Former Lowry Bombing and Gunnery Range. [15]
Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also performs space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Beale Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located approximately 8 miles (13 km) east of Marysville, California. It is located outside Linda, about 10 miles (16 km) east of the towns of Marysville and Yuba City, and about 40 miles (64 km) north of Sacramento.
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder.
The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in use from 1959 until 1962. Though the SM-68A was operational for only three years, it spawned numerous follow-on models that were a part of the US arsenal and space launch capability. The Titan I was unique among the Titan models in that it used liquid oxygen and RP-1 as propellants. All subsequent versions used storable propellants instead.
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in "Military Operations Area (MOA) airspace", associated with the nearby Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). The base also has the Combined Air and Space Operations Center-Nellis.
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland. The military and the international airport share the same runways, making ABQ a joint civil-military airport.
Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson Air Force Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a U.S. Space Force Base that shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Space Force's 21st Space Wing, elements of the Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) headquarters. Developed as a World War II air support base for Camp Carson, the facility conducted Army Air Forces training and supported Cold War air defense centers at the nearby Ent Air Force Base, Chidlaw Building, and Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The base was the location of the Air Force Space Command headquarters from 1987 to 20 December 2019 and has had NORAD/NORTHCOM command center operations since the 2006 Cheyenne Mountain Realignment placed the nearby Cheyenne Mountain Complex centers on standby. On 26 July 2021, the installation was renamed Peterson Space Force Base to reflect its prominent role in the new space service.
Lowry Air Force Base is a former United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training base during World War II and a United States Air Force (USAF) training base during the Cold War, serving as the initial 1955–1958 site of the U.S. Air Force Academy. It is a U.S. Formerly Used Defense Site (B08CO0505).
Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Roswell, New Mexico. It was opened in 1941 as an Army Air Corps flying school and was active during World War II and the postwar era as Roswell Army Air Field. During the early years of the Cold War, it became the largest base of the Strategic Air Command. It is also known for the Roswell UFO incident, an event that occurred on 4 July 1947. It is alleged that a "flying disc" crashed during a severe thunderstorm near the base at Corona, New Mexico.
The Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) is one of two military training areas at the Nellis Air Force Base Complex in Nevada and used by the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base. The NTTR land area includes a "simulated Integrated Air Defense System", several individual ranges with 1200 targets, and 4 remote communication sites. The current NTTR area and the range's former areas have been used for aerial gunnery and bombing, for nuclear tests, as a proving ground and flight test area, for aircraft control and warning, and for Blue Flag, Green Flag, and Red Flag exercises.
The 451st Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force USAFCENT unit. It is assigned to Kandahar Airfield and is also the host unit at Kandahar. It reports to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Air Base.
Tonopah Air Force Base is a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) in the USA that was a Tonopah Basin military installation until shortly after it was designated an Air Force Base in 1948. Two of the runways still in use are maintained by Nye County, Nevada; and World War II building foundations and three hangars of the base remain at the municipal Tonopah Airport.
The 848th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 703d Strategic Missile Wing at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1961. The squadron was first activated in 1943 as the 848th Bombardment Squadron during World War II. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations and participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in November 1945. It was activated as an intercontinental ballistic missile squadron in 1960.
The 849th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 703d Strategic Missile Wing at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1961 and its assets transferred to another squadron that was simultaneously activated.
The 725th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 451st Strategic Missile Wing at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1965.
The 724th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 451st Strategic Missile Wing at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1965.
The 568th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 462d Strategic Aerospace Wing at Larson Air Force Base, Washington. It was equipped with the first-generation SM-68 Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile, with a mission of nuclear deterrence. The squadron was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Titan I ICBM on 25 March 1965.
The 569th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 9th Strategic Aerospace Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It was equipped with the first-generation SM-68 Titan I intercontinental ballistic missile, with a mission of nuclear deterrence. The squadron was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Titan I ICBM on 25 June 1965.
The Nellis Air Force Base Complex is the southern Nevada military region of federal facilities and lands, e.g., currently and formerly used for military and associated testing and training such as Atomic Energy Commission atmospheric nuclear detonations of the Cold War. The largest land area of the complex is the Nevada Test and Training Range, and numerous Formerly Used Defense Sites remain federal lands of the complex. Most of the facilities are controlled by the United States Air Force and/or the Bureau of Land Management, and many of the controlling units are based at Creech and Nellis Air Force Bases. Initiated by a 1939 military reconnaissance for a bombing range, federal acquisition began in 1940, and McCarran Field became the World War II training area's 1st of 3 Nevada World War II Army Airfields and 10 auxiliary fields. The area's first military unit was initially headquartered in the Las Vegas Federal Building while the WWII Las Vegas Army Airfield buildings were constructed.
Genesee Mountain Park Training Annex (1955–70) was a U.S. Air Force radar station, an outstation of Lowry Air Force Base. It is a Formerly Used Defense Site of 3 acres (1.2 ha) at Genesee Park (Colorado)
Fifty instructors arrived [at Barksdale] from the first three classes at Lowry Field, in February 1941.
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(help)…you may come, quite suddenly, on Bizerte. Not the North African outpost to be sure--but Camp Bizerte, an army training post designed to give soldiers, battle-bound, a taste of life in Tunisia or some overseas war area.
A portion of the FLBGR, then known as the Lowry Missile Site No. 1 and covering 54,446 acres, was cleared of surface MEC in 1963.
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(help)CS1 maint: location (link)Newsweek...1955...the IBM [Intercontinental Ballistic Missile][ permanent dead link ]