MUFON Indiana Northern State Section Director Stewart Hill recently attended the reunion of the 305th Armaments and Electronic Squadron at the Grissom Air Reserve Base. Due to the interest in Grissom ARB Mr. Hill submitted this review. The Grissom Air Reserve Base has a long history going back to World War II. I came to Grissom (then Bunker Hill Air Force Base) in April of 1959 in the second phase of the 305th Bomb Wing's move from McDill AFB at Tampa Florida. We were part of the Strategic Air Command's (SAC) Second Air Force then equipped with B47 bombers and KC135 refueling tankers. Before our arrivial the base housed the 34th Air Refueling Wing and the 319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. In 1961 the Wing was equipped with the B58 Hussler Bomber replacing the B47 Bombers. The 305th A&E Squadron was responsible for the operation of the electronic bombing, navigation, counter measures, cameras, gunnery, and rendezvous equipment on the aircraft. I spent two and half years at Grissom before attending college. Our recent reunion of the 305th Armaments and Electronics Squadron at the Grissom Air Reserve Base was extremely interesting and informative. Our hosts were both the Grissom Air Museum and 434th Air Refueling Wing. Their hospitality was outstanding and all the veterans spoke highly of our tour of the reserve facilities, the museum and the former base facilities now converted to civilian use. We toured the reserve base facility which now includes reserve units of the Army, Navy and Marines as well as Air Force. We were able to interact with a KC135 flight crew and flight similar crew where we were updated on the aircraft's new (to us) systems and activities. While the KC135 has been around for 45 years today's systems are completely different. We viewed the museum and its staff and then met for lunch at the former Officers Club now a civilian dinner club. We also had the opportunity to tour the big Hanger 200 on base which is now a commercial building. 305 Besides the base proper out side of the reserve base, the outlaying areas south of the runway are also being developed as the Grissom Aeroplex. Development is under the Grissom Redevelopment Authority to commercial and industrial use simular to a small city. Comment: In reference to the Grissom comments on the MUFON Indiana home page I concur that Grissom reserve base has no part in any unusual occurrences in the Indiana skies other than their mission operations as an Air Force reserve air refueling wing. Air operations at Grissom are much less today than in past years. Base operations and facilities are very much in support of the military reserve units which are stationed there. The civilian activities adjacent to the current active base leave little doubt about that. |
MUFON Indiana Northern State Section Director Stewart Hill recently attended the reunion of the 305th Armaments and Electronic Squadron at the Grissom Air Reserve Base. Due to the interest in Grissom ARB Mr. Hill submitted this review. The Grissom Air Reserve Base has a long history going back to World War II. I came to Grissom (then Bunker Hill Air Force Base) in April of 1959 in the second phase of the 305th Bomb Wing's move from McDill AFB at Tampa Florida. We were part of the Strategic Air Command's (SAC) Second Air Force then equipped with B47 bombers and KC135 refueling tankers. Before our arrivial the base housed the 34th Air Refueling Wing and the 319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. In 1961 the Wing was equipped with the B58 Hussler Bomber replacing the B47 Bombers. The 305th A&E Squadron was responsible for the operation of the electronic bombing, navigation, counter measures, cameras, gunnery, and rendezvous equipment on the aircraft. I spent two and half years at Grissom before attending college. Our recent reunion of the 305th Armaments and Electronics Squadron at the Grissom Air Reserve Base was extremely interesting and informative. Our hosts were both the Grissom Air Museum and 434th Air Refueling Wing. Their hospitality was outstanding and all the veterans spoke highly of our tour of the reserve facilities, the museum and the former base facilities now converted to civilian use. We toured the reserve base facility which now includes reserve units of the Army, Navy and Marines as well as Air Force. We were able to interact with a KC135 flight crew and flight similar crew where we were updated on the aircraft's new (to us) systems and activities. While the KC135 has been around for 45 years today's systems are completely different. We viewed the museum and its staff and then met for lunch at the former Officers Club now a civilian dinner club. We also had the opportunity to tour the big Hanger 200 on base which is now a commercial building. 305 Besides the base proper out side of the reserve base, the outlaying areas south of the runway are also being developed as the Grissom Aeroplex. Development is under the Grissom Redevelopment Authority to commercial and industrial use simular to a small city. Comment: In reference to the Grissom comments on the MUFON Indiana home page I concur that Grissom reserve base has no part in any unusual occurrences in the Indiana skies other than their mission operations as an Air Force reserve air refueling wing. Air operations at Grissom are much less today than in past years. Base operations and facilities are very much in support of the military reserve units which are stationed there. The civilian activities adjacent to the current active base leave little doubt about that. |
MUFON Indiana's Hill Attends Grissom 305th A&E Reunion |
305th A&E Squadron 2005 Reunion |
