Posted on 11/28/2009 10:06:53 PM PST by george76
End of an era: Aircraft depart Brunswick Naval Air Station as Maine base readies for closing.
The two last planes at Maine's Brunswick Naval Air Station lifted off Saturday in blustery winds, ending nearly 60 years of maritime patrol operations at New England's last active-duty military air base.
The P-3 Orions of the VP-26 squadron lumbered down an 8,000-foot runway before heading off to a six-month deployment in Central America. After that, they fly to their new home at Florida's Jacksonville Naval Air Station.
The planes took off without any speeches or fanfare ...
Brunswick, once home to 4,000 sailors and six patrol squadrons, now has a skeleton crew. Its two runways are scheduled to close in January and personnel will continue to leave the base until it closes for good in May 2011.
The P-3 Orions, which went into operation in the 1960s, tracked Soviet submarines in the Atlantic Ocean during the Cold War. More recently, the planes have been used on drug interdiction missions and in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I can see the Russians & the Iranians dancing to this!
Ping
I can see the Russians & the Iranians dancing to this!
Sorry.....I suppose to say the Russians only. My mistake!
The Navy seems determined to keep putting all their eggs in fewer and fewer baskets.
I was born at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital, while my Dad was stationed at Brunswick.
Hat Tip to Patrol Squadron Ten.
The Iranians actually fly P-3 Orions. We sold them a bunch when the Shah was our ally. It was strange to see the very recognizable P-3 with an Iranian camo paint scheme flying over us on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Gulf when I was there last in '07.
Flyvet, 2192 CS, Loring AFB, ME '86-'90. We were the continental base closest to the USSR via the circle route, nuke-loaded B-52s on alert 24/7.
Left some fond memories up there. The great outdoors.
Very sad time for me...stationed at Brunswick 1976-1984 and again 1989-1990. Nice little base. Closing it was a Bush era decision to punish a blue state. A large segment of Maine is anti-military so maybe moving it somewhere else is fitting
VP-11 Lovin’ Eleven lives on in my memory and heart
The last military air base in new england? How long ago did Hanscom close?
not so
Sad day in Maine - sad day for New England.
We’ve closed enough bases. This S has to stop.
Not true.
I’ve lived here in Maine for 9 years, and am often impressed with it’s patriotism.
Very few places I’ve lived show more respect for uniformed and vets.
Anytime there’s a story about a vet in need, others step forward before the ink dries.
Ask any Vet whose experienced the VA at togus about his treatment.
Ask any troop who landed in Bangor (first foot on US soil) about being met by the ‘ bangor troop greeeters’ any time of the day or night, regardless of the weather.
No apology required for your flippant remark, just vacation in vermont next time.
A couple of photos of the Arch Hangar here.
http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Loring_AFB.htm
My comm shop was just about a quarter mile from the Arch Hangar. We were BISS (Base-Installation Security Systems). So we maintained the intrusion detection systems around the wpns storage area and bomber alert area. Plus, we had the AF's cold weather test site for such systems, until they pulled the plug.
Seems a long long time ago now.
It was known as Boring Loring to many, but I had a snowmobile and a pair of skis, plus I liked the hunting and fishing, so it didn't bother me none.
"The Moose is Loose on Loring AFB." All gone now. :(
Somewhere in one of my photo albums I have a picture of the "moose crossing" traffic sign that was just inside the main gate.
I hope the blue dummies in the local community will enjoy the economic “hope and change†that will be coming with the base closing. “Imagine a world without weapons!â€
My oldest son was stationed in Brunswick and had to choose orders to move out due to the closing. He loved it there but Hawaii was a good compromise!! He deploys in the am for Japan!!
Sad for me, too. I was married there in ‘69, by my Dad, the Senior Chaplain.
My folks retired there, because they loved the area so much.
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