Moron Air Base Early 1960

Moron Air Base sign at the entrance to the base early 1960.
A/2c Barry Heinzel pointing the way.
Photograph from a 35mm slide.



A1C Odie Blackburn, General Curtis LeMay, Moron Base Commander, A1C John Baker, 1961 Honor Guard

Addendum: General LeMay stopped at Moron AB to find out why the Chrome Dome B-52 was on the ground getting repairs instead of flying the Chrome Dome route. Would not want to have been that A/C commander!
Honor Guard for fighter Commander, A2C Bob Sterkenburg, Moron Base Commander Greeting fighter commander A2C Roger Matlock
A2C Roger Matlock (left) A2C Bob Sterkenburg (right) awaiting Honor Guard arriving
Moron Honor Guard Review, A1C Bill Vickery, TSgt George Roberts, A1C Dewey Maxwell, A1C Bob Sterkenburg
Honor Guard A1C Bill Vickery, TSgt George Roberts, A1C Dewey Maxwell, A1C Bob Sterkenburg










The 100 series fighters: B-47, B-52, B-58 AND C-130 planes shown in this 1959 Nevada Air Show clip are some of the weapon systems we, as Air Policemen (77150's) provided security for during the late 1950's and early 1960's.






















Pictures Circa: 2008 !!! 



Moron, Spain 

Location:  35 miles SE of Seville, 75 miles NE of Rota NS

Date of Current Name: 

Previous Names:  Moron de la Frontera Air Base

Date of Establishment: 1941

Date Construction Began: 

Date of Beneficial Occupancy: 	1 Jul 57

Base Operating Units:    Jan 57 - Jun 57    7602 ABGp
                       1 Jun 57 - 15 Apr 66 3973 Strat Wg
                      15 Apr 66 - 69        redesignated  7473 CSG
                            '69 - 31 May 76 redesignated  7473 CSS
                       1 Jun 76 - 31 Jul 76	OL-A 401 TFW
                       1 Aug 76 - 1 Nov 89  Det 2, 401 TFW
                       1 Nov 89 - 1 Jun 93  redesignated  7120 Air Base Flt
                       1 Jun 93 - 1 Jul 94  redesignated 712 Air Base Flt
                       1 Jul 94 -           redesignated 496 Air Base Sq
			

Major Units Assigned:   61,62                157 FIS F-104
                        62? 69,70,           Det 6, 2 Mobile Comm Gp 
                        ? - 15 Apr 66        3977 Petrol Pipeline Sq
                        15 Apr 66 - 71       redesignated  7477 Petroleum Pipeline Sq
                        18 Jun 66 - 15 Jan 70 67 ARRSq HC-130, HH-43B
                         1 Jul 94 -  98      496 ABSSq
                               64,69,70-1 Jan 70 2188 Comm Sq
                         1 Jan 70 - 15 May 87 redesignated 2188 ISSq
                        15 May 87 - 30 Oct 90 Det 4, 2186 Comm Sp
                         1 Nov 89 - 15 Jun 93 7120 ABFlt
                        15 Jun 93 - 1 Jul 94 redesignated 712 ABFlt
                               78 - 82       Det 8, 1989 Comm Gp
                                ? - 13 Jan 66 870 Med Gp
                        13 Jan 66 -          redesignated 870 USAF Hosp
                         1 Jul 60 - ?        972 AC&W Sq
			

Disposition:  NATO stand-by base,   active Spanish Air Force Base

USAFE/HO
3 May 2000

(page two)


Moron, Spain

	Moron AB began to function as an airfield in 1941 and was established 
	to train fighter pilots for the Spanish Army Air Force.  Since then, 
	Spain has used the base for headquarters for a light bomber wing, a fighter 
	wing and the present F-18 squadron and P-3 squadron.  Negotiations began 
	between the US and Spain in 1951 and approval for US bases in Spain came as 
	part of the Defense Agreement of 26 Sep 53.  In return for basing rights, the 
	US agreed to provide Spain with an air defense force.   Built primarily for 
	SAC bombers, Moron was one of three bases built in Spain   It had been 
	established as a Spanish fighter training base in 1941. Construction began 
	in 1953 under the direction of the US Navy and was carefully planned, taking 
	over 3 years to complete.  

	The first SAC B-47 bomber arrived 13 May 58.  Moron’s mission during the 60s 
	was to support the SAC bomber reflex and then KC-97 strip alert tanker missions, 
	Chrome Dome. The base also supported TAC fighter deployments.   In 1961 after 
	the Berlin Wall was built and tensions between the US and USSR were high, many 
	( 55) National Guard and reserve units were federalized and sent to Europe.  
	One,  the 157 FIS from SC., went to Moron AB, Spain until Jun 62 when it 
	returned to the states.

	In Apr 66, the base transferred from SAC to USAFE and the 7473 CSS took over 
	as host unit.  The mission became communications support, fair weather flying 
	operations by TDY RF-4 and RF-101 reconnaissance units based in Europe.  The 67 
	ARRS supported air rescue missions.

	In  69, Moron Air Base  became a Dispersed Operating Base  with only occasional 
	exercise flying.  By 1971 the base was put in a caretaker status with base 
	services contracted out and these services were reduced several times throughout 
	the 1980s.  

	In 1983, an agreement between Spain and the US allowed 15 tankers to be operated 
	from Moron AB and by 1986 it had become a major peacetime staging base.  In Mar 84, 
	Moron AB was selected by NASA as a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) for the space 
	shuttle program.

	In Aug 90, SAC deployed 22 KC-135s and KC-10 tankers to support Operation Desert 
	Shield.  In Jan 91, SAC changed Moron AB from refueling to bomber operations for 
	Desert Storm.  The 801st Bomb Wg (Provisional) consisted of 24 B-52s, 3 KC-135s 
	and over 2,800 personnel.  This was the largest deployed bomber wing during the war.

	Moron AB, is a limited base - austerely manned, has no permanent operational 
	aircraft but does have facilities for communications, air traffic control nav 
	aids, maintenance, supply, billeting, recreation, messing , transportation and 
	provides operational support for forces deploying to and from SW Asia.
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