| Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station | |
|---|---|
| Part of United States Air Force | |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
 Roads and a base camp were constructed by Utah Construction and Mining Co. for excavating the nuclear bunker.[1] | |
| Coordinates | 38°44′37.57″N 104°50′48.40″W / 38.7437694°N 104.846778°W |
| Type | Air Force Station |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1961-1965 |
| Built by | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1965-Present |
| Battles/wars | Cold War |
Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (CMAFS) at the Rocky Mountains' Front Range is 1 of 4 military installations in the region of Colorado Springs, Colorado (cf. Fort Carson, Peterson AFB, Schriever AFB, USAFA). Near the west of the station are the Cheyenne Mountain antenna farm on the private summit and Pike National Forest farther west (104° 52' West longitude)[2] which has the USGS-defined Cheyenne Mountain summit.
Structures outside of the nuclear bunker include the parking lots and roads, a heliport 38°44′29″N 104°50′03″W / 38.74139°N 104.83417°W,[3] and buildings such as a racquetball facility, the fire station (38°44′29″N 104°50′03″W / 38.74139°N 104.83417°W),[4] and both the portals for the blast tunnel. A military gate limits NORAD Road usage from the Colorado State Highway 115 interchange, and perimeter signs have warnings, e.g., for state park hikers (a state park road intersects with NORAD Road). A fence with warning signs extends on the west side near the Robber's Roostdisambiguation needed summit.[1]
History[]
The installation was construction for NORAD's Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker at the site. After formation of Space Command in 1982, base services (civil engineering, recreation, etc.) were provided by Air Force Space Command units as part of the "Peterson Complex".[5] The entire installation at Cheyenne Mountain was designated an Air Force Base ("Cheyenne Mountain AFB") by September 1991[5] and an Air Station ("Cheyenne Mountain AS") by February 1995.[6] By 2002 the installation was named "Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station".[2] The Combat Operations Center was placed on "warm standby" by 2008 and in 2011, the fire station building was added to the GNIS.[4]
Units[]
In addition to ADCOM, NORAD, U.S. Space Command, Foreign Technology Division, and Air Force Systems Command units that have been stationed within the nuclear bunker, CMAFS support units with offices and/or facilities outside of the bunker have included:
- 721st Civil Engineering Squadron (tbd-2004, "re-activated" July 17, 2012)[7]
- Cheyenne Mountain NORAD Air Force Station Fire Department [sic][specify]
 closer view of excavated roads | |
 1960s footage of road entrance (minute 3:05) | |
|
1970s footage of mountain (minute 6:50) | |
|
west perimeter fence near Robber's Roost summit (minute 4:10) |
External videoReferences[]
- ↑ "Mt. Cheyenne" (photo caption). University of Minnesota: UMedia archive. last modified January 9, 2009. http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/node/30605. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
- ↑ publisher tbd (copyright 1999). Pikes Peak Atlas (Map). Cartography by Houdek, Robert.
- ↑ "Cheyenne Mountain Heliport". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:204314. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Cheyenne Mountain NORAD Air Force Station Fire Department". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:2667293. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "[back cover photo caption<nowiki]</nowiki>". September 1991. p. p. 15. "Peterson Complex have selected the complex's outstanding permormers…Sandra Sifford, 1017th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Colorado Springs, Colo. … Providing quality meals for Air Force Space Command people…Yong Hallas, a contractor employee with food services at Cheyenne Mountain AFB, Colo."
- ↑ Orban, SSgt. Brian (February 1995). "The trip wire". Air Force Space Command. p. p. 6. "missile warning center at Cheyenne Mountain AS"
- ↑ Johnson, Lea ([when?]). "721st MSG activates squadron, appoints leadership". Air Force Space Command. http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123311721. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
The original article can be found at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and the edit history here.