reply to post by dick7704
When you say you're seeing a lot of construction on old Carswell AFB around 2007 and 2008, can you be specific? Perhaps upload a screen shot with a
notation of what's new since it shut down as a B-52 base?
I used to know that base pretty well and the latest Sat shots don't show much difference in overall layout and structure of the base from the time I
was there. I was stationed there from 1984-86 active duty (security police), but have been to the base many times since (ex-wife and daughter still
live in Ft Worth). I will admit I have not been on the base since it changed from "Priority A" Air Force installation to a Joint Reserve Base, but
based on my viewings of the timeline of satellite photos, it only appears that some additional buildings have been added - likely administration
buildings and hangers for additional reserve outfits. One thing that strikes me as very new are the purple (or blue) roof buildings on the north end
of the runway closest to the old B-52 alert area (looks like C-130's on that ramp now). Those buildings are placed all around where we used to park
large aircraft that might come in (not stationed there - sometimes for maintenance or just an overnight stay before fueling and leaving). You can see
the old turnaround cement circle as it was back in the 80's - but at that time, that's all that was there - and grass. We've had everything sit in
that circle; I've seen a C-5, SR-71, 747 with Shuttle on top - you name it, it came through. We had a very long runway (for B-52's), so maybe
that's why we got such large birds.
Anyway, back to the point. I've looked over the ramp areas of the recent sat photos and it's all the same from when I was humping B-52's or staring
down a fence line at the WSA. As security, you're bored to no end, so you search out ever new area that might make the shift less boring. I know this
place well. Hardly anything has changed. WSA still has the same old structures (with green grass on top) for what used to house everything from
ACLM's (nearly the same as the Tomahawks we launch off destroyers), to gravity bombs, to SRAM's. When the base was still active, we had 10 alert
buffs and about 6 alert tankers (135's) - and we had about 15 more buffs on the C ramp, just outside the WSA.
It's cool to look back and see that base in Google Earth. Brings back crazy memories because it was my first active duty station. But as for the
theory that there's an underground installation there, I highly doubt it. It shocked me to see Carswell on the 'conspiracy' list. I've been to
the base and by the base so many times, and have so many ties to the area that I think it would be noticeable if new construction of that magnitude
was happening.
If you can be more specific with where you believe there was new construction (foundation, not just random buildings), I might be able to address
that. But seriously, if the Air Force or DOD wanted to build an underground facility, Carswell and Ft. Worth are far from ideal candidates. It's much
better to do things like this at more remote airfields. I would believe that Michael AAF is a far more ideal place for top secret operations than a
place like old Carswell that has more people running through that base than Central Park on a weekend.
