Gone are the Tracks.

The above photo is from November 1973 Olmsted Orbiter.

It's been 15 years ago that Newark AFB learned of its pending closure, 43 years since the base's newspaper, On Target, was first published, and over 45 years since the establishment of a guidance and metrology operation in Heath. From a complete collection of On Target newspapers and other archives, the Port Authority's Bill Wright creates a month-by-month look at The Base through the years.

One Year Ago - November 2007
45-Years of Newark Air Force Station Marked. With little fanfare, the anniversary of the official start-up of the Newark Air Force Station was marked. It was November 1962 when the facilities in Heath, which were converted for use as metrology labs and as an inertial guidance system repair depot, took their name and officially opened.


5 Years Ago - November 2003
COATC Weather Station Up and Running. A new weather station at COATC is producing real-time weather information specific to the campus. In addition to helping the Port Authority and its snow removal contractor battle Mother Nature this winter, the station information is available to COATC personnel and visitors 24/7 on-line. The Weather Station remains the most popular feature of the onthebase.com website.


10 Years Ago - November 1998
Heath Rec Center Open for Business. The City of Heath held its Grand Opening for their recreation facility here on the COATC campus. The City continues to lease the facility from the Port Authority free of charge.


15 Years Ago - November 1993
Base closure office created at AGMC. The office function, unlike the Base Transition Office, was basically internal in nature. Just as the Base Transition Office was the go-between for the local community, the Base Closure Office was concerned with work that involves base property and function. The staff of the Base Closure Office included; Millie Litteral, Jim Hampton and Arnold Smalley.


20 Years Ago - November 1988
ABC movie to recap Heath grad's death. An ABC television movie had special significance to a local woman, as it focused on the accident that claimed the life of her son. "Disaster at Silo 7" is a fictional movie based on the true story of a Titan II missile explosion in Damascus, Arkansas on September 19, 1980. The explosion claimed the life of SGT. David Livingston son of Betty Holler. David was the only fatality in the missile explosion, which happened just five days after the Heath graduate celebrated his 22nd birthday. Reportedly, the explosion was triggered by workmen who accidently dropped a three-pound wrench into the missile silo, where it fell 70 feet before puncturing a fuel tank. Twenty three other servicemen were injured in the blast. The movie starred Ray Baker and Peter Boyle.


25 Years Ago - November 1983
AGMC Achieves All-Time Success in CFC Campaign. The Combined Federal Campaign at Newark AFS reached its goal and went beyond to achieve an all-time high total. The six week effort concluded with contributions of $126,332. The benefactors of CFC are millions of people locally, nationally and internationally served by the many United Way, international Service, National Health and National Service Agencies.


35 Years Ago - November 1973
Gone are the Tracks. The last of the railroad tracks going into building 4 were taken up and a cement road and sidewalks were poured in the area. This area was located south of Post 3.


40 Years Ago - November 1968
USAF Approves NAFS Reorganization. Group Changes to "Center". The 2082d Inertial Guidance and Calibration group faded into Air Force history as it was replaced by the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center. The new name denoted higher status as a one-of-a-kind, and highly specialized, Air Force activity.


45 Years Ago - November 1963
Air Force Station Expert Plays Part in Space Test. NASA launched a satellite designed to unlock some of the weather's secrets. One phase of the project was conducted at Newark Air Force Station. The satellite called "Nimbus" would map the earth by infrared radiation and enabled forecasters to make more accurate predictions by looking inside weather fronts, storms and air currents to reveal their location, pattern, and movement. To check accuracy, NASA sent the mirror to the infrared laboratory at NAFS. The infrared laboratory was the domain of Willie Blackmon.

Some history of what happened with the "nimbus": The Nimbus satellites were meteorological research satellites designed to test atmospheric remote sensing systems. This series of satellites, perhaps more than any other, had a profound impact on the American public. With it, synoptic views of the Earth could be acquired which clearly showed weather patterns and pronounced geologic and vegetation patterns. The public, as well as scientists and resource managers, immediately grasped the utility of space based remote sensing.

Seven Nimbus spacecraft were launched into near-polar, sun-synchronous orbits beginning with Nimbus 1 on August 28, 1964.