Kincheloe AFB BOMARC Missile Site

 (1961-1972) - A Cold War era United States Air Force (USAF) BOMARC Missile Site established in 1961 on the former U.S. Army Raco Auxiliary Airfield near Raco, Chippewa County, Michigan. This BOMARC Missile Site closed in 1972.

History of Kincheloe AFB BOMARC Site
This site was constructed as a USAF BOMARC Missile Site in 1961 on the former U.S. Army Raco Auxiliary Airfield near Raco, Chippewa County, Michigan. Built with fixed missile launchers for 28 of the 2nd-generation IM-99B version of the BOMARC missiles. The A Model missiles were launched with volatile liquid fuel rocket motors while the B Model missiles used the much more stable solid fuel rockets. The Kincheloe AFB BOMARC Missile Site became operational in June 1961 as the first BOMARC site to use the B Model missiles.

The Kincheloe BOMARC missiles were initially to be controlled and launched by the K.I. Sawyer SAGE Direction Center DC-14 on K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base south of Marquette, Michigan. With the closure of the K.I. Sawyer SAGE Direction Center DC-14 in 1963, control was shifted to the Duluth SAGE Direction Center DC-10 in Duluth, Minnesota where it remained until the site was deactivated in 1972

This site was manned by the 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC).

About 40 personnel were stationed at the BOMARC site. The missiles remained on alert until the site was deactivated on 31 Jul 1972.

Current Status
Closed and destroyed facility in Raco, Chippewa County, Michigan. The site is now a part of Smithers Winter Test Center, a cold-weather testing site for vehicles and components. The site has been leveled and little remains of the missile site.

See Also:
 * SAGE System
 * BUIC System
 * BOMARC System
 * BOMARC Sites
 * Defense Installations Portal

Sources:
 * , page 7, 37, 47, 108.
 * , page 150.
 * Berhow, Mark & Morgan Mark, Rings of Supersonic Steel, Hole in the Head Press, 2nd Edition 2002, ISBN: 0615120121/978-0615120126, 190 pages.
 * USACE Enviromental Site Investigation.

Links:
 * Radomes - Kincheloe AFB BOMARC Missile Site
 * Wikipedia - Kincheloe AFB BOMARC Missile Site