The Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS) is a transportable, high throughput neutralization system developed by the U.S. Army for converting chemical warfare material into compounds not usable as weapons.
95-401: Neutralization is facilitated through chemical reactions involving reagents that are mixed and heated to increase destruction efficiency, which is rated at 99.9 percent. The transportable FDHS is a self-contained system that includes power generators and a laboratory. Operational inputs include consumable materials such as water, reagents and fuel. It is designed to be set up within 10 days and
190-551: A B-29 Superfortress base in support of the incendiary bombing raids on Japan. In March 1945, Kirtland Field was converted into a Superfortress base in a matter of only 45 days after its assignment to the Second Air Force . The Second Air Force, operating under the Continental Air Forces , concentrated on training for heavy and very heavy bombers during the war. Kirtland Field was one of six stations in
285-586: A DTRA task force was identifying, collecting, and securing radiological material in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom , including almost two tons of low-enriched uranium (LEU), several hundred tons of yellowcake (a type of uranium powder), and other radioactive sources. Code-named Project MAXIMUS, DTRA, and the United States Department of Energy moved 1.77 metric tons of LEU and approximately 1,000 highly radioactive sources out of Iraq by
380-564: A USAAF Provisional B-24 Liberator Pilot Transition School designed to train airplane commanders. Transition training was the final step after successful completion of Primary, Basic, and Advanced Flying training. The Bombardier School, for the most part, furnished facilities and maintenance, and personnel from two squadrons, that had been part of the Bombardier School, were put to work in the B-24 school. Officer pilots were selected for
475-704: A half-dozen pilots aboard, two flying, two practicing dead reckoning and celestial navigation, and two making practice bomb runs. The 19th Bombardment Group transferred to active duty in September 1941. It was replaced by the AAC Ferrying Command Specialized Four Engine school. The school operated under the Army Air Corps Ferrying Command , which had been established in late May 1941 and charged with transporting aircraft overseas for delivery to
570-536: A hydraulic lift was installed. On 16 July 1945, at Kirtland Field, two B-29 Superfortress observation planes had set out early in the morning with instructions from Oppenheimer to steer a course at least 15 miles west of the atomic detonation point, Trinity Site . Because of thunderstorms, the planes dropped from 23,000 to 18,000 feet before circling the Trinity Site during the first atomic bomb detonation . While "The Gadget" underwent field-testing at Trinity,
665-461: A major range located between the neighboring village, Los Lunas and the Rio Puerco. Contracts for day and night bombing targets on the ranges were let during January 1942, and access roads to the targets were constructed. Bomb ranges numbered 2,450 square miles on ranch and Indian reservation land by the end of 1942. At that time, a total of 24 targets, simulated cities and warships, were in use on
760-524: A regiment of mechanics and served as an inspector of aviation facilities. Recalled from retirement in 1941 at age 65, he was oldest military pilot in the Air Corps. Colonel Kirtland died of a heart attack on 2 May 1941 at Moffett Field , California. Kirtland Air Force Base has dramatically changed since its establishment as a U.S. Army airfield in 1941. It has evolved from a hastily constructed training and testing facility necessitated by World War II , to
855-481: A significant USAF center for R&D. What began as a 2,000-acre air base has grown into a 51,800-plus-acre facility. Kirtland Air Force Base's beginnings stem from three private airfields of 1928 to 1939 and are similar to that of other installations choosing to adapt existing runways and hangars for military use. In 1928, two Santa Fe Railroad employees working with the town of Albuquerque , graded two runways on East Mesa with one approximately 5,300 feet long and
950-623: A veteran is a confirmed participant in these events, NTPR may provide either an actual or estimated radiation dose received by the veteran. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) may request this information from DTRA as required. DTRA is responsible for US reporting under the New START Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty . DTRA
1045-690: Is a United States Air Force base. It is located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico , urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport . The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland . The military and the international airport share the same runways, making ABQ a joint civil-military airport. Kirtland AFB is the largest installation in Air Force Global Strike Command and sixth largest in
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#17327803541281140-579: Is also located at Kirtland AFB. Additionally the 150th Special Operations Wing of the New Mexico Air National Guard , an Air Combat Command (ACC)-gained unit, is also garrisoned at Kirtland. Kirtland Air Force Base was named for Colonel Roy C. Kirtland (1874–1941) in February 1942. Colonel Kirtland learned to fly in 1911 in one of the first Wright airplanes at Dayton, Ohio . During World War I , he organized and commanded
1235-1088: Is also responsible for reducing the threat of conventional war , especially in Europe , by participating in various arms control treaties to which the United States is a party, such as the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty , the Transparency in Armaments activity of the United Nations , and the Wassenaar Arrangement , as well as the Chemical Weapons Convention , the Plutonium Production Reactor Agreement,
1330-617: Is equipped with redundant critical systems. An on-site a crew of 15 trained personnel, including SME support, is needed for each shift of a possible 24-hour operational cycle. A 20-week design and development phase was funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in February 2013. The effort to develop a functional prototype was led by subject-matter experts from the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) in partnership with
1425-576: The 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing program. Other locations were Alamogordo Army Airfield and Clovis Army Airfield in New Mexico; Biggs Army Airfield and Pyote Army Airfield in Texas; and Davis-Monthan Army Airfield in Arizona. Perhaps one of the most important functions Kirtland Field served during World War II was as a transportation center for the needs of scientists developing
1520-911: The B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator . In addition to pilot training, the Albuquerque Army Air Base provided bombardier training at its Advanced Flying School. During this period, the facility was under the Flying Training Command and the Air Training Command. In addition to the main airfield, several auxiliary airfields were used to support the flying school: The 19th Bombardment Group arrived at Albuquerque AAB from March Field , California, in April 1941, shortly after
1615-784: The COVID-19 pandemic began, and DOMANE started researching existing, pre-approved medications like Pepcid (famotidine) for potential cost-effective treatments for COVID-19 . DTRA and its legacy agencies have been awarded numerous Joint Meritorious Unit Awards (JMUA) since the JMUA was implemented in 1982 (made retroactive to 1979): Defense Nuclear Agency On-Site Inspection Agency Defense Special Weapons Agency Defense Threat Reduction Agency 38°43′01″N 77°09′43″W / 38.717°N 77.162°W / 38.717; -77.162 Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base ( IATA : ABQ , ICAO : KABQ )
1710-592: The Civil Aeronautics Administration licensed for public use were sold to the public, with prices ranging from $ 100 for a PT-17 Stearman to $ 90,000 for a C-54 Skymaster . North American Aviation bought back a large number of their AT-6s, overhauled and resold them to customers including the Dutch and Chinese governments. The remaining 1,151 aircraft were put up for bid in the fall of 1946. The Denver contracting firm that successfully bid on
1805-824: The Dayton Peace Accords , the Vienna Document and the Global Exchange of Military Information program under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe . DTRA has the responsibility to manage and integrate the Department of Defense chemical and biological defense science and technology programs. In accordance with the Recommendation 174 (h) of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, part of
1900-673: The Defense Intelligence Agency After the end of the Cold War , DTRA and its predecessor agencies implemented the DoD aspects of several treaties that assist former Eastern Bloc countries in the destruction of Soviet era nuclear weapons sites (such as missile silos and plutonium production facilities), biological weapons sites (such as the Soviet biological weapons program ), and chemical weapons sites (such as
1995-591: The Department of Defense and Department of Energy . The NWC is composed of two wings–the 377th Air Base Wing and 498th Nuclear Systems Wing –along with ten groups and seven squadrons. Kirtland is home to the 58th Special Operations Wing (58 SOW), an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) unit that provides formal aircraft type/model/series training. The 58 SOW operates the HC-130J , MC-130J, UH-1N Huey , HH-60G Pave Hawk and CV-22 Osprey aircraft. Headquarters, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center
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#17327803541282090-602: The Eniwetok Proving Ground in the Pacific's Marshall Islands . Operation Crossroads was the first of many atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the early Cold War years. The Kirtland Field Narrative Histories do not make specific reference to participation in Operation Crossroads by groups at Kirtland Field, but this is most likely due to the high security that the operation garnered. With
2185-533: The Fat Man plutonium core and its initiator were driven down to Albuquerque. They left Kirtland Field on 26 July and were flown in a C-54 Skymaster to Tinian, where they arrived 28 July. Such was Kirtland Field's last important role in the U.S. defeat of Japan, thereby ending World War II. However, it was not its last connection with the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, which largely would determine
2280-609: The GosNIIOKhT ) in an attempt to avert potential weapons proliferation in the post-Soviet era as part of the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. The Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) program is the DoD program that confirms veteran participation in U.S. nuclear tests from 1945 to 1992, and the occupation forces of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , Japan. Members of this group are sometimes referred to as atomic veterans or atomic vets. If
2375-630: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) to fund research on the drug now called ZMapp , which has since been used on several patients. DTRA also funded and managed the research on the EZ1 assay used to detect and diagnose
2470-528: The Norden bombsight , which was also an automatic pilot that flew the aircraft as bombs were released over the target. Classroom instruction at the Albuquerque base was held at night and training missions were flown during the day to bombsights around Albuquerque. Servicemen and WPA workers were tasked with laying out bombing ranges for training. These were located west and southwest of Albuquerque, including
2565-779: The Royal Air Force . The students were training to ferry Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers, (the aircraft used at the Four-Engine School) and other multi-engine aircraft to the RAF in Great Britain . TWA chose Albuquerque for the school's location because of its 10,000-foot runway, which could accommodate B-24s, as well as its fair weather. The students were trained in pilot skills, instrument flying, meteorology, radio, briefing, and general transition. TWA pilots and ground crews were readily available as instructors;
2660-779: The United States Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) to develop the FDHS and then modify it for ship-borne operations after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to turn over his country's poison gas arsenal and chemical weapon production equipment to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), but no country volunteered to host the destruction process. Two FDHS units destroyed more than 600 tons of Sarin and mustard agents, completing
2755-615: The United States Army Chemical Materials Agency . An operational model was developed over the course of six months, with the participation of 50 ECBC employees. Two of these units were deployed on the MV ; Cape Ray (T-AKR-9679) for use in the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons . They are the "centerpiece" of the disarmament effort. The United Kingdom gave the United States £2.5 million of specialist equipment and training to enable
2850-475: The atomic bomb in Los Alamos. The Manhattan Project personnel in Los Alamos first became aware of the value of the location of the air base during the process of converting the atomic bomb into a practical airborne weapon. Because Kirtland Field was the closest large airport, its runways and bombloading pit supported the atomic bomb program during 1944 and 1945. It also became an important staging ground for
2945-413: The 19th Bombardment Group. The 3rd Air Base Squadron, also assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group, was the first to arrive on base. Headquarters, materiel, quartermaster, ordnance, and signal detachments accompanied it. On 10 April, the squadrons began operations. Because B-17s were in short supply, the pilots trained on Douglas B-18 Bolos and Northrop A-17s , as well as Stearman PT-17 biplanes. Under
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3040-483: The 58th Bombardment Wing. Aircraft being maintained by the 58th Bombardment Wing included five B-29 Superfortresses and C-45 Expeditors , two C-47s , B-25 Mitchells and L-5s, and a C-46 Commando , AT-11 Kansan , F-80 Shooting Star , F-61 Black Widow , and F-59 Airacomet . Prior to the new Ground Training Program, which began officially on 24 June 1946, some training was carried out by individual units, primarily physical engineering, bombardiering, and armament. With
3135-704: The 9th Materiel Squadron, and the 92nd Quartermaster Battalion arrived the week after the Pearl Harbor Attack , followed shortly by the 383rd and 384th School Squadrons and the 459th Ordnance Company. The director of the school, Colonel John P. Ryan, was praised for rapidly organizing the nation's first permanent bombardier training school. Instructors, maintenance personnel, and cadets arrived so quickly that base operations such as engineering and supply had to be operated out of pyramidal tents lacking heat and protection from blowing sand. Other problems included lack of aircraft parking space and adequate lighting near
3230-618: The Albuquerque base school graduated 7 March 1942. By 1945, Albuquerque's flying training field had turned out 5,719 bombardiers and 1,750 regular pilots for the B-24 bomber alone. The 51st class to complete the bombardier training course included 143 bombardiers. Chiang Kai-shek pilots and bombardiers received training from Kirtland Field instructors. And film actor Jimmy Stewart was stationed at Kirtland Field briefly, beginning in August 1942, assisting bombardier cadet training by flying bombers on training missions. Bombardier and pilot training
3325-726: The Chemical Biological Defense Research component of the DTRA was relocated to Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground , Maryland in 2011. This represented a move of about ten percent of the staff of the Chemical Biological Defense Research component of DTRA to Aberdeen Proving Ground; the rest of the staff remain at Fort Belvoir. DTRA has spent approximately $ 300 million on scientific R&D efforts since 2003, developing vaccines and therapeutic treatments against viral hemorrhagic fever , including Ebola . Starting in 2007, DTRA partnered with
3420-701: The DTRA to award a $ 4 million contract to MRIGlobal to "configure, equip, deploy and staff two quick response mobile laboratory systems (MLS) to support the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa ." The labs were deployed to Sierra Leone . DTRA was the program manager for designing, testing, contracting, and producing the Transport Isolation System (TIS), This sealed, self-contained patient containment system can be loaded into United States Air Force (USAF) C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules cargo planes for aeromedical evacuation. The TIS
3515-558: The German Vergeltungswaffe (V-1) rocket. The proximity fuze, a weapon that was later dubbed by the media as the second most important one developed during the war. By war's end, nearly 50,000 acres had been acquired for the NMPG, this acreage is to the south of the runway and main base that today makes up the greatest portion of Kirtland AFB. With the end of World War II, the base again became Albuquerque Army Air Field and
3610-1039: The Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency (JIDA) became part of DTRA and was renamed the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO) in accordance with the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In Section 1532 of the NDAA, Congress directed the DoD to move JIDA to a military department or under an existing defense agency. DTRA requested a base budget of $ 2.0 billion for fiscal year 2023 (FY23), including $ 998 million for Operation and Maintenance, $ 654 million for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, $ 342 million for Cooperative Threat Reduction, and $ 14 million for Procurement. In her February 2024 Director’s Strategic Intent 2022-2027, DTRA Director Rebecca Hersman noted that DTRA would transition its intelligence resources and authorities to
3705-542: The MOP to fulfill a long-standing Air Force requirement for a weapon that could destroy hard and deeply buried targets. The MOP is a 30,000-pound, 20.5-foot-long bomb dropped from B-52 and B-2 bombers at high altitude that can reportedly penetrate 200 feet of reinforced concrete. The MOP contains a 5,300-pound explosive charge, more than ten times the explosive power of its predecessor, the BLU-109 "bunker buster." In 2003,
3800-431: The Manhattan Project's Z Division relocated from Los Alamos to continue top-secret work development of atomic weapons. The New Mexico Proving Grounds (NMPG) was constructed concurrently with the development of the Albuquerque Army Air Base and the activities at the old Oxnard Field. It was built to the south to serve as the base for testing the top-secret proximity fuze , a device that played an important role in defeat of
3895-529: The Midwest and California ; which positioned Albuquerque as an important transcontinental airfield. WAE soon moved to the West Mesa Airport and was joined by TAT as the two airlines merged to become Trans World Airlines (TWA). This new facility, also private, became known as Albuquerque Airport, and the first, which was renamed Oxnard Field , also continued to service general aviation needs. In
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3990-738: The On-Site Inspection Agency, the Defense Technology Security Administration, and selected elements of the Office of Secretary of Defense were combined to form the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). DTRA employs approximately 1,400 DoD civilians and 800 uniformed service members at more than a dozen permanent locations worldwide. Most personnel are at DTRA headquarters at Fort Belvoir. Approximately 15% of
4085-579: The Oxnard Field property for military use, with subsequent transfer to the federal government. Construction of Albuquerque Army Air Base began in January 1941 and was completed in August 1941. Albuquerque Army Air Base received its first military aircraft in March, and on 1 April 1941, a lone B-18 bomber, landed on the north–south runway. With the assignment of five pilots to the aircraft, the day marked
4180-555: The TIS; St. Louis -based Production Products was awarded a sole-source contract to produce 25 TIS units. DTRA was one of the key United States Department of Defense agencies that developed the Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS) used to destroy Syria's chemical weapons aboard the U.S.-flagged container ship MV Cape Ray in the summer of 2014 after Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpile under international pressure and in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2118 . DTRA partnered with
4275-399: The U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), proposed to Congress that money be spent on a strong air defense. It soon became a national priority to secure airfields and bombing and gunnery ranges. An effort was also being made in cooperation with the WPA and Civil Aeronautics Authority to build up civilian airports of value to national defense efforts (Tagg 1998). Albuquerque city leaders began to examine
4370-449: The U.S. military's Combatant Commands , the National Guard Bureau , the FBI and other U.S. government interagency partners. In 2005, the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) was designated as the lead Combatant Command for the integration and synchronization of DoD's efforts in support of the government's "Combating WMD" objectives. It was at this time that the SCC-WMD was co-located with DTRA. The Combat Command designation
4465-488: The United States Air Force. The base occupies 51,558 acres and employs over 23,000 people, including more than 4,200 active duty and 1,000 Guard, plus 3,200 part-time Reserve personnel. In 2000, Kirtland AFB's economic impact on the City of Albuquerque was over $ 2.7 billion. Kirtland is the home of the Air Force Materiel Command 's Nuclear Weapons Center (NWC). The NWC's responsibilities include acquisition, modernization and sustainment of nuclear system programs for both
4560-552: The aircraft parking ramp. New construction projects began early in 1942, adding offices and housing quarters, ordnance storage, a photography lab, flightline buildings, and maintenance hangars. The base undertook paving and lighting of aircraft parking spaces, and scheduled the building of additional runways and taxiways. Students began training on twin-engine Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan bomber trainers. By January 1942, there were 50 aircraft on base, in addition to 28 B-18A Bolo bombers used for training. Eventually, about 150 AT-11s served
4655-659: The arrival of 45 women on base. WAAC quarters built at Kirtland Field included barracks, a day room, beauty shop, and supply room. A WAAC open house for the new post was held in August 1943 and several hundred men with their wives and families attended. Initially, most WAACs and WACs worked as file clerks, typists, stenographers, or motor pool drivers. Gradually, their jobs grew more technical as positions were created for weather forecasters, parachute riggers, radio operators and repair specialists, sheet metal workers, bombsight maintenance specialists, control tower operators, and cryptographers. In August 1943, Kirtland Field became host to
4750-437: The base was activated. Its purpose was to train air and ground crews for reconnaissance and bombing duty on Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" before deployment to Clark Field in the Philippine Islands . The 19th Bombardment Group became the most famous bomber unit of World War II for its part in the strategic campaign against Japan. The 30th, 32nd, and 93rd Bombardment Squadrons and the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron were assigned to
4845-412: The base was called the Eagle Nest Flight Center. Using Link Trainers and B-24 training aircraft, the TWA instructors trained more than 1,100 pilots and crewmen during the eight months the company operated the school. On 7 February 1942, the U.S. Army transferred the training function from TWA back to the USAAF, and the school was redesignated the Combat Crew Training School. The Air Corps Ferrying Command
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#17327803541284940-419: The base's fate in the postwar economy. To the east of the air base, at Oxnard Field, the U.S. Army also acquired 1,100 acres of land to develop a school for aircraft mechanics. An Air Depot Training Station, it was unofficially referred to as " Sandia Base ". After various other incarnations—as a convalescent center and aircraft burial ground—Sandia Base became the precursor to Sandia National Laboratories when
5035-405: The command of Lt. Colonel Eugene Eubank, the 19th Bombardment Group focused on precision, high-altitude, and formation flying. They also flew mock attacks on New Mexico villages and ranches. Eubank was known for being a taskmaster, demanding that his pilots gain extensive cockpit experience and that the men cross-train as navigators and bombardiers. As such, it was purported that every B-17 flight had
5130-429: The difficulty was in housing the students because base quarters were not finished. Consequently, they doubled up in the barracks. The first contingent of B-24 trainees arrived in Albuquerque on 19 June 1941. The facility was officially titled the Air Corps Ferrying Command Four-Engine Transition School but was unofficially referred to as the "Four-Engine School" or "Jack Frye School"—for the president of TWA. Its location on
5225-411: The disestablishment of the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) in 1947, AFSWP was formed to provide military training in nuclear weapons' operations. Over the years, its sequential descendant organizations have been the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) from 1959 to 1971, the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) from 1971 to 1996, and the Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, DSWA,
5320-426: The end of 1928. The airfield soon drew business from private flyers, as well as Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) and Western Air Express (WAE), commercial airlines that set up operations at the new airport. The city's viability as a crossroad of air traffic in the Southwest was confirmed by this early success. As the 1920s closed, the two airlines initiated competitive passenger, mail, and cargo service between
5415-446: The fall of 1941, Major General Arnold moved the military's bombardier school from Louisiana to Albuquerque for two reasons—good weather and the availability of vacant land on which to build bombing ranges. It was proclaimed the "World’s First Bombardier School", and on 24 December 1941 it was officially designated an Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School under the USAAF Western Flying Training Command. The 56th and 88th School Squadrons,
5510-622: The ferrying of men and material to various field sites. From Kirtland Field, Manhattan Project scientists were flown back and forth to Wendover Army Air Base for testing in a disguised "Green Hornet" aircraft. Members of the USAAF made similar trips from Wendover through Albuquerque to Los Alamos. A special Manhattan Engineer District, Military Police unit was located at Kirtland Field to guard facilities used to load Los Alamos–assembled ordnance and test shapes on Silverplate aircraft. The loading pit constructed at Kirtland Field, although primitive and manually operated, operated until December 1945, when
5605-404: The focus on atomic weapons, in early December 1946, Kirtland Field was again transferred, this time to the Air Materiel Command (AMC), specifically the Directorate, Research and Development, HQ, AMC. AMC was responsible for all USAF R&D, including atomic weapons. The transfer took place due to Kirtland Field's close proximity to Sandia Base and the Z Division. The AMC mission at Kirtland Field
5700-406: The highest-priority chemicals to be processed more quickly. Defense Threat Reduction Agency The Defense Threat Reduction Agency ( DTRA ) is both a defense agency and a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD; chemical , biological , radiological , nuclear , and high explosives ) and supporting
5795-470: The installation under SAC, and there was a return of personnel. Shortly thereafter, an "S-2 Section" was established on base and became responsible for the security of Kirtland Field and the "W-47 Project". The W-47 Project had been the wartime operation established at Wendover Army Air Base to train the 509th Composite Group to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki . In keeping with Kirtland Field's mission to assist Sandia Base's Z Division with
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#17327803541285890-400: The marriage of bombs and aircraft, the 509th Composite Group's Flight Test Section was transferred to Kirtland. As these arrangements were taking place, a new subgroup of the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos was being organized. Titled the Z Division for its chief, Dr. Jerrold Zacharias , a Los Alamos scientist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the new group's mission
5985-491: The mid-1930s, Mayor Tingley, other city officials, and TWA management began to conceive of a municipal airport, the next necessary step in confirming Albuquerque's status as a "Crossroads of the Southwest." With the help of President Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds, construction on a new airport was begun four miles west of Oxnard Field and completed in 1939, on the cusp of World War II . In January 1939, Major General Henry "Hap" Arnold, who became chief of
6080-454: The new agency. In 2002, DTRA published a detailed history of its predecessor agencies, Defense's Nuclear Agency, 1947–1997 , the first paragraph of which makes a brief statement about the agencies which led up to the formation of DTRA: Defense's Nuclear Agency, 1947–1997 , traces the development of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP), and its descendant government organizations, from its original founding in 1947 to 1997. After
6175-449: The new program came a push for development of a comprehensive organization, with training in navigation, bombing, personnel equipment, chemical warfare, physical training, synthetic training, and use of the gunnery range. A primary mission for Kirtland Field was recorded in the September 1946 narrative history: "[To] provide aerial and ground functioning testing facilities and conduct functional tests on all equipment and materiel related to
6270-400: The new school from advanced twin-engine training schools. Instruction covered day and night navigation and instrument flying, formation and altitude flying, comprehensive ground schoolwork, engineering, radio, meteorology, weather flying, first aid and oxygen training, as well as a course on the duties of an airplane commander. A school for navigation was also established at Kirtland Field in
6365-438: The nuclear components for the bombs and the active materials were being sent piecemeal to Tinian . Shortly before the bomb testing at the Trinity site, components of Little Boy were driven from Los Alamos to Kirtland Field and then flown to San Francisco . This included some of the U-235 . From San Francisco, they were transported to Hunters Point to board the cruiser USS Indianapolis , bound for Tinian. Following that,
6460-629: The nuclear enterprise. Its stated mission is to provide "cross-cutting solutions to enable the Department of Defense, the United States Government, and international partners to Deter strategic attack against the United States and its allies; Prevent, reduce, and counter WMD and emerging threats; and Prevail against WMD-armed adversaries in crisis and conflict." DTRA is headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Virginia . The DTRA mission, organization and management, responsibilities and functions, relationships, authorities, and administration are defined in DoD Directive 5105.62, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). DTRA
6555-677: The official opening of Albuquerque Army Air Base. The first buildings on the installation were simple wood-frame structures constructed quickly in order to fulfill the country's urgent need for trained pilots to fight the war. Most of the buildings were Theater of Operations construction while some were of the Mobilization type. The Mobilization type buildings included the station hospital, theater, chapel, and Link training buildings. During World War II there were three levels of pilot training: The Albuquerque Army Air Base provided advanced flying training in "AT" (advanced trainer) trainer aircraft and transition training in combat-ready aircraft, primarily
6650-416: The other just under 4,000 feet. Albuquerque Airport was wholly a private venture, irrespective of the town's involvement. Immediately following construction of the airport, other individuals and promoters became interested in Albuquerque as a crossroads location for southwestern air traffic. James G. Oxnard, a New York entrepreneur, bought Franklin's interest in Albuquerque Airport, expanding the facility toward
6745-481: The possibility of an air base locating on the mesa, and through extensive negotiations with the AAC, succeeded in their efforts when the Army established an air base on the East Mesa in 1939. As of late 1939, Army and Navy pilots began using Oxnard Field for refueling and maintenance for a variety of military flights. Later that same year, the Army Air Corps leased 2,000 acres neighboring Albuquerque Airport, four miles west of Oxnard Field. The Army eventually condemned
6840-558: The presence of the Ebola Zaire virus in humans. EZ1 was given Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2014. DTRA first developed EZ1 as part of a 2011 "bio-preparedness initiative" for the United States Department of Defense to prepare for a possible Ebola outbreak. EZ1 was used to identify infected patients in West Africa . The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program provided for
6935-413: The ranges. Bombardier school was 12 to 18 weeks during which a student dropped approximately 160 bombs; precise records were kept of hits and misses. The elimination rate for trainees was 12 percent, and upon graduation, a new bombardier was transferred to an operational training unit and trained for overseas duty. Albuquerque was an operational training facility, and the first class of 61 bombardiers from
7030-429: The school. The USAAF established a new minimum proficiency standard for bombardier trainees in 1943. Trainees were required to hit their targets during at least 22 percent of their drops. Practice combat flying missions required continuous evasive action within a 10-mile radius of the intended target. The final approach was required to be straight, level and taking no longer than 60 seconds. The school taught bombardiers
7125-587: The small stockpile of atomic weapons parts. In the years after the war, Sandia Base boundaries would vastly expand to include the thousands of acres owned by the NMPG, which occupied much of the East Mesa. Base operations began to increase in June 1946 with the organization of a full-scale Ground Training Program and the arrival of the Special Ordnance Squadron and Special Transport Flight of
7220-485: The summer of 1943. The six-week navigation training course extended bombardier cadets’ schooling from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, qualifying them to serve as navigators as well. The navigation instructors were often recent combat veterans; the school combined regular bombardier missions to targets throughout New Mexico with navigational missions. A month later, headquarters of the 38th Flying Training Wing relocated from Roswell Army Airfield , New Mexico to Kirtland Field. One of
7315-643: The summer of 2004. DTRA task force members also secured the yellowcake in a bunker in Tuwaitha , Iraq, which was turned over to the Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology; the remaining 550 tons of yellowcake were sold in 2008 to Cameco , a uranium producer in Canada . In late 2019, DTRA established the Discovery of Medical Countermeasures Against Novel Entities (DOMANE) program. Shortly afterwards,
7410-422: The surplus planes sold some of the engines for commercial air transports, but by the end of the year, the remaining surplus planes were "chopped into sections and melted into ingots in a constantly burning smelter". This storage and recycling effort was the last of Albuquerque Army Air Field's wartime contributions. Kirtland AAB was put on a temporary inactive basis on 31 December 1945. When World War II ended, it
7505-541: The task several weeks ahead of schedule. The remaining materials were then taken to Finland and Germany for final disposal. DTRA was awarded its third Joint Meritorious Unit Award for successfully destroying Syria's declared chemical weapons. DTRA funded, managed, and tested the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb until February 2010, when the program was turned over to the USAF. DTRA developed
7600-407: The technique of bomb sighting. Bombardiers were required to crawl down shafts that gave way to the "bubble," from which they had bird's-eye views of the ground below. The bombardier's job was to feed the bombsight the needed information, air speed, wind speed, wind direction, altitude, and the angle of drift. As the aircraft approached the target, the pilot turned the aircraft over to the bombardier and
7695-745: The use of special weapons and radioactive materials". Between late 1946 and early 1947, after the Atomic Energy Act creating the Atomic Energy Commission was passed, the AFSWP was established with Sandia Base as an installation under its control. A special engineering battalion was also created to aid in the assembly and maintenance of atomic bombs at Sandia Base. In July and August 1946, Kirtland Field and Sandia Base personnel took part in Operation Crossroads at
7790-616: The wings under the Western Flying Training Command, the 38th held jurisdiction not only over Kirtland Field but also the Hobbs, Roswell, and Carlsbad Army Air Fields; Williams Field, Arizona; and Victorville Air Field, California. The wing relocated to Williams Field, Arizona, in February 1945 due to Kirtland Field's conversion to a Superfortress base under the Second Air Force. Kirtland Field served as
7885-803: The workforce is split between Kirtland Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico , and the Nevada National Security Site (formerly the Nevada Test Site), where they test and support the U.S. military's nuclear mission. The remaining 15% of the workforce is stationed in Germany , Kazakhstan , Azerbaijan , Uzbekistan , Georgia , Ukraine , Armenia , Kenya , South Korea , Japan , and Singapore . DTRA also has liaisons with
7980-535: Was activated as a unit of the 58th Bombardment Wing and the host of Kirtland Field on 1 February 1946. At that time, there were fewer than 300 officers and enlisted men at the field. Because there were so few personnel on hand, morale was low and workloads were strenuous for the installation throughout the early Cold War period. On 21 March 1946, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was activated and on 31 March 1946, SAC's Fifteenth Air Force assumed operation of Kirtland Field. The 58th Bombardment Wing remained in command of
8075-556: Was changed again in 2017 when responsibility was moved to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). In 2012, the Standing Joint Force Headquarters for Elimination (SJFHQ-E) was relocated to the DTRA/SCC-WMD headquarters at Fort Belvoir. This centralized the DoD's Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction operations, a move recommended in the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review . On 30 September 2016,
8170-604: Was designed to deal with any U.S. troops exposed to or infected with Ebola while serving in Operation United Assistance , but it is for transporting anyone exposed to or infected with any highly contagious disease. It can hold eight patients lying down, 12 sitting, or a combination of the two. DTRA worked with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) and United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) on
8265-577: Was eliminated as a necessary qualification for candidates. On 30 June, the War Department opened the program to any man between 18 and 36 who could meet the physical and mental requirements, including civilians as well as officers and enlisted men. At Kirtland Field, the Glider Replacement Center operated until February 1943. In May 1943, a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) contingent was established at Kirtland Field with
8360-564: Was not clear whether Kirtland Field would be closed or become a permanent USAF facility. The transformation of the Air Depot Training Station into Sandia Base, home to Sandia Laboratory and the AFSWP, kept the facility open and ultimately determined its fate. Kirtland Field was renamed Kirtland AFB, and it became the USAF's main facility for integrating new weapons designs produced by Sandia Laboratory with operational USAF aircraft and equipment. On 1 February 1946, Kirtland
8455-689: Was not the only focus at Kirtland Field between 1942 and 1945. In 1943, the USAAF Flying Training Command merged with the Technical Training Command in an effort to save manpower. The new command, the Air Training Command , became responsible for all training from classification center through pilot and technical schools. In 1943, Kirtland Field facilities expanded to support existing bombardier training plus other training missions. This expansion
8550-716: Was officially established on 1 October 1998, as a result of the 1997 Defense Reform Initiative by consolidating several DoD organizations, including the Defense Special Weapons Agency (successor to the Defense Nuclear Agency) and the On-Site Inspection Agency. The Defense Technology Security Administration and the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense were also incorporated into
8645-678: Was redesignated the Army Air Forces Ferrying Command in March 1942, a month after the AAC transferred the school from TWA training back to the military. The command was then redesignated the Air Transport Command in July 1942—the same month that the school was transferred from Albuquerque to Smyrna Army Airfield , Tennessee. With the departure of the 19th Bombardment Group from Albuquerque Army Air Base in
8740-403: Was the result of the merging of the two training commands. Expanded training at Kirtland Field included a ground school for glider pilots—called the Glider Replacement Center, which was established in July 1942. The center served as a temporary training area for glider pilots awaiting vacancies at glider schools. The Army Air Forces glider-training program had expanded, and prior flight training
8835-454: Was to manage the engineering design, production, assembly, and field-testing of the non-nuclear components associated with nuclear bombs. Construction began on guard, storage, administrative, and laboratory facilities for the Z Division. Because the airfield was still receiving surplus warplanes, the U.S. Army constructed a fenced area for classified activities. They employed security measures including tanks, guard towers, and watch dogs to protect
8930-576: Was transferred to the Fourth Air Force for use as a flight test center. Kirtland Field was returning to B-29 Superfortress activity as the flight-testing headquarters for the 58th Bombardment Wing , which had been stationed at Roswell Army Airfield , New Mexico under the Fourth Air Force. This B-29 unit would assist the Z Division at Sandia Base with flight-testing new atomic weapons designs. The 428th AAF Base Unit (Flight Test)
9025-598: Was used by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation —later called the War Assets Administration . Old or surplus aircraft were to be sold or demolished at the site. Albuquerque Army Air Field received some 2,250 old or surplus aircraft, such as obsolete B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and smaller aircraft like AT-6 Texan trainers, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters. Aircraft that
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