Caribou Air Force Station
Caribou Air Force Station was the first of five, United States Air Force, Air Material Command (AMC) installations that were constructed during the period of 1951 – 1953. Each of the five installations was built specifically to provide operational storage of the nuclear stockpile, and to provide a specified number of weapons to their adjacent Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases. The first four installations were built and occupied by 1953. The fifth installation, although completed in 1953, would not be utilized until 1955. The first installation, code named “Site Easy” was originally known as the “North River Depot”. It was constructed between 1951-1952, and operations began in 1952. Funds were provided in 1951 to the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP), for the planning and construction of an ordnance storage site in the vicinity of a new Strategic Air Command Base. The AFSWP was directed to utilize the services of the Corps of Engineers, Department of Army, for planning and construction, and was made responsible for monitoring such work, and for operational security measures during these phases. The original directive to the AFSWP stipulated that upon completion of construction the installation would be turned over to Headquarters, Air Material Command for operational responsibilities.
Caribou Air Force Station
The Maintenance Area was under the overall supervision of the Chief, Civil Engineering Division, and served as a base for the maintenance and repair of all buildings, fences, grounds, roads and utilities at the site. Personnel who were assigned to this area operated such facilities as the Sewage Disposal Plant, water supply, Stand-by Power Plant and snow removal equipment. Bench stocks of lumber, builders hardware, paint, parts, pipe and other required component items were stored in the area. The Warehouse and Supply area was adjacent to the Civil Engineering Division Area, and to the Motor Pool. This function of the site processed requisitions issued from the adjacent areas. This area was not separated from the Maintenance Area. The principal building was a permanent, warehouse-type structure (Building No. 101), which housed offices for supply administration, warehousing for base and organizational supplies, and other supplies pertaining to special weapons, office administration and housekeeping supplies. Another permanent structure was used for supply functions and for the Motor Pool, with a dividing partition between (Building No. 107). Clothing was issued here, as well as organizational equipment and cold weather gear. Laundry was collected for shipment to the nearby Air Force base laundry. Certain types of salvage equipment and material were collected in this building. There were no provisions for clothing sales, and site personnel purchased such items at the nearby Air Force base. Since bulk supplies were drawn from the Air Force base each day, no large stocks were kept on hand.