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.
USS Caribou (IX-114)
"Caribou" stood out of Pearl Harbor on 10 February 1944 for Kwajalein and Eniwetok, where she served as station tanker until August, providing rear echelon support for the Fifth Fleet. Moving on to Manus, "Caribou" based there while fueling units at sea in support of operations in the Philippines until March 1945. From May through July, she resumed station duty, this time at Mindoro, Manila, and Tacloban, closer to the swiftly moving American advance. Sailing to Ulithi, she carried oil to Leyte, then made a similar voyage to Guam. "Caribou" served from August to December in the Mariana Islands and at Iwo Jima.