Trip Report: Sequestcation
First published in 2013. Reformatted 2025. What do you get when you mix sequester with vacation? Sequestcation, of course. To pay for my share of the sequester, I cancelled flying trips in 2013 to save on airfare and rental car costs. Instead, I took shorter road trips in the local region. In a couple cases, I used furlough days to create four-day weekends. When life hands you a sequester, take a sequestcation! Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.Friday, 28 June 2013
On this family vacation, I had one day filled with military history. Since I was near Ellsworth AFB, I sought out a few former Minuteman missile sites. These sites were activated in 1962-63, declared excess on 16 June 1999, and disposed of 2001-03. Before they were excessed, the silos were partially demolished with explosives to comply with Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty requirements. Ellsworth AF Missile Site M-09 SD, PIN 8919, ILC FXKQ, 44-44-55, 103-57-01General view
General view
General view Ellsworth AF Missile Site M-10 SD, PIN 8920, ILC FXKR, 44-48-10, 104-02-15
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General view
General view Ellsworth AF Missile Site K-10 SD, PIN 8817, ILC FXJR, 44-38-11, 104-00-00
General view
General view
General view Ellsworth AF Missile Site K-08 SD, PIN 8910, ILC FXJP, 44-31-34, 103-56-14
General view
General view Ellsworth AF Missile Site K-09 SD, PIN 8816, ILC FXJQ, 44-32-54, 104-02-05
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General view
General view
Unidentified feature
Unidentified feature
Fence with wind vane mount Ellsworth AF Missile Site K-07 SD, PIN 8370, ILC FXJN, 44-28-22, 103-46-33
General view
General view
General view Ellsworth AF Missile Site K-06 SD, PIN 8815, ILC FXJM, 44-26-29, 103-41-17
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General view
General view Sundance Communications Facility Annex WY, PIN 8017, 44-29-15, 104-27-24. This Air Defense Command communications annex, a ground-to-air transmit and receive facility, was located north of the radar site.
General view
General view
Building foundation
Building foundation
Building foundation
Building foundation
Building foundation detail
Concrete pad Sundance Air Force Station WY, PIN 6999, ILC WMJP, 44-28-43, 104-27-06. Designated and assigned in an under-construction status on 12 August 1959. This radar site was unusual--it was powered by a small nuclear reactor! Air Defense Command operated this long-range radar site from 1961 to 1968. The property was partially disposed of in 1974, but a portion remains under government control for continued radiation monitoring.
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General view
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General view
Gate
Historical marker Sundance Fire Lookout Annex WY, 44-28-33, 104-26-38. This annex was assigned to ADC's 29th Air Division in under construction status on 12 August 1959. Internet information suggests that the present fire tower (pictured) was built when the existing tower had to be removed to make room for Sundance AFS. I don't yet know the full story on this property.
General view Sundance Family Housing Annex WY, PIN 7166, 44-25-15, 104-25-19. Located partway down the hill from the radar site, this annex was activated August 1963, inactivated June 1968, and disposed of in 1970.
General view
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Friday, 12 July 2013
The Outback and I headed north, bright and early. Pole Mountain Military Reservation WY, PIN 1297, 41-13-00, 105-23-00. This property was acquired in 1879 as Fort D.A. Russell Target and Maneuver Reservation. On 1 January 1930 the name was changed to Fort Francis E. Warren Target and Maneuver Reservation. The Army transferred the property to the Air Force in 1947, and it was then known as Pole Mountain Military Reservation or Pole Mountain Training Annex. The property was redesignated Warren Training Annex on 13 May 1959, and just two months later on 10 July 1959 it was disposed of. The predecessor organizations to Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) had a seismometer site on the property from 1950 to 1958. (For simplicity, I will use the abbreviation AFTAC in this trip report to indicate the center and all predecessors.) I have not determined the location of the AFTAC site on the large Pole Mountain Military Reservation. The only known structures still standing from military use of the property are two concrete, bunker-like artillery observation posts. Artillery observation post (southeast), 41-13-43, 105-20-36. Visited on 12 July 2013 and again on 2 August 2013. I've placed the photos from both visits here for your convenience.Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior detail
Exterior detail
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior Artillery observation post (northwest), 41-15-04, 105-22-13. Visited on 2 August 2013.
Distant view
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior Casper Air Force Base WY, 42-54-25, 106-27-55. Casper AAFld was a bomber crew training base during WWII. After the war, the large 3,313.8 acre base lingered on the books in an inactive status. On 13 January 1948 it was redesignated Casper Air Force Base. The base was assigned to Strategic Air Command at that time. It retained this designation when it was transferred from SAC to Air Materiel Command on 15 January 1952. The final listing I have found for Casper AFB is in the December 1952 USAF Installations Directory. I visited the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum, located in the former service club, and had a good conversation with Curator Douglas Cubbison and Director John Goss. I made another visit on 16 August 2013, and for your convenience I've included those photos here.
Hangar No. 1
Hangar No. 1
Hangar No. 1
Hangar No. 2 with Hangar No. 3 in background
Hangar No. 4
Hangar No. 5
Sub-depot shops
Fire station
Fire station
Fire station
Service club
Service club
Service club
Service club
Service club
Service club
Service club, WWII vintage light switches
Service club, WWII vintage electric outlets
Service club, WWII vintage artwork
Theater
Theater
Theater
Theater
Theater
Theater detail
Theater detail
Recreation hall
Recreation hall
Recreation hall
Barracks
Barracks
Barracks
Barracks
Barracks
Barracks
Physical plant
Physical plant
Water treatment building
Water treatment building
Water treatment building
Water treatment building
Water treatment building
Water treatment building interior
Water storage reservoir
Water storage reservoir
Water storage reservoir and water treatment building
Water storage reservoir and water treatment building
Firing-in butt
Flagpole base
Flagpole base I stopped for the night in Casper, Wyoming, after driving 437 miles in 10 hours.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
From Cheyenne I headed out to a remote area of Wyoming. Douglas Annex WY, PIN 4565, ILC FJTP, 42-38-30, 105-49-05. This was another AFTAC seismometer site. It was activated 1 October 1952, after the Air Force assumed the lease from contractor Beers & Heroy. In 1959 it was redesignated Francis E. Warren Annex No. 2. In 1966 the reference location was changed from Douglas to Glenrock. The installation was inactivated, and leases terminated, on 30 June 1972. This 2.36-acre property was often referred to in AFTAC documents by the unit that operated it, Team 141 or Det 141.General vicinity
General vicinity I quit for the day in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after covering 308 miles in 8 hours.
Sunday, 14 July 2013
From Cheyenne I headed south with a couple of detours on the way home. Francis E. Warren AF Missile Site No. 10 (566-6) CO, PIN 6919, 40-38-55, 104-23-05. I first visited this former Atlas E site back in 1998, and the property was freely accessible at that time. This time I found it gated. This property was acquired in 1959 and declared excess on 26 March 1965.General view
General view Fort Collins Intermediate Field CO, 40-35-47, 105-08-35. This airport was an intermediate field before and during WWII, known as "Fort Collins, Site 5, DV-LR." That makes it the fifth intermediate field on the Denver to Laramie air route. I visited the field because of 1943-1944 airfield directories that list it as having Army use as a contract pilot school. Personnel currently working in the building believe that the building and hangar were used for military glider training during the war. Although the runway is still discernable from the air, it has long been closed.
Hangar and building
Hangar
Hangar
Building
Building I wrapped up this 4-hour day with only 187 miles driven. Total miles were 932 for the weekend.
Saturday, 3 August 2013
Starting my day in Laramie, Wyoming, I headed west through the mountains to the town of Encampment. At the Grand Encampment Museum, I found information on the Air Force presence in and near town.Detachment 142 display
Detachment 142 display, recording machine
Detachment 142 display, seismometer
Detachment 142 display, seismometer detail
Detachment 142 display, recording console Encampment Annex WY, PIN 3677, ILC GADD, 41-12-17, 106-47-42. Construction was initiated in 1952 for the AFTAC installation consisting of an administrative location in the town of Encampment, and a seismometer area several miles to the southwest. It was also known as Francis E. Warren Annex No. 1. It was inactivated in 1972 and disposed of in 1974. In AFTAC documents, the site is sometimes referred to by the unit that operated it, Team 142 or Det 142. Town site
General view
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General view
Central recording building
Central recording building Seismometer area (general vicinity of 41-08-40, 106-52-25)
General view
General view I returned to Laramie for a second night. This was a short day of 245 miles in 6.5 hours.
Sunday, 4 August 2013
From Laramie I headed east then south. Laramie Annex WY, PIN 3844, 41-18-40, 105-35-45. This leased property, at 114 Grand Avenue, served AFTAC as an analysis center and received data from the various seismometer sites in Wyoming. Activated on 23 June 1953, it was also known as Francis E. Warren Annex No. 3, or the Laramie Analysis Center. At some point in time, Team 165 was located at this facility, so it was sometimes called Team 165 or Det 165 in AFTAC documents. It was inactivated and disposed of on 30 June 1961.Building
Building
Building Plancor 1844 WY, 41-15-51, 105-36-14. During WWII, the Defense Plant Corporation leased this 40 acre plant to the Monolith Portland Midwest Company for the production of alumina.
General view
Plant
Administration
Plant and administration I covered 321 miles in 8 hours before stopping for the night in Cheyenne, Wyoming. On Monday I drove 354 miles in 8 hours to get home. This total trip covered 1,453 miles.
Friday, 16 August 2013
By this point I knew the route into Wyoming like the back of my hand. Sheridan Airport WY, 44-46-25, 106-58-30. During WWII the Sheridan airport was improved under the Development of Landing Areas for National Defense (DLAND) program. The 1 May 1943 AAF Station List shows Sheridan under Casper AAFld for bomb training.General view I stopped for the night in Sheridan, Wyoming, logging 475 miles in 13 hours.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
I hit the road early with a lot of stops to make. Powell Training Site was a radar bomb scoring site, using the Multiple Threat Emitter System (MUTES). The smaller auxiliary sites used a system known as mini-MUTES. The mini-MUTES locations were activated 1989-93, and disposed of 1996-98. Manderson Mini-MUTES 16MM4 WY, ILC PAKH, 44-16-43, 107-56-56General view
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General view Powell Mini-MUTES 16MM3 WY, ILC TRPV, 44-23-18, 108-11-38
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General view Powell Mini-MUTES WY, 44-24-46, 108-30-06. I found this site by chance while reviewing aerial photography. I do not know which site designation it is, but because of the location it was likely one of the Powell sites.
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General view Powell Training Site WY, ILC TRPP, 44-41-57, 108-36-44. This installation was also known as the Powell Strategic Training Range Site. It was activated in 1984, assigned to Malmstrom AFB. It was transferred to Ellsworth AFB on 1 October 1993. It was declared excess on 1 October 1995, and disposed of on 19 August 1996.
General view
General view
Access road
Radar bomb scoring building
Radar bomb scoring building
Support building Heart Mountain Relocation Center WY, 44-40-18, 108-56-47. This camp was not a military property, rather it was administered by the War Relocation Authority. Heart Mountain was one of ten similar camps built to house (imprison, actually) Japanese Americans during WWII. The camp layout and building plans would have been very similar to camps for enemy prisoners of war. More than 14,000 people lived in this camp, which opened in 1942 and closed 10 November 1945. A few vintage buildings remain, and a replica guard tower stands near the modern visitors center.
General view
Replica guard tower
Buildings
Buildings
Buildings
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building detail
Boiler house
Boiler house
Boiler house
Concrete building foundation
Wooden structure
High school records vault Powell Housing Annex WY, ILC TRPM, 44-45-36, 108-46-54. This housing and support complex was built about the same time as Powell Training Site. It was sometimes referred to as Support Site Family Housing. It was declared excess on 1 October 1995, and disposed of on 1 October 1996.
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General view
Community building Frannie Mini-MUTES 16MM9 MT, ILC GMDQ, 45-05-11, 108-36-10
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General view I returned to Sheridan for a second night, after a day of 403 miles in 10 hours.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Checking out of Sheridan bright and early, I faced another long day on Wyoming's roads. Douglas Prisoner of War Camp WY, 42-45-32, 105-24-22. This camp operated from 1942 to 1946. At first it housed about 2,000 Italian prisoners. In 1944, when Italy surrendered, those prisoners departed and were replaced by about 3,000 German prisoners. Only one building is extant from the WWII days.Officers club
Officers club
Officers club
Officers club
Officers club
Officers club
Officers club
Historical marker Nine hours and 450 miles later, I stopped in Cheyenne for the night. The next day was a short jaunt home; only 225 miles in 6 hours. The entire weekend covered 1,553 miles.
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
A second family vacation served to close out the summer travel season. Between National Parks, I managed to see two places of military history interest. Holbrook L3I Site AZ 34-51-37, 110-00-10. This is a former AT&T main power feed station, which I happened to notice as we drove by. This was not a military site, but it could be considered military-related. Note the nuclear blast detector.General view
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General view
Building
Nuclear blast detector
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
From Flagstaff, we drove just south of the city. Fort Tuthill AZ, PIN 5612, ILC HLBC. The installation was established in 1928 as a National Guard training site. Sometime prior to 1958, a portion of the then-closed fort was transferred to the Air Force for use as a recreation area. It still serves that purpose, assigned to Luke AFB.General view
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General view
General view
Building
Building
Elevated water storage tank
Elevated water storage tank
Air Force recreation area
Air Force recreation area Updated May 10, 2025
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