I know guys who served in the USAF in SAC in the 60’s, and they assure me that their weapons were loaded on base. All of them, all the time.
And anyone who tried to bully or ram their way onto a SAC base was to be shot dead, no questions or hesitation allowed. Anyone who was already on-base, in uniform, who approached the “dead line” surrounding the B-52’s and B-58’s on the flight line who was alone would probably have been shot as well. They told me they took base security very seriously, and signs were posted as to the lethality of their standing orders.
B-58s !!!
Dude that was old school.
Actually, there’s nothing like getting “jacked up” by an 18 year old sky cop.
That was SAC.
Old SAC.
Real SAC.
Curt LeMay SAC.
Times have changed.
Yes and those armed airmen on SAC bases were authorized security police, both law enforcement, guards and SAT teams. They were protecting the nukes. Whenever I was on duty as a missile officer I was armed. Whenever I flew on the SAC Looking Glass, I was armed. Whenever I transported nuclear release codes or two person control materials I was armed. This is not the same as letting everyone walk about with issued armed weapons.
As an enlisted Marine before that we never had loaded field weapons day to day. Those were maintained in the armory and ammunition was issued at the ranges or as required. Troops stopped carrying their issued weapons with them, even when moving to a new base, sometime back in the early-mid 50s and even then and during WWII they were not issued ammunition unless they were on guard duty or in a combat zone. Living in the barracks, there is not a good way to control stupid individuals and/or drunken individuals. There were incidents where trained personnel accidently or on purpose shot themselves or each other in garrison. We had two guys whom I knew who were MPs, bored in the middle of the night at one of the gates and they decided to play quick draw with their M1911s. On about the 5th quick draw one guy was puzzled that it sounded like a gunshot while his partner was standing there holding his side shouting “You shot me you stupid M*$ke&t%@+er”. We disarmed another drunk Marine who brought a weapon into the club to take care of the guy who supposedly stole his girlfriend. That is why everyone on base is not issued a weapon and ammunition for daily carry/use.
Yes I assume some bases were more apt to give ammunition to troops than others. I can only attest to my own experience.
I can remember visiting Ellsworth AFB in the late 80’s. We were being given a tour, when we stopped at a chain link fence just outside where they kept and serviced B-52’s. The tour guide invited us to take all the pics we wanted, but to not even think of crossing the fence.
“These planes are guarded by armed personnel around the clock,” he stated. “If you run out to get a closer look, you won’t make it,” he assured us.
I served in SAC in the 1960's as a B-47 Navigator.
Aircrew members carried loaded .38 cal revolvers all the time we were on alert (and slept with them next to our beds), but we did not carry them when we were not on alert.
Each aircraft on alert was guarded by an Air Policeman with a loaded rifle. The guards worked in shifts, around the clock. Even the assigned aircrew members had to show their flight-line badges and be recognized before the guard would allow them to approach their aircraft.
Gate guards, perimeter guards and roving patrols carried loaded rifles and sidearms all the time they were on duty, but not at other times. Anyone who tried to bully or ram their way into a SAC base would be warned, if possible, and if they didn't stop they would be shot.
Some of the roving patrols were accompanied by very large dogs, and the Air Police also had some Jeeps with loaded .50 cal machine guns.
Yes, SAC took base security very seriously and signs were posted. The standing orders were to stop any unauthorized people, put them on the ground, handcuff them and take them to the Air Police Command Post for interrogation. If they resisted or tried to escape, they were to be shot.
I am reminded of a professor from the University of New Hampshire who tried to penetrate a remote perimeter at Pease Air Force Base in the middle of the night, just to see if he could get away with it. As he told his story later, he got about 10 feet inside the base before he was spot-lighted, confronted by two armed men and a large German Shepard dog, thrown on his face in the cold mud, handcuffed and taken away. Three hours later, when he was taken back to his car, he was very sure he would not do that again.