Not at posted coordinates! Be sure to check the logbook for the bonus codes!
A key wing in the history of the B-52 is 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffiss AFB, NY. Griffiss was a late bloomer in the history of the BUFF, not receiving the bomber until 1959. The base was built in 1941 before the entrance of the US into WWII and finished in February 1942. The base is located near Rome, NY, and was initially named for the local town. Rome Air Depot performed heavy aircraft maintenance and also trained aircraft maintenance crew until the end of the war. In 1948, the base was renamed for New York native Lt Col Townsend E. Griffiss, who perished in a 15 February 1942 friendly-fire accident, giving him the dubious honor of being the first American casualty in the European theater. Griffiss AFB did not have permanently-assigned aircraft until 3 October 1950, when the 1st Fighter-Interceptor Group under Air Defense Command was established. This unit and its successors flew a variety of fighter aircraft ranging from the F-80 Shooting Star to F-102 Delta Dagger.
In 1959, the 4039th Strategic Wing was activated at Griffiss under Strategic Air Command (SAC). On 1 February 1963, the 4039th was reorganized into the 416th Bombardment Wing (416 BMW). Like many SAC bomber bases, Griffiss also had a complement of air refueling KC-135 tanker aircraft. SAC activated the 41st Air Refueling Squadron on 1 January 1959. During the Vietnam era, 416 BMW tankers and bombers performed missions in support of OPERARTION ARC LIGHT, in 1968 alone involving more than half of the wing’s assets.
Griffiss has had the honor of being the first SAC wing to bring a major strategic weapon system online. The AGM-86/B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) is a standoff missile enabling a BUFF to carry up to 20 missiles (8 in the bomb bay on the Common Strategic Rotary Launcher (CSRL) and 12 on underwing pylons with six each) and launch them at strategic targets at ranges exceeding 1500 nautical miles, from outside the range of defensive installations. The standoff launch capability allows the bomber to carry out its mission without needing to enter heavily guarded, hostile airspace. In 11 January 1981, Griffiss received the first production ALCM. 15 August 1981 was the date Griffiss received the first ALCM-modified B-52G model able to deploy the missile. G-models were only able to carry the ALCM on underwing pylons; only the H-models were able to carry the CSRL and pylons. The 416 BMW reached initial operation capability on 23 April 1981 and performed the first test launch of an operational missile on 21 September 1981. Griffiss reached full combat capability with the ALCM on 16 December 1982. More about the ALCM in Feelin’ BUFF 26: B-52 Armament: AGM-86/B Air Launched Cruise Missile.
Griffiss played a key role in OPERATION DESERT STORM. 416 BMW BUFFs performed 148 combat sorties, employing 4,394,350 pounds of bombs and totaling in excess of 11,000 flying hours. Tanker crews from Griffiss offloaded 100 million pounds of fuel aerially, and amassed more than 1,100 flying sorties. Following the campaign, the Air Force began to retire the B-52 G models. On 9 May 1991, B-52G 58-0225 "Mohawk Valley" flown by the wing's commander landed at Griffiss AFB for the last time to be preserved on base. Between July and October 1991, the G-models were swapped for H-models as the G’s were retired. Due to the close of the Cold War, Griffiss was earmarked for deactivation in 1993, and in November 1994 the final B-52H left Griffiss for Minot AFB, ND; the wing was deactivated by September 1995. A few defense activities remain at Griffiss, but is now mostly a business and technology park.
Not many people would expect a mighty SAC base to have a place in music history, but Griffiss does! A few years after Griffiss sent its last BUFFs to Minot, Woodstock ’99 was held that July on the former base’s airfield. The event was infamous for a few reasons. One was the heat, which would exceed 100°F, and caused numerous problems for the roughly 400,000 attendees, such as walking across the shade-less airfield tarmac, and the price gouging for bottled water. At the event a bottle of water went for a staggering $4 (~$6 in 2019 dollars)! Another problem was sanitation. Portable toilets and showers were procured for the event, but proved woefully inadequate for the crowds, and became unusable as they were heavily abused to overflowing. A 12-foot fence erected to keep unticketed visitors out of the concert grounds was knocked down by attendees leaving the event; the anger and heat caused rowdy concert goers to break open water pipes, creating enormous muddy pits. As anger reached a flashpoint, violence erupted in the concert grounds, and people were injured, raped and one died due to heat-related injuries. Property was looted, burglarized and set ablaze like an unstoppable chain reaction in the angry frenzy as mounting trash and unsanitary conditions raced out of control.
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To find this cache, calculate the coordinates from the information in this listing.
N 48° AB.CDE W 101° FG.HIJ
A= Year Rome Air Depot construction was finished, XXNX, A=(N/4)
B= Day in February 1942 Lt Col Griffiss died in friendly-fire accident, NN February, B=(NN-6)
C= Year of first permanently-assigned aircraft unit establishment, XXNX, C=(N+4)
D= Year 4039th Strategic Wing was reorganized into 416 BMW, XXNX, D=(N-1)
E= Day in August 1981 Griffiss received the first ALCM-modified B-52G, XN, E=(N-1)
F= Day in December 1982 Griffiss reached full combat capability with the ALCM, NX, F=(N-0)
G= Pounds of bombs employed by 416 BMW BUFFs in DESERT STORM, X,XNX,XXX pounds, G=(N-2)
H= Serial number of B-52G 58-0225 "Mohawk Valley" preserved on base, 58-XXNX, H=(N+5)
I= Year final B-52H left Griffiss for Minot AFB, ND, XXNX, I=(N-2)
J=Year of infamous Woodstock event on Griffiss airfield, XXXN, J=(N/9)
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104612/agm-86bcd-missiles/
https://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/alcm.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsend_Griffiss
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffiss_Air_Force_Base
http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Griffis_AFB.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_%2799