Hey, everyone!
Does anyone know (or are you allowed to tell me) if the base near Groom Lake (Area 51) has housing?
I'm trying to keep going with Knox #3, but I can't tell from the overhead images on Google Maps if it has housing.
Thanks
Hey, everyone!
Does anyone know (or are you allowed to tell me) if the base near Groom Lake (Area 51) has housing?
I'm trying to keep going with Knox #3, but I can't tell from the overhead images on Google Maps if it has housing.
Thanks
Thanks, CB. Gonna probably go with the "no officer housing" route and have my main character hide in the crowd that is North Las Vegas...
I'm trying to keep going with Knox #3, but I can't tell from the overhead images on Google Maps if it has housing.
Definitive evidence either way is unlikely to be found, but seeing as Groom Lake is a military base, I think it's unlikely that their isn't at least some housing for base personnel.
There's also a green baseball diamond at the northwest corner of the base, so, probably.
And CB's right. I just have to decide if the MC will live in on-base housing or in Rachel, Nevada (the closest town), or at/outside Nellis in North Las Vegas and fly up in a plane when the MC needs to.
Groom Lake has housing, and has had it at least since the late 80's when I made a number deliveries of computer equipment from IBM, Kingston, NY, over a 2 year period. I was driving for NorthAmerican Van Lines Electronics Division at the time. One way in and one way out. Just after you passed Sedan Crater, you would collect an armed military escort, with one riding in the cab with me. They supplied a lock box for all cameras, recording devices, the microphone for my CB and the handset for my cell phone (bag phone, google it) and it was placed out of reach in the sleeper. All returned to me when I got to Sedan Crater on the way out. Instructions even included what CB channel to call for the escort when I approached Sedan Crater. I had to check in at Nellis AFB to see if it would deliver there for them to carry in or if I had to take the long bumpy, mostly gravel road.
That sounds similar to the security measures to visit Fort Meade in the late 80s to perform hardware upgrades on Multiflow Computers they had (I was a Software Engineer, but was one of the few with enough clearance to actually go into the computer center)
When I was asked to apply for a security clearance, I was told it would probably take anywhere from 3 to 9 months. The company was shocked when it came back in 6 weeks. It turns out I already had a minor clearance because they were still tracking my father and the whole family. He had worked on the Manhattan Project in 2 areas. The development of the phenolic castings used to hold everything in place, and a small part in the concentration of Uranium in Tonawanda, NY. It got me a number of high security loads into weird places due to how high it was.
Thanks, jimq2. I'm guessing near the ball field in the northwest corner?
That seems like the logical place... Or, at least, that's where I'll put it...
Excellent information Jimq2!
I appreciate you taking some efforts to research for your story The Outsider!
I think you are making a reasonable extrapolation. I have learned that many people are flown in, and out, each day for work. But it makes sense that there would be some assigned staff too.
I am a bit surprised that families also live there, I would have expected them to live on another bases, such as Fallon NAS, but it seems that is not the case.
I would expect there would also be "barracks" quarters for people to be able to stay overnight, or even for an indefinite period, if for some reason, such as weather, that aircraft could not fly people out after their shift.
I would expect there to be facilities similar to Camp Red Cloud, South Korea; as a potential example.
I am intrigued by your story. I have a WiP set a fictional Area 55, but it is on back burner, as I (try to) focus on completing my story already partially posted. I do prefer well researched stories, even when the author takes some liberties for the sake of the story.
The rows of buildings to the SE of the ball field are housing, set up kind of like motels. The ball field wasn't there at the time. The only people I ever saw that were not wearing Uniforms with only a name tag, were technicians in the computer center or those in the offices. I saw very few private vehicles and those were all pickups and Jeeps. Surprisingly, I saw a few private aircraft tied down. Military aircraft came and went regularly while I was there. I had an armed escort all the time on base, even to the bathroom door and the mess hall. They did serve great food, better than I ate on any other military base when making deliveries.
The only people I ever saw that were not wearing Uniforms with only a name tag, were technicians in the computer center or those in the offices.
That makes much more sense!
"Housing" in the parlance of the US armed forces means: residences for members of the armed forces and Dependent Family members.
"Quarters" which includes barracks, transient barracks, BOQ (Batchelor Officers Quarters), CHU (Containerized Housing Units) etc. are intended only (primarily) for military or naval personnel, and select DOD (Department of Defense) civilians, and perhaps some Contractors.
As you said Jimq2:
housing, set up kind of like motels
It was my presumption that when a Housing Area was mentioned, to me, it implied residences that would include Dependent (as in Civilians; without security clearances) living there along with their Military (or Naval) spouse/parent.
I figured that "Area 51"/Groom Lake would be similar to facilities on Diego Garcia, or CFLP (Camp Fernandez, Long, Planck) , or the previously mentioned, Camp Redcloud, South Korea. Military ONLY (except select DA/DOD personnel and/or Contractors, all with Security Clearances).
Jimq2, you mentioned a little-known fact that, at least since the mid 1970's (and the USA all volunteer armed forces; although some Draftees remained until their enlistment was finished) or the 1980's, significant effort is made to provide good tasting food to personnel serving "Austere Duty" assignments, such as aboard a submarine, or one of these types of bases.
And… I'm gonna go a different way with Knox #3… to Virginia, actually. Joint Base Langley-Eustis, or Langley AFB.
Somewhere new for the MC and a new role: Instructor-Pilot for the F-22 with the 71st Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing.
I just decided on the change today, but thank you for chiming in on this topic.