Former Mather Air Force Base Alert Facility
Anonymous
@ 2008-02-07 17:30:13
This is not the command bunker (command post). It is, however, the Alert Facility (aka "Mole Hole") where B-52 'Crew Dogs' and KC-135 'Tanker Toads' lived while on nuclear alert. The underground part of the building is where the sleeping quarters are located, and the upper, exposed story is where the briefing room, cafeteria, day rooms and alert facility manager's office was. Most of these facilities were built between 1957 and 1965, the height of the Cold War. Alert vehicles, trucks, were parked around the building and when the alert klaxon sounded the crews ran to the trucks which then drove them to their aircraft. The goal was to get from the Mole Hole to your aircraft and be ready to takeoff within three (3) minutes. Alerts always seemed to come at the most inopportune time (the middle of the night) and the worst weather conditions.
Anonymous
@ 2008-02-18 02:36:23
We lived at Mather A.B. Wonder if this is where my dad went when on "Alert". He was in SAC.
militaryman
@ 2013-07-03 14:06:30
It's too bad to see these buildings being demolished, such a cool facility. Looks like the tree is used for Law enforcement driver training now.
Anonymous
@ 2020-06-30 16:19:14
I just was out to the old base this past weekend. 6/27-28/2020. Sad to see many of the buildings already demolished. I did find an area by the golf course that is still standing. Not sure what it was used for? It still has razorwire around the wholde complex. Maybe 7 bunkers, several buildings that have gun ports on all sides of buildings. Looks like a place where they built bombs? Does anyone know? Most of the standing buildings have been graffitied (sad). The bunkers have been sealed off with trees trunks where you cannot get in.
Anonymous
@ 2023-01-28 21:07:06
They are called Igloos and they were used to store weapons systems. The area was called WSA which stood for Weapons Storage Area.