Editing Loring Air Force Base (section)

=====Nike defense area=====
[[File:Loring AFB Defense Area.png|thumb|220px|Defense sites around Loring AFB]]
{{Main|Loring AFB Defense Area}}
To provide air defense of the base, four [[United States Army]] [[Nike Hercules|Nike-Hercules]] [[surface-to-air missile]] sites were constructed during 1956. Sites were located near Caribou (L-58) {{Coord|46|53|02|N|068|00|32|W}}; Caswell (L-13) {{Coord|47|01|42|N|067|48|35|W}}; Connor Twp. (L-85) {{Coord|47|00|29|N|068|01|06|W}}, and Limestone (L-31) {{Coord|46|55|04|N|067|47|32|W}} Maine.<ref name="MilitaryStandard">{{cite web|title=Nike Missile Loring Defense Area|url=http://www.themilitarystandard.com/missile/nike/loring-me.php|work=The Military Standard|access-date=7 August 2012}}</ref>

The New England Division of the Army Corps of Engineers managed the construction of these sites. The sites were manned by men from the 3rd Missile Battalion, [[61st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (United States)|61st Air Defense Artillery Regiment]], and provided defense for Loring and the northeastern approaches to the United States. In 1960, sites L-13 and L-58 underwent conversion from [[Project Nike#Nike Ajax|Ajax]] missiles to the [[MIM-14 Nike-Hercules]] missiles. These sites remained operational until 1966, although the site at Limestone was closed in September 1958.<ref name="MilitaryStandard" />

Members of the 3rd Missile Battalion gained distinction in November 1958 during the Annual Service Practice wargames at [[Fort Bliss]] in [[Texas]] when they launched 12 Nike Ajax missiles and recorded 12 kills – a [[United States Army Air Defense Command]] first.<ref name="MilitaryStandard" />