Editing Loring Air Force Base (section)

=====UFO sighting=====
During the fall of 1975, the base was the location of [[unidentified flying object]] sightings. During the night of 27 October, an unidentified object was spotted hovering near the secure weapons area (the former Caribou AFS). Around 19:45, a member of the 42nd Security Police Squadron spotted an apparent aircraft over the northern perimeter of Loring, at a low altitude. A later [[Teleprinter|teletype]] message to the [[National Military Command Center]] in Washington, D.C., stated: "The A/C [aircraft] definitely penetrated the LAFB [Loring Air Force Base] northern perimeter and on one occasion was within {{convert|300|yd}} of the munitions storage area perimeter." In the control tower, a member of the 2192nd Communications Squadron was on duty, when he picked up the craft on radar, nearing the base. After trying to contact the unidentified aircraft to warn it that it was approaching a restricted area, the aircraft entered the airspace over the nuclear weapons storage area and hovered over it at an altitude of {{convert|300|ft}}, later lowering to {{convert|150|ft}}. Commander of the 42d Bombardment Wing, [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] Robert E. Chapman{{refn|Sources say that a "Richard E. Chapman" was the commander, but there seems to be confusion in the name.<ref name=Chapman>{{cite web|title=BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT E. CHAPMAN |url=http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=4978 |publisher=United States Air Force |access-date=15 February 2013 |year=1981 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802101900/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=4978 |archive-date=2 August 2013}}</ref><ref name=Nicap>{{cite web|title=UFOs Intrude into SAC Base Weapons Areas|url=http://www.nicap.org/intsac.htm|publisher=Nicap.org|access-date=15 February 2013}}</ref>|group = N}} arrived 15 minutes later at the weapons storage area and police units were ordered in as well. At this time, he also declared a [[Security Option 3]].<ref name="Clearintent">{{cite book|last=Greenwood|first=Lawrence Fawcett, Barry J.|title=Clear intent: the government coverup of the UFO experience|year=1984|publisher=Prentice-Hall|location=Englewood Cliffs, N.J.|isbn=978-0-13-136649-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/clearintentgover00fawc}}</ref>

At 20:45, another person on duty in the control tower received a call to track the mysterious craft on radar. For the next 40 minutes, it was observed circling around the weapons storage area, when it suddenly vanished, as though it had landed or dropped below the radar. Witnesses later observed it flying away towards [[Grand Falls, New Brunswick]], twelve miles to the east. Messages were sent to the National Military Command Center, the [[Air Force Chief of Staff]], and Strategic Air Command headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base. The base continued to remain on a high state of alert until the following morning, as efforts to identify the unidentified aircraft through the [[Maine State Police]], local police departments, and the Houlton [[Federal Aviation Administration]] office remained elusive.<ref name="Clearintent" />

The next night at 19:45, a craft similar to the one the night before approached the base. In addition to being tracked on radar, it hovered around the area for 30 minutes, with characteristics of movement similar to a helicopter. It hovered above the weapons storage area at the same altitude as the night before. At this time, possibly another object (it is unclear if it was the same one as the over the weapons storage area, but it is possible) was spotted over the flightline. The cigar-shaped object was described as hovering in mid-air, jerking around, and turning on and off its lights once. During the blackout, it traveled from the flightline, to the northern end of the runway. According to one service member, the object was chased, and eventually discovered to be hovering five feet off the ground. During this time, it was determined that the object was four car lengths long.<ref name="Clearintent" />

Once again, the object was tracked on radar, taking off towards New Brunswick. Teletype messages were again sent to higher commands, with no explanation being found. One teletype sent on November from Loring's [[U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations|Office of Special Investigations]] detachment to the National Military Command Center and OSI headquarters reported another, "unidentified helicopter sighted at low level over Loring AFB" over the past two nights (31 October – 1 November). It also referred to the intruder as an "unknown entity." Additionally, Captain Richard R. Fuhs an Operations Officer in the 42nd Security Police Squadron (SPS) stated, "...&nbsp;advised that there had been three verified sightings of an unidentified A/C [aircraft] flying at low level over and in the vicinity of LAFB" during this period. An initial sighting was made by a member of the 42nd, who was on duty at 23:14 hours Another member spotted the object near the East Gate, going from east to west.<ref name="Clearintent" />

It has been learned that another member of the 2192nd Communications Squadron working at the Caswell Radar Station had been contacted by the base commander to look toward the base and report what he sees.  That member responded, I see a helicopter with people rappelling out of it.  To quote him, "I never saw a UFO, but I did see a helicopter".  This incident was a base readiness security drill that has been passed off as a UFO sighting.{{cn|date=December 2024}}