PAR Transferred from U.S. Army to U.S. Air Force
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Left photo (2001):
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Plaque commemorating the PAR's transfer from the Army to the Air Force. It normally hangs in the entryway to the PAR building.
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Right photo (3335):
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Reenactment of the 1977 transfer ceremony during the 2002
25th anniversary celebration for Cavalier Air Force Station.
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Left: the last commander of the Army's Safeguard PAR.
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Center: the commemorative plaque
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Right: LTC Cecil Charles, the first commander of the Air Force's Concrete Missile Early Warning Station (CMEWS).
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Text on the plaque:
THIS COMMEMORATES THE TRANSFER FROM THE U.S. ARMY
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE ORGANIZATION TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE
AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND OF THE SAFEGUARD BALLISTIC
MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM PERIMETER ACQUISITION RADAR (PAR) --
THE LAST OPERATIONAL ELEMENT OF THE FREE WORLD'S FIRST
DEFENSE AGAINST BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK.
THE PAR AND THE OTHER SAFEGUARD SUBSYSTEMS REPRESENT
A GENERATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE AND
SYMBOLIZE THE POWER OF THE UNITED STATES' TECHNOLOGICAL
SUPREMACY.
MAY THE PAR, IN ITS NEW ROLE AS THE CONCRETE MISSILE
EARLY WARNING STATION, CONTINUE AS A REMINDER THAT PEACE
IS NEVER PERMANENTLY WON, BUT ONLY FROM INSTANT TO
WATCHFUL INSTANT.
JOHN G. JONES
BRIGADIER GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM MANAGER
1 OCTOBER 1977