Amber Hall’s past provides answers for the future

Photo By Staff Sgt. Yash Rojas | Ptarmigan Hall, in 1962, now Amber Hall, housed 750 airmen. In 1972 the dormitory was converted into a Wing headquarters with offices replacing dorm rooms.  

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, UNITED STATES

01.25.2012

Story by Airman 1st Class Yash Rojas 

354th Fighter Wing

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - Built 60 years ago, today's 354th Fighter Wing Headquarters building, known as Amber Hall still accommodates the mission needs of the Iceman Team.

It has survived years of change -- both in structure and mission.

Long hallways echo its celebrated history and offer airmen fragments of their past and a way to better prepare for the future.
Long before Amber Hall and the 354th Fighter Wing were here, construction began on Ptarmigan Hall, named after the missions flown by several Air Force reconnaissance units. The Ptarmigan missions would have U.S. RC-135E aircraft flying near the coast of the former Soviet Union, sometimes stopping in Japan before returning to Alaska once the reconnaissance mission was complete.

Ptarmigan Hall, a 750-man barracks believed to be the largest in the Air Force of its time, was completed Jan. 25, 1952. It remained Ptarmigan Hall through the 1950s and 1960s, said Dan Williams, 354th Fighter Wing historian.

The name would change in 1970 when Ptarmigan Hall was renamed Amber Hall to honor the Rivet Amber crew.

In 1969 an RC-135E assigned to Eielson's 6th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing experienced an in-flight emergency en route to Eielson from Shemya Air Force Base, Alaska, now Eareckson Air Station. Soon after takeoff, the crew of the Rivet Amber reported severe vibrations and were said to be going on oxygen. Remains of the aircraft and its crew were never recovered.

Today, Amber Hall is home to the 354th Fighter Wing Headquarters. It no longer houses hundreds of airmen, but its early design may provide the answer to enduring the long, cold winters of interior Alaska.

The original intention for Amber Hall was never to separate into independent facilities. Its creators designed the structure with the purpose of giving Airmen the ability to work, grab a bite to eat and take care of other everyday needs without ever having to set foot outside the building, said Williams.

"Ptarmigan Hall, now Amber Hall, was built to serve as a one-stop shopping kind of quality of life place," said Williams.

Ptarmigan Hall contained a small BX, tailor, library and game room. There was even a dining facility better known today as the Command Section's mezzanine and a 12-lane bowling alley where the 354th Fighter Wing public affairs office is now located.

Eventually, the building was converted into the Amber Hall we know today, housing the command section and other offices, while the bowling alley and dining facility are in their own separate locations. But plans are in motion to create a new all-in-one facility similar to the original Ptarmigan Hall.

"Like Eielson's earliest architects, the designers of our future 'City Center' have focused on creating a 'one stop drop,'" said Brig. Gen. James Post, 354th Fighter Wing commander, "a place where families can park the car and find something for everyone all under one roof -- from an arts and crafts room, to an internet café, virtual golf, a video arcade, jungle gym, library, community center and more."

In addition, customers will have covered access to the base movie theater, AAFES Exchange and commissary, Post said. The concept of providing convenient, accessible activities is the City Center's main objective.

We use history -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- to help shape our future and future decision making, said Williams. We do this with day-to-day operations, but we also do this with quality of life projects.

• Date Taken: 01.25.2012
• Date Posted: 01.26.2012 20:33
• Story ID: 82901
• Location: EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, US