USASA Worldwide Direction Finding Net

Kami Seya Japan Detachment Of The 12th USASAFS

12th USASA Field Station, Detachment Kami Seya, Japan.  During mid 1959, a team was sent to Kami Seya, Japan, where the Navy Security Group Activity (NSGA) was located, to perform a 30 day test to establish if this was a suitable location to establish a SIT (DF) Detachment.

The testing was completed and it was determined that a Kami Seya Detachment should be established after agreements were reached between the 12th USA Field Station and  NSGA,  Kami Seya, Japan.

The detachment was under the
direct control off the 12th Field Station, located at Chitose, Japan.  The OIC (Lt John Packard) and NCOIC (SFC John Fryer), were in charge of SIT
(Foxtrot Section) operations at Chitose

In late 1959, a five person team was selected for duty at a newly
established detachment at Kami Seya, Japan.  The original team was composed of SGT Norm Kitchin (Detachment NCIOC), SP4 Tom Sechrist, SP4 Harv Juergen, Laurence Biebuyck and one other who I do not remember.  We left Chitose and arrived at Camp Zama, Japan where we stayed overnight and were picked up the next morning by a Kami Seya CPO and transported to Kam Seya.

We were billeted in the Kami Seya enlisted billets. The operating site, the detachment would work out of, was approximately one mile from the billets.  The operating positions were co-located with NGSA  AN/GRD-6 equipment, which NSGA assisted in getting us familiar with, since we had been using the AN/TRD-4 DF equipment at Chitose, Japan.  The equipment proved very reliable and the ASA was very satisfied with the results of the site's performance

The Kami Seya base was a small facility, but was very crucial to NSG operations.  The dining facility won several awards, and probably the best food that us Army types would ever have in our Army service.  The Navy always went out of their way to accommodate us.  There was also a large contingent of US Marines performing similar duties who we worked well with.

Off-duty locations in this area offered some great memorable times.  Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka and the Kamakura area were just a short train ride away.  Large military installations of Atsugi Naval AirStation, HQs, US Army, Camp Zama, Japan and 7th Fleet HQs located at Yokosuka were also located close by.  Some of the detachment members had their own transportation, and at ten cents a gallon of gas at that time, so why not.

With the success of the SIT detachment, at Kami Seya, detachment personnel were selected to conduct a study, to determine if a Army SIT detachment could be co-located with the NSGA, Adak, Alaska, also utilizing the AN/GRD-6 equipment.  (Separate page and info to follow soon)

As the Navy always said - Fair Winds and Following Seas

Norm Kitchin
CSM, USA Retired

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