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Deep Creek

Sandia Base initiated construction of the Operational Storage Site (OSS), the alert facilities of key strategic importance, in 1950. The first five of these installations were set up by Sandia immediately neighboring selected SAC bases. These Q Areas included Site G, the Deep Creek Air Force Station at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington. Deep Creek Station, 4 km West of Fairchild, Washington, provided facilities for the Survival School, in addition to the Weapons Storage Area.

The Deep Creek Operational Storage Site was located about 1 km immediately south of Fairchild AFB. A location 4 km West of Fairchild AFB is indeed "Deep Creek" but this was not the actual site of the nuclear weapons storage area.

The Arctic Indoctrination School at Marks AFB, Alaska, was the first United States Air Force aircrew survival school. It began in August 1947, and the strongest advocate of the survival program was the Commander in Chief of Strategic Air Command (SAC), General Curtis E. LeMay. He believed that with the proper training in environmental and situational survival, the Air Force could decrease aircrew member losses during conflict. However, due to limited training instructor resources and budgetary shortfalls the survival schools were forced to consolidate in November 1948. On 16 December 1949, SAC opened a mountainous terrain survival school at Camp Carson, Colorado. Strategic Air Command sought a larger training area for the new Land Survival School and by July 1952 training began at Stead AFB, Nevada. With the Secretary of Defense announcing the closure of Stead AFB, all survival school assets transferred to Fairchild AFB, Washington. Air Training Command activated the 3636th Combat Crew Training Group (Survival) as a tenant unit at Fairchild on 15 March 1966, and training resumed at Deep Creek Air Force Station which was located in the southwest corner of the base. The 336th Training Group, U.S. Air Force Survival School at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., provides Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training primarily to aircrew members. Instruction concentrates on the principles, techniques, and skills necessary to survive in any environment and return with honor.