Shortly after I achieved my 2nd year Navy anniversary at the NCS (R) Washington site at Cheltenham, MD. LANT HFDF NCO was the major mission with a number of miscellaneous missions occupying the 2-level brick building. The building looked more like a mansion house with a field of some Rhombic Antennas in the side 40-acre patch of open space. The flash ckt and report ckts from the HFDF LANT NET stations was all MM. There was no Tech Control for the single Half Duplex circuit to somewhere covered by a Gorgon TSEC/KW-2 connected to TTY. The TTY was MOD 15/14 of MOD 19.

Before I could be get my orders to NCS (R) Finegayan, Guam, M.I. 🇬🇺 via TSEC/KW-26A Maintenance Class “C” School at CRF NNSY Portsmouth, VA, I had to execute a 1-year enlistment extension. The extension was needed because I only had 15 months of my Kiddie Cruise and the school enlistment obligation was controlling.

On Guam🇬🇺, the NSG Department mission was subdivided at three sites; RCVR Building, AN/GRD-6 HFDF Shack, & Terminal Building that housed both record Communications Centers. We were on the top level.

The NSGD Comms Cntr circuits were covered by three different crypto devices and a single rack patch panel – Tech Control circa 1960 was the patch panel rack and 2-1/2 sets of 26s plus a set for spares as needed. The CTOs managed the PYTHON & GORGON Hi/Lo function as required. The Project Peek-a-boo 🫣 upgraded everything. The NSGD Communications Center was remade. A distinct Tech Control area was created. It had BLACK & RED Patch Panel racks in one line. In the other opposing line of open equipment racks were only the 26s; only ROMULUS for online comms. In the other room were cabinets for the TD devices (transmit tape readers); 6 per cabinet. Cabinets for the Perf devices (receive tape punchers); 6 per cabinet. Banks & Rows of page printer devices for hard copy of send/receive messages. There was an area were the tapes of messages to be sent were prepared and QCed. All very neat and orderly. CTOs in the noisy production area. CTM Tech Controllers in Tech Control where the noise was predominantly 26 cooling fans.

• Before Peek 🫣, the electric signals were 120 VDC @ 60 milli-amperes on/off keyed signals.

• After Peek 🫣, the electric signals were +/- 60 VDC @ < 30 milli-amperes polar (+/-) keyed signals.

When CTOs assumed Tech Control functions, I do not know. I left Guam 🇬🇺 July 1961 on a slow MSTS boat to SFRAN via a short stop at Pearl Harbor.

September 1962, I arrived at USNSGA Edzell for a 24-month accompanied tour as the designated 26 Technician. With that designation, I was supposed to be housed on-base for the least emergency response time. The flat I let in Montrose with my family had a telephone. If it had not had a phone, I might have been required to stay on base most of the time.

The AN/GRD-6 HFDF Shack was packed like sardines with equipment. The record communications center was a corner of the sardine can shack. It reminded me of a miniature version of NSGD Guam 🇬🇺 before Peek 🫣. The AN/FRD-10 CDAA with a grand ops building inside the “cage” was not yet ready for prime time. On a day I was investigating boxes in the Supply Department hanger, I saw 👀 BOO-2 stenciled on many crated objects. Ah! My curiosity was satisfied because I know knew what the CDAA Record Comms Room would look-like. CTMs were still the Tech Control.

I do not know when a CTO became Tech Control replacing the CTMs. When I departed Edzell August 1964, the change had not been made.

H/W ends a short history insight into Tech Control.