Photo By Daniel Martinez | Guests of the 55th Communications Squadron open racks to the Meridian Stored Logic 100...... read more read more
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OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – A relic of a bygone era took its last call as the 55th Communications Squadron pulled the plug on a decades old telephone switch Feb. 26, 2025.
The Meridian Stored Logic 100 switch was officially decommissioned during a ceremony held by the 55th CS, transitioning to a more technologically advanced system modernizing telephony on Offutt from analog phone services to Voice Over Internet Protocol.
“It’s an exciting day for us, we were able to shut down a piece of equipment that’s been running continuously since the late 1980’s,” said Lt. Col. Mike Scott, 55th CS commander. “The system was providing phone service to the entire installation, including USSTRATCOM, since that time up until the mid 2010’s … but we finally moved away from 1980 technology in totality and upgraded all systems on Offutt Air Force Base to 21st century technology.”
For more than 35 years, 55th CS successfully maintained the MSL-100 ensuring it continually operated to support the former Strategic Air Command, U.S. Strategic Command, and all other Offutt units. Plans to decommission the MSL-100 came into effect in 2019 when Offutt was selected to replace its plain old telephone service with VOIP. Since January of this year, more than 5,000 lines have been transferred to the new system.
Rerouting numbers culminated with the transfer of four fire department emergency service phone lines as the final lines to be updated to VOIP. Approximately 100 rows of bulky equipment racks in various buildings which comprised the old switch have all been replaced with two half racks of new hardware. The new system is not only more secure while taking up less space but will provide an energy savings cost from the old switch which utilized obsolete parts, copper wiring and expensive repairs.
“The company that built this phone switch ceased to exist about 15 years ago,” said Chris Stewart, 55th CS project manager. “The Air Force had a contract to maintain it, but they stopped that contract over a year ago and the fundamental reason why is because you cannot source spare parts anymore.”
Members from the 55th CS joined Scott and Stewart squeezing through the rows of antiquated equipment, opening racks, and flipping breaker switches. Some former and retired service members, known colloquially as ‘Wire Dawgs,’ who once worked on the old system, were invited to help shut it down.
“It’s a sad day because I spent 95 percent of my career working on it,” said Charles Kruckman, U.S. Strategic Command communications contractor, and former Wire Dawg. “I hope the future can live up to the durability that this thing has provided for the Air Force.”
| Date Taken: | 02.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2025 13:05 |
| Story ID: | 491976 |
| Location: | OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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