Fellow Missileers:

We are almost sixty days away from our National meeting in Minot.  Early registration closes out on Wednesday and late registration closes out on 3 July. You can register at our website at www.afmissileers.org One of the things we are trying differently this year is to offer some local events (including a wine tasting and a Gourmet Chef event) for those who didn't want to go on the base tour.  Registration for these events are very low so it may be something we won't try in the future.  Your opinions on this and our next location are always welcome. We have a great list of guest speakers including Minot's Mayor, the incoming 91 MW/CC, the Sentinel Program office, and an update on the missile cancer study from both the AF and the Torchlight team!

Legacy of Leadership: Can you name any female US Air Force leader who has been part of six Air and Space Outstanding Unit Awards? This award is presented by the Secretary of the Air Force to numbered units that have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement that clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units. The answer is...somewhere in this Dispatch. 

“Break-Break” 

The Secretary of War directed the Pentagon to conduct a six-month, in-depth review of the operational effectiveness of women in ground combat units. In the nuclear ICBM community, females are relied upon to meet and exceed combat mission requirements in maintenance, ops and security forces. In the missile field, women and men in ground combat units carry weapons and are held to the same readiness standards as men.

All ICBM Combat Launch Crews (women and men) are responsible for executing US nuclear war plans and are held to high physical and mental standards. Without female operators, the nuclear mission could not be accomplished as we wouldn’t have enough personnel. With Sentinel being deployed in the future, we will need all our missileers more than ever.
Bottom line: In nuclear ICBM units, females have been integrated into combat units since 1978. Our "foxholes" are underground ICBM silos and Launch Control Centers. As missileers, serving together with females is not a problem. The 20th Air Force Commander, Maj Gen Stacy Huser is a missileer who exemplifies a warrior Legacy of Leadership and has been a leader in six Air and Space Outstanding Unit Awards. She leads from the front and will be missed as she retires from active duty this summer.

AAFM thanks you for your authentic leadership and an inspiration to all the civilians, contractors and Airmen of our ICBM community. 

Pictured here: MG Huser takes a war fighter status report.

Stress of ICBM Missile Duty: Many of you as you are reading this dispatch may be thinking...what the heck...what stress are you writing about? Maybe some of the following scenarios can remind you of the stress you went through and our people in the field are still going through today. 

For MM Security Forces: As you dialed in the A-Pit combo for the first time in your career, you may have taken a quick side glance topside around the LF to make sure it was still clear and realized just then... you are the first line of defense against terrorists.

For MM Maintainers: You might need to remember the first time you drove on to a launch facility. As you watched the B-Plug lower down into the LF...you may have thought "holy crap I just opened up access to a weapon that can kill millions of people."

For MM crew members you may still never forget the first time you turned keys in the trainer and realized that with a simple twist of your wrists, your actions could result in the death of entire populations.

For all Missileers the stress of preparing for evaluations from wing agencies and other outside agencies.

Over the years the stress of ICBM missile duty became something we dealt with. You knew that your time on ICBM duty was keeping the United States free and families safe. Our adversaries knew this too!

Military Families Being Targeted for Fraud: Identity theft isn’t random. Fraudsters look for moments of transition, distraction, emotional stress and incomplete information. Military life often creates all four.

Every PCS move generates a flood of administrative activity: change-of-address forms, housing paperwork, utility account setup, school transfers, insurance updates, banking adjustments and shipping logistics. Each transaction creates data. Each piece of data becomes another breadcrumb for fraudsters to follow. Want to know more? See:  Military Families Targeted

Women in the US Military:  Around 227,000 women are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed services, making up roughly 17.9% of the active-duty force. When including the reserves and National Guard, nearly 400,000 women serve in uniform. [1, 2] Sources are in brackets

The representation of women varies by branch, with the Air Force and Navy having the highest proportions: [1, 2, 3]

Air Force & Space Force:~21.5% women

Navy: ~20.9% women

Army: ~17.7% women

Marine Corps: ~9.7% women

Comparison side note: The Israeli Defense Forces set a new record As over 5,000 women recruited for combat roles last year. Female combat soldiers currently serve in a variety of combat units, not just in support roles but at the core of operational defense. Want to know more? See IDF Record

Pictured: IDF combat unit

Membership:  Our membership rolls are shrinking--first because some because just haven't renewed (without a response so I don't know why) and second because we aren't convincing active duty to join. As always, we'd love your inputs and ideas.

Not the Groobers, but......: Longtime Cheyenne musician and F. E. Warren supporter Michael DeGreve passed last month at his home in Oregon at the age of 78.  If you spent anytime in the 70's-90's at the Hitching Post Inn you will remember him where he performed six nights a week for 30 years!  See this article in the  Cowboy Daily including a few songs on life in the missile field.

Sincerely,

Jim 

James F. Warner

Executive Director