ASSOCIATION OF AIR FORCE MISSILEERS
Fellow Missileers
I hope you all had a great holiday. Here is some interesting updates on current events and some history in the missile world:
Torchlight Initiative Visits the Space Power Conference
Danny Sebeck posted this on Linked In: A powerful day in Orlando. The Torchlight team showed up strong — sharing the stories of our ICBM community, honoring those we’ve lost, and raising awareness about the documented hazards missile community members faced for decades, from PCBs and contaminated water to asbestos and VOCs. We told the stories of teammates like Lt Col (ret) Anthony Spaduzzi, whose confirmed PCB exposure at L01 led to his terminal cancer, and Maj Mark Holmes, one of many diagnosed decades earlier than the national average. These stories moved people — and opened doors. Today we built new connections with senior leaders, Guardians, Airmen, veterans, and families committed to accountability and meaningful risk mitigation. We shared solemn moments while remembering our fallen teammates. Torchlight came to Orlando to shine a light for our community and spread some hope and awareness. We will keep speaking for the wounded, the sick, and those who cannot speak for themselves. Thank you to all those who are listening.
AAFM has invited the Torchlight Initiative to speak at our 2026 National Meeting in Minot, ND
General Curtis E. Lemay's View of ICBM's in 1957:
Top Secret Declassified
General Lemay's 21 May 1957 speech to the USAF Scientific Advisory Board at then Patrick AFB. He encapsulates his thinking about SAC’s mission, its
capabilities, and on-going plans for the development of new weapons systems to target the Soviet Union and its allies. In this speech, LeMay argued that the
popular view of deterrence was based on fear of the destruction of urban centers, but what deterred the “professional military” was a capability to “destroy long-range delivery of nuclear weapons.”
No, that is not the Blanchard Trophy. In 1962 Gen Lemay presented the first place trophy to Roger Penske at the Marlboro Speedway. Makes you wonder where the Blanchard idea came from. Penske's suit would have made some cool looking crew blues!
On ICBMs, then not yet deployed, LeMay partly appraised them for their utility to the bomber mission because, in their early stages, their accuracy would be low. Thus, “using it initially to damage Soviet air offense and defense systems on the ground holding them down until they can be destroyed by the manned bomber. ICBMs could also be used to “disrupt” control centers and their communications networks."
Want to know more? See Gen Lemay's View of ICBM's
Going Back for the Future?
During the summer of 1964, Air Force science advisers were writing favorable reports about a new technical possibility that would increase the lethality of U.S. nuclear forces. At that time, the Minuteman force was limited to 1,000 missiles. The invention of multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) made it possible to put more warheads on each missile, with each one capable of striking a separate target. Moreover, accuracy improvements were making it possible to strike targets with some precision.
To evaluate whether the U.S. needed a 1200 or 1400 Minuteman force, then Secretary of War McNamara wanted the analysis to use the following “blocks” of forces. (see MIRVs and Mad below). What McNamara said about the first block captured the basic idea of “assured destruction:” that level of “force essential to deterrence – sufficient visible deliverable strength to destroy the Soviet Union as a viable society.” He defined that level of destruction quantitatively as a “30% loss of population and 50% loss of industrial capability.”
Want to know more: See: MIRVs and MAD
SOURCES: The above excerpts came from the Digital National Security Archives (DNSA) a public law firm defending and expanding public access to government information, global advocate of open government, and indexer and publisher of former secrets. is an online collection of more than100,000 declassified records documenting historic U.S. policy decisions. (See: Reading Room or DNSA )
Interesting Note: The National Security Archives has a tab on its home page called "PYCCKNNE CTPAHUNTBL". especially for DNSA Russian readers. It Translates to the words "Russian Pages".
The Other "Long-range" Land-based Missile:
The conceptual egg for this missile was laid in 2018 to the early 2000s with the Department of Defense’s Conventional Prompt Global Strike initiative. It was never meant to be nuclear.
The goal was to develop the non-nuclear capability to strike high-value targets anywhere on Earth within one hour using a warhead combining raw kinetic force with fragmentation. This led to the US Army’s Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) program, which served as the direct technological ancestor to Dark Eagle.
Dark Eagle was designed to strike high-value targets at hypersonic speeds using a maneuverable glide body to evade enemy defenses. This truck-launched system is a joint project with the Navy, sharing the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB), and represents a major step in fielding advanced, rapid strike.
Dark Eagle hypersonic glide missile, features speeds over Mach 5 and ranges of ~1,725-2,175 miles, designed for rapid, precision strikes against high value, defended targets in under 20 minutes, with deployment starting in late
2025. Picture of the 70 t0 80-foot TEL in exercise Bamboo Eagle 2024 on Nellis AFB.
Want to know more? See Dark Eagle
Do you have a story to share?
Sincerely,
Jim
James F. Warner
Executive Director
Fellow Missileers:
This last year has been very busy and mostly productive for AAFM. There is so much going on that I thought an end of year report to the membership would be a good idea in addition to the newsletter that will hit your inbox right after the new year. Here is a recap of our 2025 activities:
Board Elections: We sent out a call for nominations to the membership. While we received one letter of interest for a future position, no one stated an interest for this upcoming election. Since all four board members have asked for a chance to continue on the board, AAFM President Mark Silliman and I decided not to convene a nomination committee. We’ll still send out a ballot in January to support the reelection of Anita Feugate Opperman, Mark Silliman, Don Alston, and Monte Watts for another term.
Silent Sentinel Book Sales: A little more than a year ago we published Silent Sentinels Minuteman Artwork Revealed. The good news is that we have sold enough books to recover our investment. The “bad” news is that we still have just over 600 books left to sell and sales are averaging about 10 a month. I’m still looking for ways to get the word out and plan to bring a large number of books to Minot in August 2026 for our National meeting. I keep encouraging officer members to buy a book for their ROTC detachment and members to buy a copy for their local library.
Membership: I’m baffled on how we can still be stuck at 1840 members! How do we move forward? This year 91 memberships lapsed without renewal (not counting ones archived for passing). Of the 91, at least 15 are active duty. I sent personal emails to each of the 91 and got a couple to respond so far (two yes and two no for renewal). We need each of you to help us grow. Have you crosschecked your contacts with our membership list? I know we can do better.
Scholarships: We did better with the Fall 2025 scholarships than the Spring with a total of 5 awards. More on the winners in the Spring newsletter. My thanks to the committee for working the process twice each year.
Donations: We received several donations this year sufficient enough to fund the scholarship program. I know we all get bombarded with request for support (just $11 a month can….). Our only support to continue our efforts to retain our nuclear missile heritage is through dues, donations, and corporate sponsorships so your donations are always appreciated. For members that are facing a required distribution from their IRA, remember that you can make a pretax IRA RMD contribution to AAFM as a non-profit. We’ll put your donation to good use!
Museum Grants: Request for funds were down this year. The committee awarded two grants to Quebec 01 and the Hill AFB Museum for a total of $ 4,500.
Newsletter: I hope the direction we took last year with the newsletter is meeting your expectations but I am always open to new ideas and inputs….and of course your contributions. Due to a couple of lengthy articles, we have decided to place a 1,200-word limit on all submissions. We are always looking for good content, both past and present! What will you write about?
Newsletter editor: Our newsletter editor, Mark Nemish, has picked up more work in his post AF life and as a result needs to turn over the newsletter editor role in 2026. Mark will train his replacement—volunteers need to have some word document skills and a little creative imagination to put the puzzle together. If you are interested, please let me know.
Hall of Fame: Would you believe we have over 45 nominations for the upcoming class and a list of another 48 potential nominations banked for future consideration? I’m really impressed with the work Linda Aldrich has done along with the dedicated writing of Mark Silliman. If you have been following this closely, you know our goal is to ensure the early pioneers are recognized so our first 2-3 classes will number about 20-22. By the third or fourth induction we will reduce the numbers to something around 10-12 per class. I can’t wait to see what the committee does with the list! The review and selection process starts in January with announcements in early March.
Hall of Fame Showcase: The plans to have a showcase exhibit for our Hall of Fame in the Museum of the Air Force and the SAC Museum has not gone as planned but we are not giving up. With the help of our website consultant, Miriam Neel, who worked with the AF Museum to construct a displayable software program, we have the software ready to go but nowhere to show it. Mark Silliman is working with the AF Museum—it seems they might be holding off until the new missiles to space exhibit is finalized in a few years. We want them to put up the video display now. The SAC Museum has undergone a change in leadership and right now haven’t committed to the display. We’ll continue to push both. We talked about this being more of a “virtual Hall” so we have reached out to other missile museums such as Oscar Zero in ND, Oscar 01 in WY and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in SD to see if they have space for our video display. More on that in the months to come.
Sponsorship support: We will be reaching out to our corporate partners to seek sponsorship for 2026 in early January. If your company is interested in providing a sponsorship, please let me know.
National Meeting 2026: Registration is open for our National Meeting planned for 5-9 August 2026 at the Clarion Hotel in Minot, ND. I’ll be working hard over the next few months to firm up the speakers and will keep you posted. Most importantly, we’ll be honoring the second class of the Air Force Missileer Hall of Fame! You can find information on the hotel and meeting registration on the front page of our web site.
Titan II Memorial: Hopefully you followed the events that followed SrA David Livingston’s inclusion into our Hall of Fame. A young high school student in Damascus AR started a project to commemorate events surrounding the Damascus Titan II explosion. The recognition began with the unveiling of a street sign for Livingston earlier this year and will end with a state historic marker revealed this coming September. More details on the event will follow in the spring.
Every day I think of something else I should be doing to improve AAFM! If you have any ideas on what we should be doing better I would love to hear from you.
Wishing you and your family the Happiest of New Years and the continued success of our Association!
This month's dispatch contains updates on the cancer study, nuclear testing, and missile status with a funny story at the end. I hope you find these dispatch educational and informational with a touch of humor!
Missile Community Cancer Study Town Hall: Lt Gen Mike Lutton, AFGSC/CD, hosted a Missile Community Cancer Study on 9 October 2025. BGen Miller, AFGSC/A4, reported that the command is in the process of updating PCB data in all maintenance and civil engineering technical orders with updated protocols for handling PCBs in the LCCs and LFs.
There is now a five-year contract in place to deep clean LCCs, but they are working with 20 AF to adjust to a more frequent basis. There is also a contract in place to clean up identified PCBs across three wings. It is a two-year effort, remediating to “acceptable” PCB levels, even replacing panels where possible. Some concerns were addressed during the Q&A about whether this cleaning was effective and if touch contamination was possible. AFGSC noted they are working to adjust the contract and its processes to reduce any cross contamination. Additionally, all burning activities have ceased below ground and they are now conducting chemical emission burn tests using TDI labels and crypto tapes which will produce a predictive analysis to evaluate hazards and level of toxicity.
The study is far from over as they are still collecting data rates from each state to identify trends and patterns. However, as the Torchlight Initiative team continuously says, if you were exposed to PCBs, made sure your medical practitioner is aware so you can be tested and monitored.
AAFM Patch Gallery:Have you checked out our patch gallery recently? If you are ever wondering what is new in the gallery, there is a “Recently Added” tab at the bottom of the patch gallery that will show you the newest patches in the gallery.
Need a Good Read?? Nuclear War, A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen.
It starts with the nuclear attacks on Japan during WWII and goes through development of the SIOP to the nuclear winter which will result in an all-out nuclear war. The technical details of what follows a nuclear blast are frightening. The book is based on over 200 interviews with a former President and VP, former SECDEFs (Perry, Panetta), SECSTATES, DIA/CIA directors, STRATCOM commanders (Kehler), scientist who conducted early nuclear test above the atmosphere, ground bursts, and underground bursts, etc.
I think it would be a good read for any Missileers, especially old crew dogs.
Recently Announced: Our Commander in Chief has ordered the Department of War to resume nuclear testing but was later clarified to say no live testing would be accomplished. For many of you this announcement may have raised the question of how ICBM programs will be impacted by this.
"As you know, you go to war with the "army" you have"
Former SECDEF Don Rumsfeld
This quote was part of Rumsfeld's response to a question from a Tennessee National Guard specialist about the shortage of armored Humvees and the need for soldiers to improvise "hillbilly armor" from scrap metal. Rumsfeld made the remark during a meeting with U.S. troops in Kuwait who were preparing to deploy to Iraq.
BUT FIRST a note from the 20th Air Commander sent to our troops.
"To the Amazing Members of Twentieth Air Force,
The U.S. ground-based ICBM fleet is the longest standing, continuous nuclear alert force in the world.
No other country in the ‘Free World’ has a capability comparable to the Minuteman III.
No other U.S. military branch or platform has been at nuclear alert operations 24/7/365 as long as we have.
The people of Twentieth Air Force who keep the ICBM mission going have a long and rich nuclear heritage that stretches all the way back to the very foundations of the USAF. This is our shared heritage…it continues to write itself every day and it is better because of each of you.
On this milestone day where we commemorate 66 years of continuous on alert nuclear operations, we thank you for all you have done, all you continue to do, and all you will do to enable this consequential capability for our nation for years to come.
When we celebrate this milestone of continuous alert operations every year, Halloween should be a little less spooky for us, and a little more spooky for the would-be aggressor, because our teams keep the ICBM fleet strong, safe, secure, ready, capable, lethal, and sure.
On behalf of the Twentieth Command Team: Happy 66th nuclear alert-iversary."
So....below is a short status summary of the Minuteman Weapon System which is ready to go to war every day and the enemies we face.
Sources: The following information was obtained through an extensive AI internet search of several sites for all factors impacting select land-based ICBM programs of the world with emphasis on current status for the last six months.
The Path Forward
Despite the setbacks, the U.S. Air Force is committed to completing the Sentinel program to maintain the land-based leg of the nuclear triad. The Minuteman I missile was first placed on operational alert in 1962, with the 100th missile reaching alert status in January 1963. Don't underestimate our missileers' ability to do this with Sentinel or any other weapon system.
SEE: We Did it Before (Skip the 10 second commercial)
Sentinel planning and construction of support facilities continues at the three Sentinel Main Operating Bases (MOB) locations.
Program restructuring: The Air Force is restructuring the Sentinel program and acknowledged the need for revisions.
Contingency plans: The Air Force is exploring options to extend the Minuteman III fleet's service life, possibly until 2050, as a contingency plan in case of continued Sentinel delays.
Continued development: Northrop Grumman, the primary contractor, has continued development work on the Sentinel program throughout 2025, marking milestones such as testing the second-stage rocket motor.
The Minuteman III system is kept in service, and these are the challenges our people are facing and fixing. They are professionals!
MM III Operational tests continue: The Air Force has continued to conduct unarmed test launches of the Minuteman III to showcase the readiness and reliability of the alert force. This includes launches in February and May 2025. The Minuteman III has an average alert rate of 99.7 percent.
Age and obsolescence issues: Maintaining the 50-year-old Minuteman III fleet is becoming increasingly difficult. However it’s our people who keep the system ready for war. Its Minuteman III that provides the NCA the leverage they need every day to deter any aggressor.
Sustainment risks: A September 2025 GAO report warned of sustainment risks associated with the prolonged operation of the Minuteman III until 2050 and recommended that the Air Force develop a transition risk management plan. This is being done!
The Sentinel program faces major problems
Significant cost increases: The Sentinel program has ballooned to an estimated $140 billion, an 81% increase from its initial cost projection. The Air Force attributed the overruns to an unrealistic delivery schedule, immature system design, and the deteriorating ICBM industrial base.
Infrastructure issues: The project has been hindered by substantial construction challenges, including the need to build entirely new launch silos, rather than reusing or refurbishing the Minuteman III infrastructure as originally planned.
Schedule delays: The Air Force paused large parts of the program's development in early 2025, throwing the project 18 to 24 months behind schedule. Initial operational capability, once projected for 2029, is now slipping into the 2030s.
Cybersecurity risks: A 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report identified significant risks in the Sentinel program's software development, citing its scale, complexity, and importance to nuclear deterrence.
Political scrutiny: The significant cost overruns and delays prompted a Nunn-McCurdy breach in January 2024, triggering a mandated review by the Pentagon. The issue has also led to increased scrutiny from Congress. Congressional anti-nuclear ICBM efforts include opposing the modernization and replacement of ICBMs. While at the same time U.S. adversaries are expanding their nuclear capable forces and using nuclear capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM's) against Ukraine.
So...What’s Happening With the Chinese Nuclear ICBM Weapon Systems??
New ICBMs: China has unveiled new ICBM designs, such as the DF-61, and continues to develop advanced variants of existing missiles like the DF-31.
Expanded arsenal: The U.S. Department of War estimates China's nuclear warhead stockpile is expanding rapidly, potentially exceeding 1,000 by 2030, a significant increase from an estimated 300 in 2020.
Silo construction: China has constructed thousands of new ICBM silos, including three large fields for solid-fuel ICBMs in Western China, and is also expanding silos for its older liquid-fuel DF-5 missiles.
Diversified delivery systems: China is developing a more diversified nuclear triad, with new ICBMs, extended-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) like the JL-3, and nuclear-capable bombers.
Increased readiness: The U.S. military expects China to deploy a larger portion of its nuclear force at higher readiness levels.
So...What’s Happening With the North Korea ICBM Weapon Systems??
New Hwasong-20 ICBM: A new, un-tested ICBM called the Hwasong-20 was unveiled at a military parade in October 2025, with potential future tests anticipated.
Solid-fueled ICBMs: North Korea has been testing solid-fuel ICBMs, such as the Hwasong-18, which are quicker to launch than liquid-fueled missiles, a development that is of particular concern to the United States.
Operational status: The Hwasong-17 and Hwasong-18 are now considered operational by North Korea, based on launch and deployment indicators.
Continued testing: North Korea has continued to test its ICBMs, conducting multiple tests in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and most recently in October 2024.
Improved capabilities: North Korea aims to improve the accuracy, reliability, and speed of its ICBMs, with goals to develop mobile launchers, solid-fuel systems, and multiple warheads on a single missile.
So...What’s Happening With the Russian ICBM Weapon Systems??
Modernization and exercises
Russia is conducting exercises with its Yars ICBM system, involving thousands of personnel and hundreds of pieces of equipment across multiple regions.
Despite some delays in modernization, Russia continues to emphasize its nuclear forces and maintains a large stockpile of nuclear warheads.
New missile development and use
In November 2024, Russia launched a new, possibly nuclear-capable, medium-range ballistic missile called the Oreshnik into Ukraine's Dnipro region.
Western officials are assessing the weapon's capabilities, with some suggesting it may be based on the RS-26 Rubezh ICBM and has multiple warheads.
The use of the Oreshnik has been described by Russia as a test and a warning, raising concerns about potential missile arms races. .
Now for something entirely different: Don't get your feathers in a fluff!
Vandenberg Air Force Base (now Space Force) used to be the full site of GUARDIAN CHALLENGE. The competition, now GLOBAL STRIKE CHALLENGE, was and still is a tribute to the maintainers, operators, security forces and operators who keep Minuteman safe and ready. This story is true, and but names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Timeframe: The final night of score posting for GUARDIAN CHALLENGE.
The scene: The Huey helicopter hangar on the flight line. The helicopter hangar was turned into a "war camp" with camouflage draped from rafters and the delicious smell of Santa Maria B-B-Q wafting through the air. Around the hangar were ICBM combat vehicles such as a Peacekeeper’, an M-Van, a TE, a PT and a machine gun equipped UH-1. It was mighty-fine display of ICBM warfighting. Everything was Spit-Spot clean. The UoD was BDU's, crew blues and flight suits.
The Issue: CINCSTRAT was the keynote speaker during final score posting. Earlier in the week the 30th Commander had inspected the hangar and noted that a large number of "Tweeting" birds were in the rafters and making a racket. The Commander called his Civil Engineer environmental staff to come over and develop a plan of action to remove the birds. Tweeting during a CINCSTRAT speech was not IAW STRATCOM standards.
The Response: This was a tough problem as California has a large number of "endangered bird species" such as Least Terns, Tricolored Blackbirds and others. So, the plan was to fill the rafters bird seed laced with a knockout drug. The birds would chow down on the seed and fall harmlessly into the camo netting then be removed. Some birds missed the netting and "smacked" into the ground. Some of them were just stunned and a few went to the big bird feeder in the sky. No endangered birds were killed.
The Results: It worked! The rest of the week most all the birds were removed except for some who slipped in and out every day. Tweeting was reduced to an acceptable STRATCOM level.
What Happened? The maintainers once again came thru with the best tasting, juicy tri-tip, slaw, and pinquito beans. As the evening pressed forward with chants of "postem, postem" some of the teams noticed several birds fluttering aimlessly down from the rafters behind the stage. When a bird dropped, a cheer came up from the teams closest to the stage. Finally, it was time to introduce the CINCSTRAT. As the CINC stood up and stepped toward the podium...one of the birds did a steep "Kamikaze" type dive directly into the leather chair the CINC had been sitting in. The bird bounced about a foot off the chair, and an unknown "hero" quickly walked out and removed the stunned bird. The response from the teams who saw it was a very loud raucous cheer. The CINC may have been impressed with the cheer, but who knows, it might have been for the bird? Guardian Challenge ended and the teams went back to the wings with boxes of Santa Maria strawberries and memories of the Guardian Challenge that almost gave CINCSTRAT the BIRD.
Have your bought your copy of Silent Sentinels? Only 600 copies left and there will not be a second printing! All proceeds go to our scholarship and museum grant programs!
Two items of immediate interest:
Missile Cancer Study Update
Atlas Missileers Gathering Postponed
From David Johnson: I need to let everyone know that the Atlas Missileers Reunion that was to be held next week, October 9th thru the 12th, in Dayton, Ohio has been postponed until further notice due to the U. S. Government shutdown. Please cancel any travel reservations you may have. I don’t have any time frame for when the reunion would be re-scheduled, but it will not be until the Government funding situation is resolved. This decision was reached by a 2/3’rds majority decision of the registered missileers group. Many of the attendees wanted to be able to visit the museum as part of the trip to Dayton.
The window for nominations for the Air Force Missileer Hall of Fame is now open. Details on the requirements and format can be found in our September 2025 newsletter. The deadline for all nominations is 15 Jan 2026.
Ninth Annual Missileer Gathering at AFA National Convention: Nearly 175 Missileers, veterans and AFA members attended the Ninth Annual Missileer Gathering sponsored by AFA General Charles A. Gabriel Chapter at the Gaylord, National Harbor, Maryland. The event has become synonymous with the AFA National Convention and honors the Missile Crew of the Year, also giving contributions to AFA Aerospace Education. This year, the Gabriel Chapter generously donated $2000 in support of the Air Force Missileers Hall of Fame.
AAFM Board Member Linda Aldrich took the stage to explain about the Missileer Hall of Fame, the upcoming gathering at Minot in 2026 and show a copy of Silent Sentinels video.
20th AF Commander Major General Stacy Huser shared why she changed career fields to become a missileer after talking to crew members already in the career field. She then presented the General Power trophies to the Crew of the Year, Capt. Sarah Lopez and Lt Travis Evans. The evening was a successful show of comradery and pride for being a part of the missileer community.
Common Sense Prevails: A previous dispatch told the story of a discussion at a truck stop lunch counter between a retired missileer and a truck driver in North Dakota The driver saw some patches on the former crew member's jacket, and he asked questions about the missile patches and the missile sites the driver had seen for many years driving across the state. The driver asked how old the missile silos were, and the discussion evolved to the fact that the silos were being upgraded with a new missile. At the end of the discussion, the driver commented "that putting new missiles in 50-year-old silos was like putting a new diesel engine in a 50-year-old truck. Sometimes it's amazing where simple common sense can be found.
Common Sense Leaders:
“One of the things we've learned as we've gone through this [Sentinel] is the original plan was to use the MM III Silos. One of the design changes is... we're not going to use the MM III Silos. We're going to build new silos. There are a variety of reasons but the biggest one I give you is those Silos were drilled in the 1960s. If we used them for the lifespan of Sentinel, they'd be 110 years old.”
Major General Colin Connor, Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, Site Activation Task Force.
Air Force Program Executive Officer for ICBMs Brigadier General William Rogers said, he has “every intention” of fully fielding the forthcoming Sentinel missile ahead of 2050... expects Milestone B in 2027. Want to know more? Sentinel Milestone B
Air Force Introduces New Standards for Physical Fitness:
Next year Airmen will begin taking physical fitness assessments (PFA) every six months. You can view 37 pages of scoring charts at this link: PFT Scoring
The proposed twice a year PFA has four components:
A two-mile run, at each PFA which tests the Airman’s cardiorespiratory fitness and counts for 50 percent of the total score. The run was increased from the 1.5-mile run in past tests.
Push-ups or hand-release push-ups completed in one minute. Hand-release push-ups require Airmen lower their chest all the way to the ground and extend their hands out to the sides before pushing up again. This component measures muscle strength and counts for 15 percent of the total score.
Sit-ups or reverse cross leg crunches completed in one minute or forearm plank, which measures muscle core endurance and counts for another 15 percent of the total score.
A body composition test where Airmen divide their waist length by their height in inches. For example, an Airman who stands 69 inches tall and has a waist of 36 inches would have a waist-to-height ratio of 0.52. This component counts for 20 percent of the total score, but Airmen do not have to take the body composition test the same day as the workout portion of the PFA.
PFA Changes
Staying Fit in the Missile Field? With the new PFA testing coming in 2026, we collected a list of methods our missileers have used to stay fit.
Have you seen this latest Minuteman III video: Col. James Schlabach, 91st Missile Wing CC summarizes MM III....quote "Of the three legs of the Triad, the ICBM leg is the only one that has its full fleet on alert 365, 24/7, every second of every minute, of every hour of every day...
in short...its Big, its Fast, and it lays down a can of WHOOP-ASS the world has never seen". The Strikers of the 91st Missile Wing are featured in this You Tube presentation.
Want To know More? See Inside A Top-Secret Nuclear Missile Silo
Atlas E "Coffin" Video: This is an amazing story of one American engineer's ingenuity and how he
transitioned an Atlas E "coffin" ICBM silo with a 400-ton surface blast door to an underground mansion. Coffin silos stored Atlas ICBM's horizontally and then raised them vertically for fueling, targeting and launch. The video has original pictures of the facility and foreshadows some of the security concepts used in MM. For example, Atlas E used cement security plugs for a similar purpose as MM B-Plugs and HICs type cabling was wrapped in what appears to be steel and led...no FALPs here.
Want to know more? See Atlas E Man Cave
Looking for interesting reads on ICBMs? Here are two recent publications that explain the inner workings of ICBMs:
The Last Thirty Seconds
David K Stumpf details the development of one of many possible solutions for ballistic missile defense commonly known as hit-to-kill. Hit-to-kill is a nonnuclear technique using kinetic energy, rather than explosives, to destroy reentry vehicles carrying chemical, biological, or nuclear warheads. It is the centerpiece of the United States’ current ballistic missile defense systems and has proven invaluable in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as well as in the ongoing conflict with the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. While much of the subject remains classified, this detailed study will be welcomed for its substantial references and the inclusion of newly declassified material. Other books by Dr Stumpf include Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare, Titan II A History of a Cold War Missile Program, and Regulus: America’s First Nuclear Submarine Missile,
"Countdown to Launch! - Rockets, Computers, and Coming of Age in the Cold War"
A new book by Ralph L. Hollis, Jr. documents his journey from an amateur rocketry enthusiast as a young teenager to an important role in the development of the Minuteman III flight program. The book is a very detailed memoir, with the last half of the story dedicated to his work at North American Aviation's Autonetics division in the mid-to-late 1960s. In 1959, while still in high school, Hollis gained access to early IBM and Bendix computers, developing skills to program and use the computers as he designed, built and tested model rockets. After leaving Kansas State University with a master’s degrics, he was employed by Autonetics and assigned to the Minuteman III team. He mentioned his early computer work simulating the flight of his homemade rockets to his boss and was assigned to develop the Minuteman Flight Simulator, used to validate the flight program for the Minuteman III D37D computer. Just as he did in his personal story, he includes many specifics about the operation of the D37D and components familiar to many of us who spent time in Minuteman. Terms like "PIGA," "IMU," and "semi-somulus" are all back there in our memories.
Possible Modification for future stealth launches?
Executive Directo
Senator Hoeven (R-ND), Major General Connor and Minot Civic Leaders Discuss Sentinel Rollout.
The link below will take you to a Minot KYFR TV you tube video of Senator John Hoeven, Major General Connor, Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, and Minot city leaders discussing Sentinel rollout and progress. With this type of excellent community support, it’s no wonder the 91st Missile Wing won the Omaha.
[Note: the video may start with a 12 second report on a vehicle accident]
See: Sentinel Rollout
Missile Knowledge: Match the following answers with the weapon system. For example, answer "A" belongs to.... Select from the list of... GLCM, Titan II, Atlas F, and Minuteman III. Answers can be found dispersed throughout the dispatch.
A. The blast doors are made of 12-inch I-beams. Each door is 5.5 feet wide and 7.5 tall. Each weighed about 6,000 lbs. The doors were designed to withstand an overpressure of 1000 psi. For comparison, residential construction would be destroyed by an overpressure of 5 psi.
B. Three internal blast doors in the underground tunnel leading from the LCC to the silo protected against an internal rocket explosion. The specific weight of these doors is not listed, but they would be substantially smaller than the silo's 675-ton surface doors.
C. The blast doors for these LCC's weigh approximately 8 tons. These LCC blast doors were strong enough to withstand a 1000 psi overpressure and could be opened and closed by muscle power alone. Some wings had one door while others had two.
D. The missile was secured in a hardened storage area. Forty-four security forces policemen were assigned to each flight. Twenty-nine flights were assigned to six wings with a total of 464 missiles. The Transporter Erectors weighed 78,000-pounds.
So...What’s Going on with Sentinel These Days?
Testing continues: In March 2025, Northrop Grumman successfully completed a static fire test of the missile's first-stage solid rocket motor.
Warhead development: Development of the new W87-1 warhead for the Sentinel is proceeding, with the National Nuclear Security Administration qualifying the first plutonium pit in October 2024.[Letter B above is Atlas F]
Congressional pushback: In July 2025, Senator Edward J. Markey and Representative Ro Khanna introduced the "Investing in Children Before Missiles (ICBM) Act of 2025," which would redirect Sentinel funding to education.
Continue Minuteman III operation: Because of Sentinel's delays, the Air Force will need to keep the existing Minuteman III missiles operational longer than planned, potentially for decades.[Letter A above: Titan ]
The first developmental flight test, once set for late 2023, has been repeatedly delayed. As of June 2025, officials stated the timing for the first flight was in flux, with one report setting a potential date as late as March 2028. [Letter D above is GLCM]
Best Summary of the Sentinel Program:
Air and Space Forces magazine's search engine provides a comprehensive listing of the articles on the Sentinel program and the Herculean efforts of the Air Force and Northrop team to keep Sentinel moving forward. The bottom line is that Northrop is fully back to work. .[Letter C is MM] To see the listing go to: Sentinel Moving Forward
Missile Advocacy..."Los Alamos Study Group" is Not Part of Los Alamos National Laboratories.
It’s interesting to note that during military modernization programs, like the US is now accomplishing, groups of well-meaning, but extremely misguided individuals try and stop the modernization
One of these organizations is the Los Alamos Study Group. When you see their name come up in a google search you might think "oh this is part of the Los Alamos National Laboratories...but it is not. You also might wonder what they are studying? What they are studying is nuclear disarmament. According to their website their mission is:
"In a nutshell, the Los Alamos Study Group seeks nuclear disarmament, environmental, economic and social resilience, and peace, not war".
Their website is a cornucopia of information on US nuclear modernization over the years. You may also ask yourself three questions...First, "Wouldn’t it be nice to have similar information on China's and Russia's nuclear modernization"? Second, who is funding this "study group" and third, "I wonder what an EMT team chief going out to the missile field today to change an A4 drawer would think of this "study group horse pucky"?
And Now for Something to Take Some Missileers Back in Time:
This story came from a missileer assigned to the Pentagon in the "83-time frame. If you had an assignment or TDY to the Pentagon this may also make you smile. At one time some of the ICBM offices in the Pentagon were located underground. The supposed reason was that the missileer offices were placed there because ICBM launch control centers and ICBMs were located underground; and this might make missileers feel closer to their weapon systems. The offices were very hard to find, BUT the key to finding them was to look for the Purple Water Fountain. Without the Purple Water Fountain, missileers and others could wonder around lost in the basement. Now the Purple Water Fountain was moved and is permanently enshrined in the Pentagon next to the Air Force Council room.
Directors Comments: In order to best advocate for the Air Force ICBM mission (one of our core missions), it is important that we understand where the Air Force is headed. We focus this dispatch on key aspects of the administration's nuclear strategy. We have included a lot of links to documents so you can read up on current plans and strategies. Meanwhile, I had a great visit last week with Maj Gen Huser, 20 AF/CC (and AAFM member) where we talked about the impacts of the cancer study, Minuteman sustainment, Sentinel deployment, alert schedules, and more. We'll provide updates on all of these subjects in the months to come.
Strategic Challenges of the 21st Century: Lt Gen David A. Deptula (USAF Ret) gave a version of the attached Mitchell Institute power point briefing at a Daedalians Symposium on April 10th. The title of the briefing is “State of the Air Force and Space Force ”. Now before you think, hey we’re missileers not fliers; the briefing is an insightful, honest look into the current state of the Air Force and Space Force and also addresses ICBM issues. The slides cover Sentinel and priorities for the next SECAF. Want to know more? State of the Air Force AFGSC Strategic Plan: No, this not a boring discussion of a bunch of “highfalutin jargon”. The AFGSC plan is clear, concise and to the point. It’s good to reorient our thoughts and immerse ourselves into the Strategic Plan that formulates strategy for our troops in the field! To read the AFGSC Strategic Plan go to the following link: AFGSC Strategic Plan . A quick take shows the Lines of Effort the plan strives to keep the focus on: PEOPLE Build courageous problem solvers, capable of intelligent risk-taking. MISSION Compete, deter, and WIN against competitors. MODERNIZE Balance sustaining today’s force while modernizing for tomorrow’s fight ENGAGE local community and policy makers to increase Airmen quality of life “Our Strikers and our nuclear mission are the bedrock of our nation’s defense and international security. We have the incredible responsibility to develop Airmen, sustain readiness, and promote strategic stability through a credible long-range strike force. Our command Lines of Effort are our path to successfully accomplish this critical mission and build the next generation of combat capability and Striker Airmen. I am incredibly proud of the work you do each and every day for our nation.” Gen Thomas A. Bussiere, Commander, AFGSC Department of the Air Force (DAF) Executive Order Implementation (EO): As of April 24, 2025, the President has signed 139 Executive orders. See: EOs Signed The implementation of these EO’s is not easy, is being accomplished and running as smooth as possible. As expected, there have been questions about policy and interpretation of the EO’s. The DAF has established a site where you can read all DAF guidance on how to implement the EO’s at DAF EO Guidance. To view an actual DAF memorandum on readiness, go to the following link: Readiness Stay Informed: Two web sites that have some interesting info about Sentinel; the DoD and White House websites at these links: Project Information Plans for Sentinel at all three ICBM bases...what is proposed to be done. White House Acquisition Info See the status of the services major acquisition programs. AAFM Advocacy Acquisition Conundrums: The Leonardo AW139 Helicopter is the commercial version of the MH139 Grey Wolf. The Leonardo AW139 is a multi-role, medium-sized twin-engine helicopter known for its versatility and performance. Having performed its civilian maiden flight on 3 February 2001, the AW139 entered civilian service in 2003 and quickly proved itself to be a commercial success. On 24 September 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.4 billion contract to replace the aging UH-1N helicopter fleet. The civilian AW139 was selected as the best platform to support the goal of enhancing ICBM missile field security and emergency field dispatches. On Aug. 5, 2024, Boeing delivered the first production MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter to the U.S. Air Force. From contract award to first Air Force delivery took six years. Granted, the Grey-Wolf mission requirements are very different from the civilian version and changes were required. Despite involved 20AF and AFGSC leadership, the following issues occurred at the DoD and SECAF level. 1. Possible Nunn-McCurdy Breaches: The Air Force's decision to cut the Grey Wolf procurement significantly, from 80 to 42, would have triggered a "Nunn-McCurdy breach," This breach would have been due to a change in the total program cost, not a cost overrun. To avoid a breach,12 Grey Wolfs were added back into the procurement. 2. Program Delays: The program has experienced delays due to issues with FAA certifications and the integration of military systems onto the commercial helicopter platform. • Delays in acquiring technical data and some aircraft components from the contractor also contributed to the delays. • The initial operational capability was projected for 2021 but was pushed back due to these delays. 3. Performance and Design Concerns: • Several deficiencies have been identified, including issues with the automatic flight control system, sensor display availability, the intercom system, and the cabin layout. • The original contractor-proposed fuel cell design did not meet military requirements, and testing focused on its ability to inhibit fires. • The program has also struggled with integrating contractor maintenance data into the Air Force system. 4. Budgetary Issues: • The Air Force reduced its planned Grey Wolf purchase due to tight budgets. • The Air Force plans to spend significantly less on procurement for the program than previously planned. BOTTOM LINE: The security of the US ICBM nuclear missile fields requires the MH-139. This will be especially true during transition to the Sentinel ICBM. Removing Minuteman III warheads and boosters requires increased security. More nuclear convoy activity and more people supporting maintenance and securing missiles in the field. The SECAF (acting), Gary A . Ashworth is a former missileer and would probably like to hear your views on acquisition and missile field security. You can send a letter (makes more impact) to him at: SECAF Gary Ashworth (Acting) 670 Air Force Pentagon, Room 4E878, Washington, DC 20330-1670 LAST NOT BUT NOT LEAST: On April 24th the Congressional Budget Office updated its projections of the 10-year costs of nuclear forces that is published every two years. This report contains CBO’s projections for the 2025–2034 period, which are based on the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) fiscal year 2025 budget requests, that were submitted in March 2024. Want to know More? See Nuclear Costs '25 thru '34 You tube video of Minuteman Art Book available on the AAFM website. Great gift for all Missileers. Watch it and be amazed at our ICBM history! See: Amazing Video Original Artwork painted by nuclear underground combat warriors. Over fifty years of art that have never been commercially available until now.
As always, please email me with any questions or comments at Director@AFMissileers.org
Thanks to Danny Sebeck and the team at the Torchlight Initiative https://torchlightinitiative.org , the Missile Cancer Initiative is getting more attention in 2025. Two links below are attached for your information and education. On April 8, Col Sebeck was invited to brief the House VA Committee on the disproportionate rate of cancers and illnesses impacting the ICBM community. His comments are at the 1hr 6 min mark. Check out his testimony at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8iym6v14Cw
An April 25th article at Military.com by Thomas Novelly shares the news of an Independent Study on Military Cancer with a focus on Malmstrom AFB.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/04/25/new-study-finds-statistically-significant-blood-cancer-diagnosis-montanna-missile-base.html (click on Air Force and scroll down to the article)
After the release of the study, Danny posted the following on Linked In:
"This is a turning point in the discussion and actions taken surrounding ICBM community cancer. The research and analysis discussed in the article answer the torchlight Initiative's early question: Do Malmstrom missileers have increased rates of lymphoma? yes they do.
This confirmation should open the door to new lines of inquiry and ensure this concern isn't discounted, downplayed or forgotten in the future.
Now let's accept the brutal reality, move forward urgently, and answer the following questions:
What is the cause? What other bases are impacted? What other career fields are impacted? What other cancers and illnesses are impacting us? How do we document our know exposures? How do we increase health monitoring of current and past ICBM community members?"
For more information on the studies, questions you should ask your health care provider, and a place to register in the data base if you have cancer related conditions, please check out the Torchlight Initiative.
Danny didn't ask to be the face of this story but he has stepped up to the task. We all owe him a huge thanks for his continued service to the health and wellness of all missileers!
The calendar says that Spring will arrive later this month but from what I have seen of weather in the northern part of the United States, it usually means that flood control operations are in the final stages of preparation! A look at the calendar also reminds me that the Board needs to give final approval at our 8 March Board of Directors meeting for the 2026 National Meeting location. Speaking of the Board, Tom Cullen has stepped down from his board duties to devote his full attention to some health issues. Last month, the Board unanimously approve the nomination of Col (ret) Anita Feugate-Opperman to fill the remainder of Tom’s term (through May 2026). Anita recently retired from active-duty in Colorado Springs but is already taking on the world as a defense contractor. We expect her to bring her typical level of energy to our Board. Please join me in a big thanks to Tom for all he continues to do for our community and welcome Anita into her new position on the board. For Retirees...Replace Your Old Blue ID Cards by 31 Dec 2025 The old blue ID cards will no longer be accepted after 31 Dec 2025. The new ones are white and will not have an embedded chip as previously reported. Even if your old blue card says Indefinite, retirees must replace them before 31 Dec 2025. Members can do it online, or in person on base. In person generally requires an appointment. Members need to do this early to avoid the rush Advocacy: Active-Duty Moves are Having BIG $20 Billion Problems: The summer moves are quickly approaching and like other career fields we have active duty missileers moving families to their new assignment’s. At issue is the $20 billion Global Household Goods Contract (GHC), awarded to HomeSafe Alliance (HSA) in November 2021, which was supposed to fix long-standing issues associated with PCS moves. Instead, three years into the “phased in approach” of the 20 billion GHC contract, military families are still facing significant delays, divided accountability, higher out-of-pocket costs, and an inability to rely on the very system meant to support them. The link below highlights the serious issues with HSA. After reading it, you may want to talk or write to your Congressional representatives. As MASH’s Colonel Potter would say, “This is a lot of Horsepucky”.
Want to know more? Summer Moves Titan II reunion-381 SMW A small cadre of former 381st missileers has started planning a possible 381 SMW reunion. Our goal is to hold the reunion in 2026. We envision a full weekend event with former 381SMW wing alumni. John Gottlieb (Ops 1979-1986) is leading the effort. Over time, we’d like to fill a small reunion committee, which could become a standing body for follow on events. If you are a former 381 SMW alumni – ops, maintainers, cops, wing staff and others that might be interested in attending, they are building a database of names and contact info to share information as planning evolves. Please send your contact info to 381SMWReunion@gmail.com so they can share information as it is developed.
What’s Up with Sentinel? The Air Force has paused work on launch facilities for the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program due to significant cost overruns and restructuring efforts, as of February 12, 2025. The program, intended to replace the aging Minuteman III missiles, is facing delays and increased costs, with the total projected cost now exceeding $140 billion. The Air Force has suspended work on the design, testing, and construction of launch facilities. This decision follows a review process triggered by the program's cost overruns, which have increased the total cost by at least 37% over the initial estimate of $95.3 billion.
Want to know more? Sentinel Paused
MEANWHILE, China and Russia are rapidly expanding their advanced nuclear missile arsenals. For example, according to Newsweek Russia deployed autonomous launchers of the RS-24 Yars, ICBM that can be armed with multiple nuclear warheads, on combat patrol routes on February 19, 2025. Mobile systems make up around 50% of its ICBM force and China continues to field its first mobile DF41 ICBM. China is also fielding and developing a range of new nuclear capabilities that include a large buildup of nuclear missile silos. Russia/China ICBM buildup
(L) RS-24 Deployment (R) Sarmat silo launch failure
Elite Force: Nuclear Operators Maintainers and Security Forces The United States has only three remaining operational nuclear Minuteman Missile Wings. To keep the aging 450 MM missiles launch ready, the people supporting the force have had to become more adaptive and innovative. Jay Leno, a classic car collector said, "I like cars that are built ahead of their times, because they were built to a higher standard than the consumer needed”. Cars like his 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T and its Hemi power plant are similar to Minuteman III as it too was built to a higher standard. The plated wire memory, although not used now is a “higher standard” example. See: Plated Wire Memory The first Minuteman III missile was placed in alert status on August 19, 1970, in the 741st Strategic Missile Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota with technology ahead of its time. In the 70’s the ICBM fleet had the support of some of the best engineers and technicians that originally designed and built MM III. Now those people have “timed out” and our missileers have to be more adaptive and innovative to identify ways to fix problems. Remote Code Change called Olympic Step is just one example of missileer innovations. Our three ICBM wings in conjunction with the 309th Missile Maintenance Group at Hill and the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland completed the modification with the first remote code change in October last year. Twentieth Air Force has saved approximately 70,000 man-hours over four months by eliminating the need for physical code changes at 450 LFs annually. This advancement has reduced open site time by 1,800 hours and cut down code transit times by 360 hours each year. Olympic Step is an excellent example of increased Air Force efficiency and "This achievement with Olympic Step reflects over two decades of dedicated efforts to modernize and enhance the security our ICBM force,” said Maj General Stacy Huser Twentieth Air Force commander. “As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure the highest standards of reliability and safety for our strategic assets”. The bottom line here is that today’s Missileers are more tech savvy when they come into the Air Force and are able to find innovative ways to solve problems. Our Missileers own smart phones and can communicate in ways that some of us old retired missileers can’t even imagine. Our Missileers are adaptable as our Ops, Cops and Maintenance proved during Covid. Missileers incorporated commercial platforms such as Zoom to work with other Missileers across the ICBM community to keep missiles on alert. Even though Missileers are a smaller force they have become a more elite, efficient, force over time taking care of a “classic” ICBM missile system. One more thing! Every time we publish our newsletter I always get a note from someone that typically says, “I love this edition of the newsletter but how come you never write about (insert topic here). The newsletter is a cooperative effort—which means many people contribute to its content and its success. If you have a story to tell about any of our deployed nuclear missile systems, we would love include your submissions. Any and all efforts are welcome at Director@AFMissileers.org. That doesn’t mean we will publish everything that is sent in but you won’t know until you try. Before you go: With the holiday season passed, the Minuteman art book sales have slowed considerably. Please consider buying one for your local library or for ROTC grads, your old detachment. If you buy a book to be donated, we can ship directly to them with a personal dedication and do our best to limit duplicate orders. Remember, all proceeds go straight to our scholarship and museum funds. A link to the sale can be found on the front page of our website.
Missile Cancer Study and Fighting the VA:
Danny Sebeck posted the following on Linked In: "On 2 Jan 2025 the US Department of Veterans Affairs reversed their many denials of compensation to the Holmes family, and determined that Major Mark Holmes' illness and death are service related. It took nearly five years to achieve this result. While the family would surely trade this recognition to have Mark back in their lives, the VA's recognition is welcome and a turning point in the conversation about ICBM related cancers. Mark served his country as a Minuteman III ICBM Combat Crew Commander in the 10th Missile Squadron, was exposed to environmental hazards, and died as a member of a significant lymphoma cancer cluster. All eight members of the 2003-2008 Malmstrom cancer cluster now have a service connection through the VA or DoD. This is a significant, yet somber victory, for the Holmes family, the Torchlight Initiative, and for the ICBM Cancer Community. I'd like to thank this community, supporters of the Torchlight Initiative, the AFGSC team and others that invested their time, energy and effort into making this right. We take care of Airmen that die for this country, and we take care of their families... eventually. Most of all, thank you to the Holmes family for your sacrifice and for having the will power to reopen this tough part of your life after so many defeats. We have more work to do, and we are up for it. There are many ICBM Cancer Community families, like the Holmes family, who are fighting for their government to recognize their family member's service and death in support of this country. We will keep fighting from this foxhole."
44th MW “BANDIT” Selected as Acting Secretary of the Air Force. Gary A. Ashworth, a career Department of Defense civil servant and former MM II missile crew member, has been tapped by President Donald Trump to be Acting Secretary of the Air Force. According to those who served with him, he was a great crew member, well liked and super smart. Gary was assigned to the 66 SMS, served as an evaluator and competed in Missile Comp in 1990. According to one source, he was one hell of a racquetball player! He left missile crew to attend the attend the Education with Industry program and went on to a career in acquisition.
2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
Below are NDAA “Golden Nuggets” impacting the ICBM force as signed on Jan 2, 2025 • Directs a report on Air Force security forces personnel assignments so as to not isolate such personnel to specific duty locations, particularly intercontinental ballistic missile bases, in a manner that negatively impacts morale, career advancement, retention, or mission effectiveness • Requires no fewer than 400 responsive, on-alert U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) to be deployed, except for activities related to maintenance, sustainment, and replacement, or activities to ensure safety, security, or reliability. • Requires a plan for acquiring and deploying up to 450 Sentinel ICBMs. • Authorizes increased funding for U.S. nuclear stockpile research, technology, and engineering. • Establishes an Assistant Secretary of Defense of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence, Chemical, and Biological Defense Policy and Programs to coordinate and oversee nuclear deterrence policies and programs. • Establishes limits on Air Force reorganization efforts relating to Air Force Global Strike Command. • Limitation on availability of funds pending submission of a plan for decreasing the time to upload additional warheads to the ICBM fleet
Want to know more? See NDAA Pages 1981 thru 1013
After 37 years, 91st Missile Wing ushers in a new era of MMIII transporters:
Due to maintenance requirements becoming harder to meet with the older model, these units will be replaced with newer TE. The 91st Missile Wing is the last unit using the old TE systems, as the Roughriders are regularly relied upon to sunset programs being modernized. The images below show the last old TE going out for one its’ final trips.
November Missile Alert Facility “RECORD FM LOG” from 1989: There used to be cartoon show where Mr. Peabody, and his mischievous boy, Sherman, would voyage back in the time-traveling “Wayback machine” and explore history. Well a time machine in the form of a “RECORD FM LOG” showed up on my doorstep from a retired Facility Manager. The FM Log spans the time between June 7, 1989, to Jan 2, 1991. The log is from N01 in the 68th Strategic Missile Squadron, 44th Strategic Missile Wing, Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota. So...lets jump into our “Wayback LOG” and see what the FM was doing on New Years Eve and day on Jan 1, 1990. Names were deleted to protect the innocent...
New Years Eve 1989: 1. Weather reported to M01. 2. Daily duties completed. 3. FEL exercised. 4. N01’s servo plate sent with Sgt XXXX, ART Leader to M01. 5. Forms order complete. 6. TSgt XXXX cleaning office. 7. Monthly Radiological checks complete. 8. Bulb out in shaft way- replaced. 9. Chlorine level -2, but I want more! Pre chlorine on hand for a while to bring it up further. 10. Plowed snow. 11. FSC didn’t ground himself before touching the Satellite box– now it is broke. Oh well, but I fixed it! 12. Chlorine residual still good -- this is a pain! 13. December soda fund completed. 14. Made snacks for all, (I brought out) plus gave out 10 site sodas-Happy New Year. 15. Fire safety and security check complete 2200
New Years Day 1990: 1. Weather reported to M01 2. Fire team departed 3. TCC informed of leak in front end loader radiator again. Mobile Joe will come out. Also SSgt XXXX’s coat is in the linen closet and fuel card is in lower pocket. 4. Cleaning for changeover. 5. Fuels complete. 6. Daily duties complete. 7. Mopped equipment rooms. 8. SSgt XXXX relieved TSgt XXXX. Checklist followed and high theft items inventoried. Site looks really good. 9. Finished monthly inspection on Bio Pack 45. All is well. 10. Mobile Joe on site to fix heater fan on front end loader and checked radiator leak. Said if fluid does not exceed 3 drops per minute it’s not excessive! In other words...wait till it gets bigger. 11. Also Mobile Joe to RON in room 117. 12. Fire safety and security light check complete at 2200 hours.
Impressions and contributions:
I hope you are enjoying these updates on current and past ICBM events. If you want to make contributions to the monthly Dispatch or the larger AAFM newsletter, please send you inputs or comments to Director@AFMissileers.org
Mailing address:
Contact
The Association of Air Force Missileers
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
