Connor

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – Snowstorms don’t halt work in the Minot missile field.

“We experienced our second storm here this week,” said Col. Colin Connor, commander of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, referring to the storm that blasted the Minot and Minot AFB area earlier this week. “Our ops crews pulled 72-hour alert.”

It was the first 72-hour alert for the operations crews in seven years, according to Connor and Col. Kelvin Townsend, vice commander of the missile wing.

“Our defenders did six days in the field where they normally do four,” Connor said.

“Last week the crews did 48-hours,” said Townsend.

The 91st Missile Wing is one of the Air Force’s three operational missile units. The other two missile wings are at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Montana.

The Minot missile field – with 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles in underground facilities and 15 launch control centers – covers several counties in northwest and north central North Dakota.

“The great news is we didn’t miss a beat. We brought 200 people back from the missile field yesterday (Thursday). Everybody got home safely and we sent 200 more out today (Friday). It never stops, which is awesome,” Connor said of the recent snowstorm time.

He said the counties and city did a great job of cleaning the roads so the missile crews could travel the roads.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James was scheduled to visit the Minot base Wednesday but canceled her trip because of the storm.

Connor said three operations crews – at Charlie, Mike and India launch control centers – talked to James on Thursday. She was at F.E. Warren AFB at Cheyenne, Wyo., and spoke to the Minot crews from there.

“The big thing with the storm is it limited our ability for a day and a half to get out to the missile field. The mission itself never stopped,” Connor said.

He said maintenance was done at one of the sites Thursday. It may be cold with below zero temperatures outside but the maintainers still perform maintenance at the launch facilities, and the operators and defenders are still in the field.

On Thursday, Townsend surveyed the Minot missile field, flying over it in helicopter with a helicopter crew from the base. He said certain sites were snow covered. He said Civil Engineer Squadron personnel with the 5th Bomb Wing did a good job going out and clearing off the areas.

Connor and Townsend said plans already are being made for when the snow melts.

“Even in the next couple weeks if it gets above single digits we watch for water intrusion,” Townsend said.