SAC Bases:
Great Falls /
Malmstrom
Air Force Base |
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World War II
Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when World
War II broke out in Europe. Concern about the war caused the local Chamber
of Commerce to contact two Montana senators, Burton K. Wheeler and James E.
Murray and request they consider development of a military installation in
Great Falls. In November 1942, a survey team evaluated an area near the
Green Mill Dance Club and Rainbow Dam Road approximately six miles east of
Great Falls. Great Falls, along with ten other northern tier sparsely
populated sites, was considered for a heavy bomber-training base.
Construction began on Great Falls Army Air Base on June 8, 1942. The base
was informally known as East Base since the 7th Ferrying Group was stationed
at the municipal airport on Gore Hill. Its mission was to establish an air
route between Great Falls and Ladd Field, Fairbanks, Alaska, as part of the
United States Lend-Lease Program that supplied the Soviet Union with
aircraft and supplies needed to fight the German Army.
Great Falls Army Air Base was assigned to 2nd Air Force and
the first B-17 Flying Fortress landed on November 30, 1942. Four
Bombardment Groups, the 2nd, 385th, 390th,
and 401st, trained at Great Falls from November 1942 to October
1943. Group Headquarters and one of the Groups' four squadrons were
stationed in Great Falls with the other squadrons stationed at Cut Bank,
Glasgow, and Lewistown, Montana. Aircraft would take off at a predetermined
time, form up in squadron formation over their respective location, and
later, over central Montana, join up in group formation. These bombardment
groups went on to participate in decisive raids over Germany opening the
door for Allied daylight precision bombing.
Upon completion of the B-17 training program, in October 1943, Great
Falls Army Air Base was transferred to the Air Transport Command and units
from Gore Field transferred to the base. More buildings were constructed
this year, including a consolidated mess, a Post Exchange, a theater, and a
400-bed hospital. Moreover, the Lend Lease Program continued which included
P-39, C-47, B-25, and A-20 aircraft. B-25 Mitchell Bombers arrived by rail
and were assembled on base, others were flown in by both military and Women
Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs). These aircraft were later flown by U.S.
pilots by way of the Alaskan-Siberian Route (ALSIB) through Canada, to
Fairbanks, Alaska, and transferred to Russian pilots who in turn flew them
into Siberia. A total of 1,717,712 pounds of cargo containing aircraft
parts, tools miscellaneous equipment, explosives and medical supplies were
shipped through Great Falls Army Air Base to Russia. Aircraft shipments to
the Soviet Union stopped in September 1945, when World War II ended, with
approximately 8,000 aircraft having been processed in a 21-month period.
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Great Falls Air Force Base
Following WW II, Great Falls Army Air Base assumed a support mission for
military personnel assigned to Alaskan military installations. A reserve
training unit was established here for the 4th Air Force from Oct. 10,1946,
to March 6,1947. In September of 1947, the United States Air Force became a
separate service and the base’s name changed to Great Falls Air Force Base.
The "Cold War" heated up when the Soviet Union closed all land travel
between West Germany and West Berlin. The United States and Britain vowed
not to abandon West Berliners to the Berlin Blockade. On June 25,1948
"Operation Vittles," the strategic airlift of supplies to Berlin's 2,000,000
inhabitants, was initiated. Great Falls AFB played a critical role in
assuring the success of this vital operation. Officials selected the base
as the only replacement aircrew training site for Berlin Airlift-bound
C-54s, officially activating the 517th Air Transport Wing. Using radio
beacons, Great Falls AFB was transformed to resemble Tempelhof Airport in
Berlin, Germany. Hundreds of pilots and Flight Engineers, many of whom were
recalled to active duty, were qualified on the C-54 aircraft and on flight
procedures to and from Berlin by practicing on ground mock-ups and flying
simulated airlift missions.
Later, the 517th Air Transport Wing was redesignated the 1701st Air Transport Wing. This wing's primary mission was
the routing and scheduling of flights throughout the Pacific Ocean region
and in support of allied forces in the Korean Conflict. The Military Air
Transport Service (MATS) reopened the C-54 Flight Training School as the
1272 Medium Transition Training Unit in May 1950, one month before the
Korean War began. The 1701st ATW was later replaced by the 1300th Air Base
Wing and the 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Squadron.
Great Falls AFB has also played a major aerial defense role in North
American Air Defense mission. The 29th Air Division activated at Great
Falls AFB in early 1950, bringing with them fighter interceptor squadrons,
an aircraft control and warning squadron, and ground observer detachments.
The 29th Fighter Interceptor Squadron activated in 1953 and remained at
Great Falls until 1968. The North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) was created in 1957. Malmstrom AFB was responsible for the 24th
NORAD region, which covered the western half of the North America. This was
comprised of four fighter/interceptor squadrons and radar sites stretching
from the Rocky Mountains, halfway across North Dakota and north to the north
border of Canada. The 24th also served as the NORAD alternate command post,
which remained active until 1983.In 1954, the base was aligned under Strategic
Air Command and the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing was assigned to Great Falls
AFB. The Wing's F-84 fighters and KB-29 air refuelers were to provide
fighter escort for SAC's long-range B-36 bombers.
Malstrom Air Force Base
On Aug. 21 of that year,
the 407th SFW Vice Commander, Col. Einar Axel Malmstrom, died when his T-33
crashed approximately one mile west of the airport at Gore Field. Although
his tenure was short, he was well liked by the local community. It was the
local civilian community that led the efforts to rename Great Falls AFB for
Col. Malmstrom. On June 15th, 1956, the base was officially dedicated as
Malmstrom AFB.
When the 407th SFW was deactivated in 1957 the 4061st Air Refueling Wing
(ARW) was activated. The 407th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) and their
KB-29s were joined by the 97th ARS and their KC-97s to form the wing. The
4061st ARW flew their missions from Malmstrom AFB until July 1961.
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| Last Minuteman II leaves
the base |
Arrival of Minuteman III |
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Missiles
The 341st Strategic Missile Wing was activated at Malmstrom AFB on July
15, 1961. Construction of the wing's first launch facility began in March
1961 and was completed in December. The 10th Strategic Missile Squadron
(SMS) was activated Nov.1, 1961 and Alpha-01, the first launch control
facility, was completed in July 1962. The first Minuteman I ICBM arrived on
base by rail July 23, 1962. Just four days after the missile's arrival,
Launch Facility Alpha-09 gained the title of the first Minuteman missile
site. The 12th SMS and 490th SMS activated in March and May 1962. Later
that same year the missiles assigned to the nations first Minuteman ICBM
wing would play a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On October 26, at
11:16 am, the 10th SMS's launch facility Alpha-06 went on "strategic alert"
after it was discovered the Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in
Cuba. Over the next four days the wing placed four more missiles on alert,
with the last missile from Alpha flight achieving alert status Nov. 10. The
Soviets eventually removed their missiles from Cuba. Later President
Kennedy said the Soviets backed down because they knew he had an " Ace in
the Hole," referring directly to the Minuteman missiles of the l0th SMS. On
July 3, 1963, following 28 months of construction, the wing and its three
squadrons became operational. Each squadron controlled 50 missiles,
bringing the total wing strength to 150 Minuteman I missiles. Two years
later, construction began on the fourth and final squadron, the 564th SMS.
This squadron was equipped with the more modern Minuteman II missiles. On
May 5, 1967, the 564th SMS was declared fully operational. Malmstrom's
missile field was now the largest in the United States, covering 23,500
square miles.
Two years later, the 10th, 12th and 490th SMSs were also
upgraded to the Minuteman II missiles, increasing the wing's capabilities to
four missile squadrons equipped with a total of 200 Minuteman II missiles.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the wing' s missiles remained on alert
and underwent extensive weapons systems upgrades. The 17th Defense Systems
Evaluation Squadron, equipped with EB-57 Canberras, was activated here in
the 1970s to train NORAD air defense personnel in electronic
countermeasures. In 1988 the Hardened Mobile Launcher for the Small ICBM
was tested at Malmstrom AFB to verify its ability to operate in harsh winter
conditions.
Air Refueling
A major restructuring occurred in 1989 when SAC relocated the 40th Air
Division to Malmstrom AFB and assigned it host responsibilities for both the
newly activated 301st ARW and the 341st Strategic Missile Wing. The 301st
ARW deployed to Moon Island in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert
Storm.
During this time period the 301st flew 443 Combat Sorties refueling
936 coalition aircraft, and transferring 33.5 Million pounds of fuel. The
341st Strategic Missile Wing deployed security, civil engineering, services
and support personnel in support of the action. On June 14, 1991, the 40th
Air Division deactivated, returning host responsibilities back to the 341st.
On September 1, 1991, the 341 SMW became the 341st Missile Wing. Also in
1991, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, was officially
formalized. President Bush took all Minuteman II missiles, bombers and
tankers off alert status on September 27. In November 1991, the 12th
Missile Squadron's Launch Facility J-03 became the first to have its missile
removed in compliance with the order. It would be three and one half years,
until the last Minuteman II in the Air Force inventory was removed from
Kilo-11 on August 10, 1995.
As Minuteman II missiles were removed, a new
program called Rivet Add was launched, modifying the 150 Minuteman II launch
facilities to accommodate the newer Minuteman III.
In the early 1990s, host responsibilities changed several times do to
massive Air Force restructuring programs. On January 15, 1992, Malmstrom's
host responsibilities were again transferred, this time to the Air Mobility
Command's 301st ARW. Later, on June 1, 1992, the Air Force restructured its
major commands, deactivating SAC and replacing it with Air Combat Command
(ACC). The 301st ARW was redesignated the 43d ARW. In July of 1993
responsibility for the nation's ICBM force was transferred to Air Force
Space Command. The 341 MW transferred from ACC to Air Force Space Command
and the 43rd ARW was redesginated as a group, transferring host
responsibilities back to the 341 MW.
In
1995, the Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting, or REACT, signaled the first
complete overhaul of the Minuteman III’s command and control systems. In
addition to REACT, the wing completed the transfer of 120 Minuteman III
ICBMs from Grand Forks AFB’s, 321st Missile Group to Malmstrom. This
brought the wing strength to 200 Minuteman Ills on alert status -the first
time since 1991 it had a full compliment of a single weapon system.
The 1995 Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission led to the
deactivation of the 43rd Air Refueling Group with its aircraft assigned to
the 6th Air Base Wing at McDi11 AFB, Florida. On Jan. 1,1997, Malmstrom's
runway was declared inactive for the first time in the base's history.
Later that year, the 819th RED HORSE Squadron arrived. It was the first AF
squadron to consist of active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force
Reservists. The squadron provided a combat engineering force to military
and humanitarian operations worldwide on short notice. The latest addition
to Malmstrom' s mission, the Network Operations Center, performed passive
space surveillance and provided users with reliable tracking of near earth
and deep space satellites.
Malmstrom's physical appearance has undergone many changes since 1995.
Construction of new and renovation of old family housing, dormitories, work
facilities and general base infrastructure have transformed the base's image
and upgraded utilities. These improvements to the mission and quality of
life resulted in Malmstrom being named the best Air Force installation in
the continental United States in 1999.
The wing's Minuteman Missiles have also undergone improvements and
upgrades. An extensive life extension program is under way to keep the
missiles safe, secure, and reliable well into the 21st Century. These major
programs include: replacement of the aging guidance system, remanufacture
of the solid propellant rocket motors, replacement of standby power systems,
repair of launch facilities, and installation of updated, survivable
communications equipment. These efforts will extend the life of the Air
Force's ICBM force to 2020 and beyond -guaranteeing Malmstrom AFB's future
into the 21st century. |
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