“Only the best come north” may be the motto of Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, but the sentiment rings true for all of 20th Air Force’s missile wings. The mission at these bases can be unforgiving, requiring a blend of resilience, ingenuity, and grit – particularly in the short, cold days of winter. Day after day, Airmen stationed here overcome daunting weather, vast distances, and demanding tasks, whether in Operations, Security Forces, Maintenance, or Mission Support.
Winter brings its own particular challenges. At missile bases like F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, temperatures plunge below freezing, wind howls across the plains, and snow buries roads and launch facilities. For maintainers like Senior Airman Casey Edwards, an electromechanical team member and a Tucson native, adapting to these conditions was a shock. This winter will be the third winter he’s experienced in the missile field.
“Running the field during the winter, especially coming from the Arizona desert, was a drastic change for me,” Edwards recalled. “The cold is one thing, but the wind just stacks on top of it. Combine that with the snow, and it gets tough.”
Master Sgt. Catelon Boyd, a maintainer who has experienced 10 winters across Minot and F.E. Warren, shared a similar adjustment period earlier in his career. Currently the Maintenance Scheduler in Future Operations section of the Wing Operations Center, he is a Missile Maintenance Team member by trade. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Boyd had never seen snow before being stationed at Minot.
“Driving in snow was a completely new experience for me. Thankfully, great instructors and friends let me practice in empty parking lots to get used to it,” said Boyd. “But I don’t think anyone can really get used to temperatures below zero.”
For Tech. Sgt. Adam Triplett, non-commissioned officer in charge of Security Forces Future Operations in the WOC, the challenges of winter are all too familiar. With seven winters across missile wings, five at F.E. Warren and two at Malmstrom, he’s seen firsthand how weather impacts the mission.
“Defenders face brutal conditions because the mission still has to get done,” Triplett explained. “Alarms still sound and calls still come in. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safety of all responding patrols, but the mission doesn’t stop just because the weather is inconvenient.”
The unique challenges of each base
Missile bases each bring their own flavor of winter challenges. While not necessarily the most scientific of surveys, personnel gave their opinions on the particular challenges faced by each base – or where those challenges might be the worst. When asked, the consensus gave the following insights to the three bases.
• Minot: Coldest.
• Malmstrom: Snowiest with the longest travel distances.
• F.E. Warren: The windiest.
“Minot, by far, is the coldest,” said Boyd. “I’ve personally hit 60 below zero several times during missile field operations. F.E. Warren, though, has the most wind, and it makes every outdoor task more difficult.”
Grit and Adaptability in the Field
For both defenders and maintainers, preparation is key to braving winter in the missile field. Triplett emphasized the importance of teamwork and adaptability. “Road conditions can vary dramatically across the missile field complex,” he said. “One area might have a sunny, chilly day, while two squadron areas over there’s a complete winter storm, and the weather can change in minutes. That’s where the WOC plays a vital role, coordinating the best actions to ensure safety while maintaining proper security standards.”
Boyd detailed the tools and strategies his teams use to mitigate risks. “We always do weather calls before sending out missions to the field, especially with nuclear-certified vehicles,” he explained. “We rely on base weather reports, cameras on highway systems, and updates from personnel stationed at key sites. Everyone also takes mandatory cold-weather gear, and maintainers often bring extras like rock salt and heat guns to deal with frozen equipment or slippery surfaces.”
Even with all the preparation, challenges can arise and persist. “Slick roads are the biggest concern,” Boyd said. “It’s completely unpredictable and can cause a chain reaction of accidents. The wind and cold don’t help either, but our teams make sure to look out for one another and take breaks when needed.”
Moments of Camaraderie
Despite the challenges, Airmen find ways to support each other and bond in the field. Edwards described a memorable mission involving six maintainers digging out sensors buried in snow.
“It was zero degrees, and I’m in this ‘bear suit’, drenched in sweat, while six of us are shoveling trenches to get the sensors to recalibrate,” he said. “When we got to site, you could barely see the site, and only the barbed wire was sticking out. It was like someone made the whole place disappear.”
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Missile base winters test the grit and determination of every Airman. Whether battling snowdrifts, recalibrating sensors in freezing wind, or coordinating missions across vast missile complexes, they prove that it takes something extra to keep the mission running.
“The winters here and at the other missile wings can be rough, but there are policies and procedures to ensure the safety of responding patrols while ensuring the mission gets completed.”
Though the launch control capsule is removed from the weather while the capsule crew pulls their alert, the weather can extend their stay or make getting to the missile alert facility a near impossibility.
“Winter is the most difficult time for pulling alert,” said Capt. Krysta Flach Villareal, a missileer who served at both Minot and F.E. Warren. “Many missile alert facilities are over an hour’s drive away, some with long, unpaved or dirt roads. When road conditions get poor, the travel time gets longer and riskier.”
Deployment in place
One aspect of the nuclear deterrence mission and its no-fail, around-the-clock nature is the chance that that mission will take airmen away from their families. Sometimes called “deployed in place,” the reality is that, like traditionally deployed personnel, missing holidays and important milestones is frequently a matter of course.
“As a first-tour crew member, you will likely miss one or more of the major holidays this time of year between Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s,” said Flach Villareal. “It can be tough.”
While these service members are not physically deployed to a distant theater of operations, their responsibilities, workload, and operational intensity can mirror those of a traditional deployment.
For missile wing Airmen, "deployed in place" means that though they remain at their home station, they perform duties essential to national defense, often with the same level of urgency and operational tempo as an overseas deployment. They are also required to maintain the same mental, physical, and logistical readiness as if they were forward-deployed. Even if they return home at the end of the day (or after extended shifts), their commitment to the mission often requires long hours, challenging conditions and periods of isolation, like the experience of being deployed abroad. Whether they’re braving extreme weather conditions in the missile field or enduring the pressures of round-the-clock alert duty, these Airmen directly support global strategic deterrence from their home base.
The concept underscores the reality that location doesn’t define the weight or importance of the mission.
While winter can present specific challenges to an already demanding role, whether it’s the missileer in the capsule, the maintainers working to ensure that the weapon does what it needs to do when called upon, the defenders ensuring the safety and security of the combined approximately 31,900 square mile missile field complexes at the three bases, or the myriad support personnel who keep the gears of daily operations turning smoothly behind the scenes, each Airman plays a vital part in maintaining one of the most critical elements of the nation’s defense strategy.
“20th Air Force personnel, no matter what specialty, have never ceased to amaze me with their ingenuity, their persistence, and their dedication,” said Maj. Gen. Stacy Jo Huser, 20th Air Force commander. “Even when cold weather, and all that comes with it, throws a wrench into plans, these Airmen get their jobs done in support of this no-fail mission.”
| Date Taken: | 12.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2024 08:20 |
| Story ID: | 488488 |
| Location: | F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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