Photo By Airman 1st Class Mattison Cole | Airman 1st Class Devin Woodruff, 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron missile...... read more read more
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, defenders from the 90th, 790th, and 890th Missile Security Forces Squadrons trip out to the missile field to protect one of America’s most valuable strategic assets - the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
Sprinkled throughout the states of eastern Wyoming, northern Colorado, and western Nebraska are 15 Missile Alert Facilities (MAFs) housing defenders weekly to ensure that the 90th Missile Wing's ICBM fleet is secured. Each MAF is responsible for 10 neighboring launch facilities (LF). Having defenders standing by closely allows for timely and effective protection and defense.
Bright and early in the morning, 90 MSFS joined together for a guard mount formation and armed up preparing for their trip out to the missile field. After loading up the trucks, the squadron members left F.E. Warren Air Force Base and arrived at their assigned MAF and temporary homes for the week.
Equipped with a kitchen and a chef, a bathroom with shower facilities, bedrooms, and a lounge, these MAFs provide all the necessities needed for those who reside to feel comfortable and taken care of.
To keep the MAFs running safely and effectively, there are designated facility managers (FM) who live in each MAF and whose responsibilities are to take care of the area, its systems, and the defenders who stay there.
“It’s critical to the mission to have an FM on site because out here, we are not only the person who's in charge of the facility, but we are also the first responder,” said Tech. Sgt. Ross Pritchard, 319th Missile Squadron Charlie-01 non-commissioned officer in charge. “Any emergency that happens, we’re the first person to assess and handle the situation accordingly. Fires, tornadoes, a medical emergency, flooding, fuel spills… all kinds of situations can happen out here.”
After getting settled in, the teams of 90 MSFS defenders at each location are split in half to work 12-hour shifts.
Airman 1st Class Heaven Sanchez, 90 MSFS missile security operator, was on the day shift during the tour at the Charlie-01 MAF. While missile defenders never know how many alarms they will have to respond to during their shift, rest assured they are always ready to go due to the steps they take to prepare.
“We first check the truck for gas, and then we load up with all of our equipment and it’s crucial we don’t forget a thing,” Sanchez said. “We have to make sure we have our gas mask, weapons, magazines, radios and more so we are properly prepared in all circumstances.”
After making sure all equipment is prepared for the teams to be ready to respond to these alarms signaled from the nearby launch facilities, the defenders make the drive out to secure the perimeter and reset the alarm.
To know when these alarms are needed, a capsule team consisting of two officers perform around-the-clock alert in the launch control centers in each MAF. They relay messages to the designated field security controller of an alert and send out response teams to secure the site. Defenders on shift must stay vigilant to respond at the drop of a dime.
To maintain this vigilance, there are often security response exercises that take place in the missile field to practice readiness. These exercises range from possible duress at the gate, a medical emergency, or responding to alarms at the LFs.
The 90 MSFS defenders who tripped out at the Delta-01 MAF participated in a security response exercise involving a duress scenario at the gate. During this scenario, the day shift defenders challenge opposing forces. The defenders detained the opposing forces in accordance with the 90 MSFS' protocols when responding to an incident such as this. 1st Lt. Nicole Calhoun, 90 MSFS flight commander, played an opposing force and evaluated the procedures from an active perspective.
“My role is to initiate exercises and to evaluate my defenders to ensure they know the proper procedures and to ensure the safety of the nation’s assets, each other and themselves,” said Calhoun. “We practice like we play. For example: In a sports setting, if you don’t practice all the time, how do you expect to win a championship?”
According to Calhoun, staying prepared and ready ensures national security and allows for a watchful eye. The 90 MSFS demands excellence from these defenders, so if a real-world scenario emerges, they are more than prepared for it.
When there are no alarms to respond to or exercises to participate in, a lot of free time can become available at the MAFs. The defenders take advantage of this time by studying for upcoming tasks, going to the gym provided on-site and even coming together to play board games. Spending time together helps build camaraderie among the tripped out defenders.
“Doing mundane things such as weight lifting, chatting and sharing meals with the folks I’m posted with really helps build unforgettable bonds,” said Airman 1st Class Diego De Leon, 90 MSFS missile security operator. “Honestly, when being away from home for a little more than half the year in total, you start to rely on those around you to help pass the time and to keep the morale up.”
De Leon also explains that through their honest conversations and perseverance in the field, the defenders create strong bonds that build their confidence when executing the mission.
Having collaborative strength and a strong bond amongst the defenders in the missile field allows for the more effective safeguarding of the nation’s most valuable asset. When these devoted defenders work together as one, they send a message to our adversaries: we stand ready to defend and secure a lethal combat-ready force for nuclear and conventional global strike…anytime and anywhere.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2025 13:45 |
| Story ID: | 492412 |
| Location: | F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Missile Security: A Week in the Life of the Defenders, by A1C Mattison Cole, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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