Construction of Minot AFB began in May 1956 and it officially opened on January 10, 1957, named for the nearby city of
Minot. The base is approximately south of the
49th parallel, the
international border with
Canada, and the
tripoint of North Dakota with the Canadian provinces of
Saskatchewan and
Manitoba.
Air Defense Command The initial USAF host unit was the
Air Defense Command (ADC) 32d Air Base Group, activating on 8 February 1957. The ADC 32d Fighter Group was the first operational unit at Minot, with its 433d Fighter-Interceptor squadron. However, no aircraft were assigned to the unit, and January 1958 the 433d FIS was inactivated. It was replaced in February 1960 by the
5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron ''(The Spittin' Kittens)'', transferred to Minot from
Suffolk County AFB on
Long Island, New York. The 5th FIS flew the
F-106 Delta Dart and later the
F-15A Eagle. A
Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) facility was built and activated in June 1961. The DC-19 SAGE Data Center was housed in a huge, windowless blast-resistant concrete building with a pair of 275-ton
AN/FSQ-7 computers which displayed the live air picture to the many scopes of the weapons and air surveillance operations in the various units on the 2nd floor. The computers processed air surveillance information and sent the data to Air Defense Command units. It was the only two-story SAGE blockhouse in ADC. The Minot SAGE facility was deactivated after less than two years of operation, in May 1963, The facility was then renamed the PRIDE Building ("Professional Results in Daily Effort") after ADC's and SAC's alternate motto of the 1960s and 1970s, and became a large office building housing many different organizations. Renamed
Aerospace Defense Command in 1968, ADC F-106 operations continued at Minot until ADC was inactivated in 1979 and replaced by
Air Defense Tactical Air Command, a part of
Tactical Air Command.
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) initially had units assigned to Minot AFB in 1958 for
air refueling support. The
4136th Strategic Wing was formed 1 September 1958, consisting of the
906th Air Refueling Squadron, followed by the 4136th Combat Defense Squadron that was activated on 1 June 1959. The first SAC
KC-135A Stratotanker assigned, nicknamed "Miss Minot," arrived on 23 September 1959 and remained on base until the 906th Air Refueling Squadron was relocated to
Grand Forks AFB in northeast North Dakota in January 1994. This aircraft was notable for its
tail flash – "The Sun Never Sets on the 906th". The scope of operations grew as the Air Force transferred the
525th Bombardment Squadron from the
19th Bombardment Wing at
Homestead AFB, Florida, on March 8, 1961, followed by the first
B-52H Stratofortress on 10 July 1961, nicknamed "Peace Persuader". This was preceded by the activation of the 60th Munitions Maintenance Squadron on 1 December 1960, followed by 4136th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron, 4136th Field Maintenance Squadron, and 4136th Organizational Maintenance Squadron 1 March 1961, with the 4136th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron being added in November 1962. Demonstrating the capabilities of the B-52, on 10–11 January 1962 a B-52H from the 4136th Strategic Wing at Minot set a new world distance record, flying unrelieved from
Kadena AB,
Okinawa to
Torrejon AB,
Spain. On 1 February 1963, SAC, as part of a conversion to unit designations with historical significance, activated the
450th Bombardment Wing at Minot and the
720th Bombardment Squadron, along with the formation of the 450th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron, 450th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron, 450th Field Maintenance Squadron, and the 450th Organizational Maintenance Squadron simultaneously. in silo (1989, Grand Forks AFB)|alt=|left In 1961, the Air Force selected the land around Minot for a new
Minuteman I ICBM complex. The
455th Strategic Missile Wing was activated in December 1962 along with the 455th Missile Maintenance Squadron. The 740th and 741st Strategic Missile Squadrons operationally controlled the ICBMs and in January 1963, the 742d Strategic Missile Squadron was activated with a third squadron of Minuteman ICBMS. During the 1970s, the 150 missile sites around the region, from the base, were converted to
Minuteman IIIs; a model of the older Minuteman I stands at the Minot AFB main gate. Command of Minot AFB passed from
Air Defense Command to SAC in July 1962 as the base's primary mission changed from air defense to strategic deterrence. The new command unit, the
810th Air Division was organized along with the 862d Combat Support Group as the host unit for the base. Units assigned to the 862d Combat Support Group were the 862d Civil Engineering Squadron, the 862d Combat Defense Squadron (later redesignated 862d Security Police Squadron), the 862d Food Service Squadron (later redesignated 862d Services Squadron), 862d Operations Squadron (later redesignated 862d Communications Squadron), 862d Supply Squadron and 862d Transportation Squadron, The 862d Medical Group was also formed and reported to the Commander, 810th Air Division. In July 1968, the 450th Bombardment Wing and 455th Strategic Missile Wing were inactivated, being from
Travis AFB,
California, when jurisdiction of Travis was assumed by the
Military Airlift Command and the
91st Strategic Missile Wing from
Glasgow AFB,
Montana, when it closed. These changes were in line with the Air Force policy of keeping active those units with the most illustrious histories. The 23d Bombardment Squadron assumed operational control of all
B-52 aircraft for the 5th Bombardment Wing. Unit Designations Assigned at Minot on June 25, 1968 were the 5th Bombardment Wing and 23rd Bombardment Squadron, 5th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron, 5th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron (later redesignated as the 5th Avionics Maintenance Squadron), 5th Field Maintenance Squadron, 5th Organizational Maintenance Squadron & the 5th Munitions Maintenance Squadron. 91st Strategic Missile Wing [Minuteman], 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron. On July 2, 1969 the 862d Medical Group was renamed the USAF Hospital. Minot, and the 862d Services Squadron was inactivated; its functions were assumed by the 862d Combat Support Group. The 810th Strategic Aerospace Division was inactivated 30 June 1971, and was replaced by the
5th Bombardment Wing. at bottom center The 862d Combat Support Group was inactivated on July 31, 1972, with host unit duties being taken over by the 91st Combat Support Group (SAC). Under SAC policy, missile wings were fixed in locations, where aircraft units were considered a mobile and the host units were assigned to the missile wings. Units assigned to the 91st Combat Support Group were the 91st Civil Engineering Squadron, the 91st Security Police Squadron, 91st Communications Squadron, 91st Supply Squadron and 91st Transportation Squadron, The USAF Hospital, MINOT. The 4th Airborne Command & Control Squadron (ACCS) at
Ellsworth AFB,
SD maintained two
EC-135 Airborne Launch Control Center (ALCC) aircraft on forward deployed alert at MAFB for
Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) coverage of
Minuteman ICBM Wings at Malmstrom AFB, MT; Minot AFB, ND; and Grand Forks AFB, ND. The ALCS provided a survivable launch capability for Minuteman ICBMs if their ground-based Launch Control Centers were incapacitated or destroyed. Late in 1973 a second Alert Parking Ramp (
"Christmas Tree") was added across runway 29, to the south. The 416th Bombardment Wing, from
Griffiss AFB in central
New York, maintained two B-52G aircraft with
AGM-28B Hound Dog Missiles and two KC-135A aircraft along with two KC-135 Aircraft from the 380th Bombardment Wing at
Plattsburgh AFB in northeast New York. On 2 January 1975, the 57th Air Division was activated at MAFB, and on 30 September 1975, the 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron was replaced by the 91st Field Missile Maintenance Squadron, and the 91st Organizational Missile Maintenance Squadron. Following the
Iran hostage crisis of 1979–81, SAC tasked the former 57th Air Division to organize the Strategic Projection Force. The 57th AD became the host unit, providing logistical, security, administrative and other support services to the 5th BMW, 91st SMW and tenant organizations. In the early 1990s, the base prepared for change as the Air Force directed reorganization, and the 5th Bomb Wing assumed host base responsibilities.
Cold War aircraft incidents • A KC-135A tanker (AF Ser. No. 58-0026) from
March AFB crashed shortly after takeoff from Minot AFB on 17 January 1968, killing 12 of the 13 on board. Major General Charles M. Eisenhart, vice commander of the
Fifteenth Air Force, was at the controls and over-
rotated at takeoff in low
visibility, inducing a
stall. The survivor, a steward, was badly burned and later succumbed. On a staff visit from March AFB, the aircraft was departing for
Glasgow AFB,
Montana.--> was on approach, completing an overnight training mission with six aboard. It lost power to four engines and crashed in a field east, with four fatalities and two survivors. Among the dead was a lieutenant colonel just days from retirement, and the squadron clerk, on his first B-52 orientation ride. crashed shortly after a midday takeoff on 21 January 1969 and burst into flames on a farm about west of the runway, killing all six crew members. An incorrect preflight fuel load distribution caused a stall on takeoff after a climb to and it made several pitch gyrations prior to the crash. crashed into the western portion of
Lake Sakakawea, about southwest of the base. The pilot ejected safely to land and the plane sank below the frozen surface. It was not located until over 35 years later, in September 2004, after an extended search by a local surveyors' group. • While being refueled on the ramp early on 14 November 1975, a B-52H (61-0033) Two refueling personnel were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Post-Cold War taxis during an alert exercise at Minot Air Force Base during March 2006. On June 1, 1992,
Air Combat Command (ACC) was formed, following the inactivation of the Strategic Air Command. ACC absorbed the former assets of SAC, along with command responsibilities for the
Eighth Air Force, and through it, the 5th Bomb Wing and host command of Minot AFB. In 1993 control of the ICBM force was transferred by ACC to
Air Force Space Command; the 91st Missile Wing was assigned to AFSPC on July 1, 1993.
Global Strike Command The 91st Missile Wing was transferred to the new
Air Force Global Strike Command (
AFGSC) on December 1, 2009, and the 5th Bomb Wing officially transferred to AFGSC on February 1, 2010.
Nuclear weapons incident On August 30, 2007, a B-52 took off from Minot AFB carrying six
cruise missiles with
W-80 nuclear warheads to
Barksdale AFB in northwest
Louisiana. No base personnel nor the crew knew the nuclear weapons were aboard. This incident received international attention. An investigation found that this was an isolated incident and that only a few people had information on the whereabouts of the missiles. While U.S. policy is to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons, Air Force officials acknowledged the presence of nuclear weapons on the base, including the W80-1 warhead.
Nuclear inspection and consequences On July 12, 2008, three Air Force officers fell asleep while in control of an electronic component that contained old launch codes for nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, a violation of procedure, Air Force officials said. The Air Force said the launch codes were outdated and had been deactivated before the incident, but it was still a violation of protocol, prompting an investigation. It was the fourth incident within a year involving problems with secure handling of components of America's nuclear weapons. The incident occurred during the changing out of components used to facilitate secure communications between an underground missile-control facility and missile silos near Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, according to Col. Dewey Ford, a spokesman for the Air Force Space Command in Colorado. One of the parts, a code component, is for storage and processing. It is considered classified by the Air Force. A code component was removed from the equipment at the remote missile-control facility and replaced with a new code component. That made the old component inoperable, but an Air Force source said old launch codes were still contained in the part. Under standard procedure, the four-officer crew of the facility is supposed to keep the component secure until it is returned to the base. Ford said the crew took the component to a building above the facility and locked the component in a lockbox. Then, three of the four crew members fell asleep. This violated Air Force procedure, which calls for at least two of the crew members to remain awake while in control of the component. At the time they were asleep, the crew and the component were in a locked building that is guarded by at least one armed airman at all times. The airmen were asleep for two to three hours, Ford said. The component was later returned to the Minot base, and the investigations of procedural violations were started by Air Force Space Command, the 20th Air Force and the National Security Agency. The investigation revealed the codes were not compromised, according to the Air Force. The codes had remained secured, and the crew was inside an area protected by Air Force security at all times, the investigation concluded. The incident, which was first made public by the Project on Government Oversight, was the fourth misstep involving the handling of America's nuclear weapons in one year. The three officers were given
non-judicial punishment and subsequently discharged from the Air Force. In fall 2009, Minot suffered another embarrassment when the newly formed 69th Bomb Squadron failed its Initial Nuclear Surety Inspection (INSI). As a result, both the 5th Bomb Wing and 5th Operations Support Squadron Commanders were relieved of command by the 8th Air Force Commander under the later discredited "perfection is the standard" philosophy. Subsequently, it was determined the 8th Air Force Commander had acted vindictively, outside his authority and used the firings to deflect attention away from institutional, organizational and leadership failings at both 8th Air Force and Air Combat Command. Another incident first reported in May 2013 by the Associated Press revealed that 17 officers in charge of maintaining the base's
Minuteman III nuclear missiles were "sidelined" for numerous violations of safety procedures. The deputy commander of the base complained of "rot" in the staff's discipline and command structure. The Associated Press obtained an internal email from the deputy commander and the news of the incident had garnered the attention of then Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel, who "demanded details" of the incident. The unit in charge of maintaining the nuclear missiles performed poorly during an inspection that took place in March 2013. Following the release of the Deputy Commander's strongly worded internal email, the Air Force began investigating the incident further.
Major Commands to which assigned •
Air Defense Command, May 19, 1956 – June 30, 1962 •
Strategic Air Command, July 1, 1962 – June 1, 1992 •
Air Combat Command, June 1, 1992 – February 1, 2010 •
Air Force Space Command (Tenant), July 1, 1993 – December 1, 2009 •
Air Force Global Strike Command (Tenant), December 1, 2009 – February 1, 2010 • Air Force Global Strike Command, February 1, 2010 – present
Major units assigned •
810th Air Division, July 1, 1962 – July 31, 1972 • 4136th Strategic Wing, September 1, 1958 – February 1, 1963 •
450th Bombardment Wing, February 1, 1963 – July 25, 1968 • 5th Bombardment Wing : Redesignated
5th Bomb Wing, July 25, 1968 – present • 91st Strategic Missile Wing : Redesignated:
91st Missile Wing, June 25, 1968 – present • 17th Munitions Squadron, October 9, 2009 – present •
Minot Air Defense Sector, April 1, 1959 – August 15, 1963 • 32d Fighter Group, February 8, 1957 – February 1, 1961 : 32d Air Base Squadron, February 8, 1957 – 1 February 1961 •
32d Fighter Wing (Air Defense), February 1, 1961 – July 1, 1962 : 32d Air Base Group, 1 February 1961 – July 1, 1962 •
5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, February 1, 1960 – July 1, 1988 (F-106 / F-15) •
433d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, November 1, 1957 – January 8, 1958 (F-89C) ==Role and operations==