Malmstrom launches Minuteman III from Vandenberg

Published July 9, 2010
By Airman 1st Class Kristina Overton
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from North Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., June 30 at 3:01 a.m. The missile was transported to Vandenberg from Malmstrom AFB, then emplaced and launched by the 341st Missile Wing maintenance and missile combat crews in coordination with members of the 576th Flight Test Squadron.

The missile carried one unarmed re-entry vehicle approximately 4,200 miles southwest of the base at speeds in excess of 15,000 mph to a pre-determined target near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Col. Steven Winters, the 30th Space Wing vice commander, was the mission's launch decision authority. Col. Carl T. DeKemper, the 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, was the mission director for the test launch.

Test launches are conducted as an operational test to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy.

"Nineteen men and women from Malmstrom worked on the task force at Vandenberg and I was extremely proud of and impressed with their efforts," said Lt. Col. Pete Bonetti, 10th Missile Squadron and mission task force commander. "The tests that we conduct improve the dependability and precision of the Minuteman III missile fleet, and its continued contribution to our nation's strategic deterrence. The task force worked long hours to ensure the success of that mission, from stacking and preparing the missile to the turning of the keys, and I'm very proud to see it come to fruition."

The Malmstrom team also had a unique role in assisting a sister missile wing with the launch of their missile upon their arrival at Vandenberg.

"Shortly after arriving at Vandenberg, we learned that the F.E.Warren AFB booster was experiencing an anomaly," said 1st Lt. Jared Hostetler, 341st Maintenance Squadron task force officer in charge. "Because all fielded boosters are representative of the fleet and since our launch date was two weeks later than F.E. Warren's, we were able to assist our fellow missile task force and supply our booster for their launch. This kept both missions on schedule. Things like that just show that we can take pieces from any missile and from any base and they'll still deploy. The teams worked together as three cohesive units [F.E. Warren, Vandenberg and Malmstrom] on the same site and everyone knew exactly what they were suppose to do and completed the mission. The teams reassured that the overall mission can be successfully accomplished, no matter what base we're from."

Members of the 576th FLTS installed tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet the 30th Space Wing requirements.

"There is significance in knowing that what we do actually works and does what it's supposed to do," said Tech. Sgt. Robert Houck, 341st MMXS missile handling team chief. "It shows the Airmen that are here that what we work on is still a vital weapon system, and they have a certain pride of ownership in knowing that they came down, put it together and watched it take off. We had a great team from every aspect of the job."

This launch, the second one in the month of June, also marked the 1,900th liftoff from Vandenberg since 1957.

Col. John Patricola, 341st Mission Support Group commander, distinguished visitors from the Great Falls community and a small group of Airmen from various career fields at Malmstrom also traveled to Vandenberg to witness the launch.

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