Winter Work

Senior Airman Kayla Sledge, 341st Security Forces Squadron member, checks military identification cards at Malmstrom Air Force Base’s main gate Jan. 6. During her 12-hour shift, Sledge and her team members are responsible for security checks, vehicle searches and ensuring only eligible military and civilian personnel are allowed on the instillation. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Dillon Johnston)

Winter Work

A member of the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron clears snow with a heavy duty tractor to ensure roadways and facility entrances are safe for vehicles on Malmstrom Air Force Base Jan. 7. During the winter season, CES members move tons of snow to keep Malmstrom’s daily operations running smoothly. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt)

Winter Work

A member of the 341st Civil Engineer Squadron clears snow with a heavy duty tractor to ensure roadways and facility entrances are safe for vehicles on Malmstrom Air Force Base Jan. 7. Civil engineer members play a key role in winter safety measures and snow removal for more than 300 on-base facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt)

Malmstrom Airmen brave cold to accomplish mission

Published Jan. 14, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Collin Schmidt
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- The winter months here on base can make accomplishing even the easiest of tasks challenging. With temperatures regularly below freezing and wind speeds adding to the chill, completing the mission in the face of these frozen odds takes determination and a strong will to succeed.

Two years ago on December 6, Great Falls recorded a record low of -26 degrees Fahrenheit while at the same time in Antarctica the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was -20. Yes, Great Falls was colder than Antarctica! The following morning, the city set another record low of -34 degrees.

Even with these temperatures, Malmstrom's mission continued because of the dedicated Airmen who call this base home.

This year, Malmstrom has seen a milder winter, but the chill still looms. For Airmen in the field and those base-side whose work primarily takes place outdoors, dealing with freezing temperatures is a challenge they take on almost daily in the winter, and they do it with a smile.

"This was my first winter at Malmstrom and I had never seen snow a day in my life until I got here," said Airman 1st Class Aleah Ducharme, 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron member. "I'm originally from Louisiana and the coldest we get is like 35 degrees."

Ducharme recalled heading out to a missile site where an alarm was going off due to pressure from snow on the location's instruments. As part of the responding team's job, their mission was to secure the area and make sure everything was OK before they could proceed to remove the snow. For Ducharme, her task was to secure the site by walking the perimeter of the facility.

"I had to do what we call a walk around and I was struggling," she said with a smile. "The snow was all the way past my thighs. Some spots would be just a little bit of snow and then others I would just sink in. I'm 5' 4" and if I fall in you won't see anything but my head," she laughed.

Luckily, Ducharme made the perimeter walk successfully and with the help of her teammates completed securing the site and clearing off the snow so the alarm could reset.

In the field and base-side, teamwork plays a key role in accomplishing the tasks at hand. When the mercury drops, having the help of a wingman can make all the difference.

"We have a huge understanding of one another while we're working together," said Senior Airman Cody Gibson, 341st MSFS member. "We know how fast you can get sick so we will interchange people every 10 or 15 minutes when it is terribly cold.

"Our leadership is also really good," he continued. "One time, when our lieutenant heard how much snow was on a site he came over and helped us clear it off. We worked together to get it done."