First of all, I will be stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana where I will be a part of one of the four squadrons that exist (a squadron has 5 flights and each flight controls 10 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles or ICBMs - if you do the math, Malmstrom has a total of 200 nuclear missiles on strategic alert 24 hours a day 365 days a year!).
Why so many nuclear missiles on alert every second of every day of the year? Well, it's quite simple: Nuclear Deterrence. According to Nuclearfiles.org, in order for nuclear deterrence to succeed, a threatening nation (the U.S. in this case) has to be capable and willing to use its nuclear weapons and must effectively communicate this to the nations that are to be deterred. The United States has demonstrated, due to the events of WWII, that we are willing to use nuclear weapons if world conditions calls for its use. Not only are we willing, but we, as Missileers, are trained to release nuclear weapons mere seconds of receiving offical command to do so. Nations hostile to the United States know that we are capable and willing to use nuclear weapons and therefore are deterred or forced to be reluctant to take action they might regret towards the United States. Understand that the ICBM is just one tool we use for nuclear deterrence. There also exist nuclear missiles on Navy submarines (known as Trident missiles) and we still have an inventory of nuclear bombs that can be delivered by bombers. Bombers, however, are not on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. That is why my job is so unique and so significant.
Below are some photos of Minuteman Missiles, some launches, operations, and the reentry of warheads from a Minuteman as they hit their targets in the Kwajalein atoll in the South Pacific. Enjoy!
To learn of all the specifics, including specs and mission, of the Minuteman ICBM, click here.
See what a nuclear blast does and what it looks like by clicking here for Quicktime videos and more!