Minot Air Force Base 60-Year Groundbreaking Anniversary

Published July 7, 2015
By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- On Jul. 12th, Minot Air Force Base celebrates its 60th groundbreaking anniversary.

60 years ago the Cold War was starting to gain momentum, and the United States gave serious consideration to the possibility of attack to northern parts of the country by enemy strategic bombers. In response, the Air Force planned to build a new base.
The city of Minot convinced Air Force leaders to make it the site, and locals donated approximately $50,000 to purchase land for the base.

Minot Air Force Base was originally a part of the Air Defense Command, and the 32nd Fighter Group was activated on Feb. 8, 1957 as its first unit.

The building known today as the Professional Results in Daily Endeavors, or PRIDE building, is one of the most visible displays of Minot AFB's Cold War roots. The building itself is windowless and blast-resistant, a reminder of the strategic fears of the time. Originally intended to be a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment center, the building housed two 275-ton IBM computers that processed air surveillance information for Air Defense Command units.

The first B-52H Stratofortress arrived at Minot Air Force Base in 1960, joining the F-106 Delta Dart. The Delta Dart was the Air Force's main interceptor aircraft from the early 1960s through the 1980s.

In 1961, the Air Force chose Minot as the site of an intercontinental ballistic missile complex, and the first Minuteman I missile arrived in 1963.

As time passed, the B-52 and ICBM mission were modernized to stay current and competitive. In the 1970s, Minuteman I missiles were replaced with Minuteman III, and bombers were equipped with more advanced weapons and avionics. Updates and improvements continue to this day.

Minot Air Force Base now falls under Air Force Global Strike Command, and is home to the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Missile Wing. The 5th Bomb Wing has provided support in numerous engagements, including the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, the War in Iraq, and the ongoing War in Afghanistan.

The Cold War ended, and while commands and unit names have changed many times over six decades, Minot's fundamental mission of nuclear deterrence has not. Minot Air Force Base remains the only base to house bomber and ICBM missions side by side.