In the early 1950s, as the Cold War was warming up, military leaders feared a possible threat of a northern attack by enemy bombers. The city of Minot, North Dakota, sold the Air Force on becoming a site for a new base in 1954; the groundbreaking took place July 12, 1955, and construction started shortly after. The base started out as a Air Defense Command Base and the first unit was the 32nd Fighter Group, activated on Feb. 7, 1957.
5th Bomb Wing Leadership 
