Whiteman Air Force Base Vital To Defense
This is the first in a series of reports about Whiteman Air Force Base, its problems and its personnel — past and present.
By Kenneth Amos
Star-Journal
News Editor
Unobtrusive is its presence in eastern Johnson County, but Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing, is a key component in the preparedness of the United States to defend itself in the event of war.
Located in Johnson County, Mo., nine miles east of Warrensburg and two miles south of Knob Noster, Whiteman is one of nine missile bases that control 1,000 Minutemen Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) within the United States' Strategic Air Command (SAC).
According to the Air Force, the 150 Minuteman II missiles assigned to Whiteman are major elements of the nation's strategic triad — strategic land-based missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers — providing the United States with a three-pronged retaliatory force should it become necessary to use them. Each of SAC's forces stand poised on a 24-hour basis ready to react given only a moment's notice.
The more than 3,500 military and civilian men and women of the wing work around the clock to keep its missiles in a state of readiness. Past performance leads most to believe they do a good job. However there are those who have recently maintained certain personnel frequently are ill-trained, incompetent and overworked. In recent months, several persons stationed at the local air base have leveled charges of compromises and cover-ups regarding the effectiveness and reliability of the base's personnel and equipment in the event of nuclear war.
The Missiles
The ICBMs are scattered about over 20 percent of the state, of which 28 can be found while meandering up and down the back roads of Johnson County. They are seldom noticed, except by an occasional inquisitive tourist, or sometimes by a few curious cows. Those who !ive in Johnson County know of the misslles' presence, but they seldom ponder the possible destructiveness that lies in their own backyards.
WAFB, which covers 4,684 acres, is just one link in the scheme of SAC, which boasts of a strike force of 1,054 missiles including— 450 Minuteman IIs, 550 Minuteman IIIs and 54 liquid fuel Titan IIs.
The three-stage Minuteman weapons controlled from Whiteman, each weighing 73,000 pounds, are stored in hardened silos and are ready for instant-aneous launch. With a range of more than 6,300 miles, the missiles would fly at 15,000 miles an hour.
Each one utilizes solid fuel that comes with the missile in a sealed unit. A fuse sets it off and, until ignited, it is completely safe. Each is equipped with a 1.1 megaton hydrogen warhead as its re-entry vehicle.
Two-man crews constantly man launch-control facilities located at various points east, west, north and south of WAFB. They are spread over 15,625 square miles — miles away from the actual missile sites.
On alert since 1962, the Minuteman system reached its current level of 1,000 missiles in April 1967, including a portion equipped with multiple warheads.
The Minuteman lls, such as those at Whiteman, await an alert most hope will never come. Each one contains six selectable pre-stored targets, any one of which would be selected prior to launch. This nation's mix of Minuteman II and Minuteman III missiles was reached, as part of its SALT I agreement with the Soviet Union, in July 1975.
Improvements Made
A little more than 16 months ago, improvements concluded which were designed to protect this network of launch facilities against blast, shock, radiation and electro-magnetic pulse. The operation was known as the Upgrade Silo Program.
The Boeing Company was the principal civilian agency involved. It began the $124 million project at WAFB May 10, 1978. Work lasted almost two years and employed approximately 1,500 civilians
WAFB is a part of the Eighth Air Force, 40th Air Division. Other strategic missile wings are located at: McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas; Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; Minot Air Force Base, S.D; and Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. Although not officially verified by the Air Force, Whiteman is also home to the Emergency Rocket Communication System (ERCS).
Confirmed by several sources, ERCS, in unclassified terms, is critical to the execution of the Single Integration Operational Plan in our nuclear war plan. It is capable of broadcasting coded emergency-action messages to participating SAC forces. In laymen's terms, it is the system that tells the U.S. to go to war. Whiteman, supposedly, is the only base in the nation with ERCS capability.
Economic Impact
Whiteman not only means a ready defense for our nation, but it also means dollars for the communities immediately surrounding the base — lots of dollars.
Officials claim WAFB has a pure economic impact on the surrounding communities of approximately $60,750,000 during fiscal year 1980. Of this amount, almost $36 million was military personnel payroll.
According to a recent statement by Col. Hunter Hackney, military and civilian employees at the base create 3,575 jobs within a 25-mile radius of the base, and overall 4,166 jobs in the state. This translates into a total salary impact for Missouri of $l00,703,582, of which $94,548,499 is expended within the 25-mile radius.
Earlier this month, top-flight personnel from the base achieved notoriety, proved their effectiveness and highlighted their skills in the maintenance and handling of missiles as members of the Olympic Arena team.
Each year Whiteman and the eight other missile wings compete for the Blanchard Trophy. This year the Whiteman crew captured it for an unprecedented fourth time — 1967, 1971, 1977 and now 1981 — along with the title, "Best In SAC."
The competition meant much to the morale of the base, and instilled a sense of pride in the communities that surround the base. Even with all of its positive aspects, there are still those who make charges of wrongdoings among the chain of command at the air base. The individuals making these claims, their credibility, the Air Force's reaction, and other topics will be presented for consideration beginning tomorrow.
NEXT: Who Is Capt. Essex and What is His Beef?
By Kenneth Amos
Star-Journal
News Editor
Unobtrusive is its presence in eastern Johnson County, but Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing, is a key component in the preparedness of the United States to defend itself in the event of war.
Located in Johnson County, Mo., nine miles east of Warrensburg and two miles south of Knob Noster, Whiteman is one of nine missile bases that control 1,000 Minutemen Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) within the United States' Strategic Air Command (SAC).
According to the Air Force, the 150 Minuteman II missiles assigned to Whiteman are major elements of the nation's strategic triad — strategic land-based missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers — providing the United States with a three-pronged retaliatory force should it become necessary to use them. Each of SAC's forces stand poised on a 24-hour basis ready to react given only a moment's notice.
The more than 3,500 military and civilian men and women of the wing work around the clock to keep its missiles in a state of readiness. Past performance leads most to believe they do a good job. However there are those who have recently maintained certain personnel frequently are ill-trained, incompetent and overworked. In recent months, several persons stationed at the local air base have leveled charges of compromises and cover-ups regarding the effectiveness and reliability of the base's personnel and equipment in the event of nuclear war.
The Missiles
The ICBMs are scattered about over 20 percent of the state, of which 28 can be found while meandering up and down the back roads of Johnson County. They are seldom noticed, except by an occasional inquisitive tourist, or sometimes by a few curious cows. Those who !ive in Johnson County know of the misslles' presence, but they seldom ponder the possible destructiveness that lies in their own backyards.
WAFB, which covers 4,684 acres, is just one link in the scheme of SAC, which boasts of a strike force of 1,054 missiles including— 450 Minuteman IIs, 550 Minuteman IIIs and 54 liquid fuel Titan IIs.
The three-stage Minuteman weapons controlled from Whiteman, each weighing 73,000 pounds, are stored in hardened silos and are ready for instant-aneous launch. With a range of more than 6,300 miles, the missiles would fly at 15,000 miles an hour.
Each one utilizes solid fuel that comes with the missile in a sealed unit. A fuse sets it off and, until ignited, it is completely safe. Each is equipped with a 1.1 megaton hydrogen warhead as its re-entry vehicle.
Two-man crews constantly man launch-control facilities located at various points east, west, north and south of WAFB. They are spread over 15,625 square miles — miles away from the actual missile sites.
On alert since 1962, the Minuteman system reached its current level of 1,000 missiles in April 1967, including a portion equipped with multiple warheads.
The Minuteman lls, such as those at Whiteman, await an alert most hope will never come. Each one contains six selectable pre-stored targets, any one of which would be selected prior to launch. This nation's mix of Minuteman II and Minuteman III missiles was reached, as part of its SALT I agreement with the Soviet Union, in July 1975.
Improvements Made
A little more than 16 months ago, improvements concluded which were designed to protect this network of launch facilities against blast, shock, radiation and electro-magnetic pulse. The operation was known as the Upgrade Silo Program.
The Boeing Company was the principal civilian agency involved. It began the $124 million project at WAFB May 10, 1978. Work lasted almost two years and employed approximately 1,500 civilians
WAFB is a part of the Eighth Air Force, 40th Air Division. Other strategic missile wings are located at: McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas; Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; Minot Air Force Base, S.D; and Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. Although not officially verified by the Air Force, Whiteman is also home to the Emergency Rocket Communication System (ERCS).
Confirmed by several sources, ERCS, in unclassified terms, is critical to the execution of the Single Integration Operational Plan in our nuclear war plan. It is capable of broadcasting coded emergency-action messages to participating SAC forces. In laymen's terms, it is the system that tells the U.S. to go to war. Whiteman, supposedly, is the only base in the nation with ERCS capability.
Economic Impact
Whiteman not only means a ready defense for our nation, but it also means dollars for the communities immediately surrounding the base — lots of dollars.
Officials claim WAFB has a pure economic impact on the surrounding communities of approximately $60,750,000 during fiscal year 1980. Of this amount, almost $36 million was military personnel payroll.
According to a recent statement by Col. Hunter Hackney, military and civilian employees at the base create 3,575 jobs within a 25-mile radius of the base, and overall 4,166 jobs in the state. This translates into a total salary impact for Missouri of $l00,703,582, of which $94,548,499 is expended within the 25-mile radius.
Earlier this month, top-flight personnel from the base achieved notoriety, proved their effectiveness and highlighted their skills in the maintenance and handling of missiles as members of the Olympic Arena team.
Each year Whiteman and the eight other missile wings compete for the Blanchard Trophy. This year the Whiteman crew captured it for an unprecedented fourth time — 1967, 1971, 1977 and now 1981 — along with the title, "Best In SAC."
The competition meant much to the morale of the base, and instilled a sense of pride in the communities that surround the base. Even with all of its positive aspects, there are still those who make charges of wrongdoings among the chain of command at the air base. The individuals making these claims, their credibility, the Air Force's reaction, and other topics will be presented for consideration beginning tomorrow.
NEXT: Who Is Capt. Essex and What is His Beef?
