My Cold War Years (Part Two): The 44th MSS At Ellsworth AFB
- Tracy's Thoughts
- Jan 6, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 16, 2019
I was assigned to the 44th Missile Security Squadron at Ellsworth to which I would be guarding the Minuteman II Missile sites scattered across the plains of South Dakota. These missiles were said, if launched, would travel over the North Pole and arrive at a pre-designated target in less than 30 minutes. Kind of like a well-known pizza place that once promised that quick of a delivery or your next one would be free. I found this to be somewhat funny when you think that just a few short months earlier I had worked at Pizza Hut, which was sort of the competition to the pizza place referenced here. There was even a painting on the blast door at the Delta-01 Launch Control Center that resembles a pizza box from that particular franchise. Who knew that the Air Force had a sense of humor?
The 1.2-megaton warhead on the missile held the explosive equivalent of one-third of all the bombs dropped during the entire Second World War, including both atomic bombs. Ellsworth, at the time, was a dual Wing base, the host Wing was the 44th Strategic Missile Wing while the other was the 28th Bombardment Wing. The Bomb Wing had B-52's, KC-135's, EC-135's. A few times while I was stationed at Ellsworth, I remember hearing it being called "The Showplace of SAC". Minot AFB and Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota was also included in this as each of these bases continued to fight the Cold War by maintaining two legs of America's strategic triad, strategic bombardment and ICBMs.
The 44th Missile Security Squadron was responsible for the day to day security at each of the 15 Launch Control Facilities (LCF's) and 150 Launch Facilities (LF's) in the missile field. There were 10 each LF's for each of the 15 LCF's. The 15 LCF's were divided up into 3 different Squadrons, the 66th Strategic Missile Squadron, the 67th Strategic Missile Squadron and the 68th Strategic Missile Squadron. The 44th Missile Security Squadron was one of three Squadrons of the 44th Security Police Group at Ellsworth. It also included the 45th Missile Security Squadron, which was responsible for various other security duties related to the missile fields as well as others located on the main base. The 44th Security Police Squadron was responsible for the security of the Bomber and Tanker Alert Facilities as well as the Weapons Storage area. They also performed the Law Enforcement functions on base. This was back when the Security Police career field was split into two separate functions, Security Specialist (AFSC 811XX) and Law Enforcement Specialist (AFSC 812XX). On October 31, 1997, the Security Police became the Security Forces, with all individual specialties being merged into one Security Forces specialist AFSC. This field had previously been called Air Police from 1948 to 1966.
The LCF's out in the missile field were buildings that contained the Security Control Center, Day Room, Dining Area, Kitchen, Latrine, multiple sleeping quarters and other equipment and support rooms where Security Police, a Facility Manager and a Cook would stay. Below ground was the Launch Control Center where the Missile Combat Crews stayed. This above ground building could have been easily mistaken for a ranch-style home, but not like as depicted in the 1983 movie "Wargames". The LF's were simply a fenced in area that contained some low-profile visible concrete structures that partially were above ground and some power/lighting poles and very few other things showing. The ones at Ellsworth were not necessarily located as close to near by farmhouses as shown in one scene of the 1983 television movie "The Day After". But they were in the vicinity of civilization, for the most part. More about why I am making movie references will be discussed a little later.
[NOTE: This is Part 2 of a 10-Part series of stories about some of my memories of when I was in the US Air Force from 1982 to 1988 and stationed at Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City, South Dakota.]
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