Editing Malmstrom Air Force Base (section)

===World War II===
Malmstrom Air Force Base traces its beginnings back to 1939 when [[World War II]] broke out in [[Europe]]. Concern about the war caused the local Chamber of Commerce to contact two Montana senators, [[Burton K. Wheeler]] and [[James E. Murray]] and request they consider development of a military installation in Great Falls. In addition, appeals were made to the [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]], [[Harry H. Woodring]]. In 1941, the [[Civil Aeronautics Authority]] provided the money for the development of the [[Great Falls International Airport|Great Falls Municipal Airport]]. In May 1942, construction began on an Army Air Corps base six miles (10&nbsp;km) east of Great Falls. The base was known as East Base.<ref name="mul2">[http://www.malmstrom.af.mil/library/history/malmstromhistory.asp Malmstrom AFB History Office] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221105031/http://www.malmstrom.af.mil/library/history/malmstromhistory.asp |date=21 February 2013 }}</ref>

In November 1942, a survey team evaluated an area near the Green Mill Dance Club and Rainbow Dam Road approximately {{convert|6 |miles||spell=in}} east of Great Falls. Great Falls, along with ten other northern tier sparsely populated sites, was considered for a heavy bomber training base. Construction began on '''Great Falls Army Air Base''' ('''AAB''') on 8 June 1942. The base was informally known as '''East Base''' since the 7th Ferrying Group was stationed at Great Falls Municipal Airport on Gore Hill (known as Gore Field during its military use). Its mission was to establish an air route between Great Falls and [[Ladd Field]], [[Fairbanks, Alaska]], as part of the United States [[Lend-Lease]] Program that supplied the [[Soviet Union]] with aircraft and supplies needed to fight the [[Wehrmacht|German Army]].<ref name="mul2"/><ref name="mul3"/>[[File:1stb17-greatfallsaab.jpg|thumb|The first B-17 landing at Great Falls AAB, 30 November 1942|alt=|left]]Great Falls AAB was assigned to II Bomber Command, [[Second Air Force]]. Its initial base operating unit was the 352d Base HQ and Air Base Squadron. Airfield operations began on 30 November 1942 when the first [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] landed at the new base. Four Bombardment Groups, the [[2d Bomb Wing|2nd]], [[385th Strategic Aerospace Wing|385th]], [[390th Strategic Missile Wing|390th]], and [[401st Air Expeditionary Wing|401st]], trained at Great Falls AAB from November 1942 to October 1943 under Army Air Force Training Command. Group Headquarters and one of the Groups' four squadrons were stationed in Great Falls with the other squadrons stationed on sub-bases at [[Cut Bank, Montana|Cut Bank]], [[Glasgow, Montana|Glasgow]], and [[Lewistown, Montana]]. Aircraft would take off at a predetermined time, form up in squadron formation over their respective location, and later, over central Montana, join up in group formation. These bombardment groups went on to participate in decisive raids over [[Germany]] as part of [[Eighth Air Force]] opening the door for Allied daylight precision bombing.<ref name="mul2" /><ref>Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.</ref>

Upon completion of the B-17 training program, in October 1943, Great Falls Army Air Base was transferred to the [[Air Transport Command (United States Air Force)|Air Transport Command]] (ATC) and units from Gore Field were transferred to the base. The base was considerably expanded when more buildings were constructed, including a consolidated [[mess]], a post exchange, a theater, and a 400-bed hospital. Air Transport Command also established aerial port facilities for passengers and cargo, as well as a flight service center. The ATC 90th Ferrying Squadron ([[7th Ferrying Group]]) was assigned to the base which performed operations in support of the [[Lend Lease]] Program with the [[Soviet Union]].<ref name="mul2" /><ref name="mul3" />

[[File:Greatfallsaab-1944.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|Oblique aerial photo of Great Falls AAB, looking south-westward, about 1944]]

At Great Falls, [[P-39 Airacobra]]s, [[C-47 Skytrain]]s, [[B-25 Mitchell]]s, and [[A-20 Havoc]]s aircraft arrived by rail and were assembled on base, along with others that were flown in by both military and [[Women Airforce Service Pilots]] (WASPs). These aircraft were later flown by U.S. pilots by way of the [[Northwest Staging Route]] through [[Canada]], to [[Fairbanks, Alaska]], and transferred to Soviet pilots who in turn flew them into [[Siberia]] via the Alaskan-Siberian Route ([[ALSIB]]). A total of {{convert|1,717,712 |lb}} of cargo containing aircraft parts, tools miscellaneous equipment, explosives and medical supplies were shipped through Great Falls Army Air Base to the Soviet Union.

This included one of the greatest technology transfers (and espionage operations) in the history of the world. According to [[Richard Rhodes]] the plans for the atomic bomb, hundreds of tons of nuclear weapons materials, strategic intelligence reports, and the plans for much of the most advanced aviation, electronic, and heavy industrial technology was transferred through Gore Field and East Base in sealed diplomatic containers. Dozens, if not hundreds, of Soviet agents also entered the U.S. through Great Falls as part of the Soviet Lend-lease delegation and staff.<ref>''Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb'', Chapt. 5 "Super Lend-Lease"</ref>

Aircraft shipments to the Soviet Union stopped in September 1945, when World War II ended, with approximately 8,000 aircraft having been processed in a 21-month period.<ref name="mul2"/>

Following World War II, Great Falls Army Air Base (later Great Falls Air Force Base and Malmstrom Air Force Base) played an important role in US defense during the [[Cold War]] era (1948–1991). The base was assigned or attached to several major commands, and its assigned units performed a wide variety of missions.