Editing Malmstrom Air Force Base (section)

===Strategic Air Command===
[[File:Shield Strategic Air Command.png|left|125px]]

On 18 December 1953, Great Falls AFB was transferred from Military Air Transport Service to [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC), although MATS units remained at the base for several years. SAC activated the [[407th Air Expeditionary Group|407th Strategic Fighter Wing]] at Great Falls with a mission to provide fighter escort for SAC's long-range [[B-36 Peacemaker]] The 407th SFW was assigned to [[Fifteenth Air Force]], [[39th Air Division]] and flew [[F-84 Thunderjet]]s.<ref name="mul2" /><ref name="mul6">[http://www.strategic-air-command.com Strategic-Air-Command.Com]</ref>

On 21 August 1954 the 407th SFW Vice Commander, Colonel [[Einar Axel Malmstrom]], died when his [[T-33 Shooting Star]] trainer crashed approximately one mile west of the [[Great Falls International Airport|Great Falls Municipal Airport]]. Although his tenure was short, he was well liked by the local community. It was the local civilian community that led the efforts to rename Great Falls AFB for Col. Malmstrom. On 15 June 1956, the base was officially dedicated as Malmstrom Air Force Base.<ref name="mul2" />[[File:Kc-97-97thars-malmstrom.jpg|thumb|97th ARS Boeing KC-97G "City of Great Falls" (52-2638)]]With the phaseout of the B-36 from the inventory in the late 1950s, the need for fighter escorts of SAC bombers was eliminated. The new B-52 Stratofortress and B-47 Stratojet bombers flew higher and faster than the F-84 escort fighters and instead of flying in formations, SAC's bombers flew individually to their selected targets. The 407th SFW was inactivated in 1957 and replaced by the 4061st Air Refueling Wing (ARW) was activated, initially equipped with the [[B-29|KB-29J]], a Superfortress variant re-engineered to provide aerial refueling capabilities. The 407th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) were joined by the 97th ARS and their [[KC-97 Stratofreighter]]s to form the wing. The 4061st ARW flew their missions from Malmstrom AFB until July 1961.<ref name="mul2"/><ref name="mul6"/>

====341st Strategic Missile Wing====
With the development of the three-stage, solid-fuel [[Minuteman I]] missile in the late 1950s SAC began searching for sites to deploy this revolutionary weapon. Because Malmstrom's location placed most strategic targets in the [[Soviet Union]] within range of Minuteman, the base was selected to become a command and control center for ICBMs located in central Montana.

On 23 December 1959, the Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee approved the selection of Malmstrom AFB to host the first Minuteman [[ICBM]] base. A change of mission for the base occurred on 15 July 1961 when the [[341st Strategic Missile Wing]] was reassigned to Malmstrom.<ref name="mul2"/> The 341st was previously assigned to [[Dyess Air Force Base|Dyess AFB]], [[Texas]], where it was designated as the 341st Bombardment Wing. With the reassignment of the 341st SMW to Malmstrom, the tankers of the 407th ARW were reassigned or retired and the runway at the base was used by the Air Defense Command F-101 and F-106 interceptors along with transient aircraft.

Construction of the wing's first launch facility began in March 1961 and was completed in December. The 10th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS) was activated on 1 November 1961 and Alpha-01, the first launch control facility, was completed in July 1962. The first Minuteman I ICBM arrived on base by rail 23 July 1962. Just four days after the missile's arrival, Launch Facility Alpha-09 gained the title of the first Minuteman missile site. The [[12th Missile Squadron|12th SMS]] and [[490th Missile Squadron|490th SMS]] activated in March and May 1962.<ref name="mul2"/>

On 3 July 1963, following 28 months of construction, the wing and its three squadrons became operational. Each squadron controlled 50 missiles, bringing the total wing strength to 150 Minuteman I missiles. Two years later, construction began on the fourth and final squadron, the 564th SMS. This squadron was equipped with the more modern Minuteman II missiles. On 5 May 1967, the 564th SMS was declared fully operational. Malmstrom's missile field was now the largest in the United States, covering {{convert|23500|sqmi|km2}}. Two years later, the 10th, 12th and 490th SMSs were also upgraded to the Minuteman II missiles, increasing the wing's capabilities to four missile squadrons equipped with a total of 200 Minuteman II missiles.<ref name="mul2"/>

In late 1962 missiles assigned to the 341st Wing would play a major role in the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]]. On 26 October, at 11:16&nbsp;am, the 10th SMS's launch facility Alpha-06 went on "strategic alert" after it was discovered the [[Soviet Union]] had placed nuclear missiles in [[Cuba]] to counter the threat to Moscow and most of the Soviet Union east of the Urals posed by American nuclear-armed [[PGM-19 Jupiter|Jupiter]] and [[PGM-17 Thor|Thor]] missiles based in [[Turkey]].
Over the next four days the wing placed four more missiles on alert, with the last missile from Alpha Flight achieving alert status on 10 November. The Soviets eventually removed their missiles from Cuba.<ref name="mul2"/>

In fact, the Minuteman missiles at Malmstrom were able to substitute for Jupiter and Thor missiles based in Turkey, which were removed under a secret accord, thus allowing the Soviets to remove their missiles from Cuba, and replace them with submarine-based missiles and longer-range ICBMs based on Soviet territory. The overall effect of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] was to greatly expand and extend the [[nuclear arms race]], in which Malmstrom played (and continues to play) a leading role.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

Throughout the Cold War era, the wing's missiles remained on alert and underwent extensive weapons systems upgrades. The 17th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron, equipped with [[B-57 Canberra|EB-57 Canberras]], was activated in the 1970s to train NORAD air defense personnel in electronic countermeasures. In 1988 the hardened mobile launcher for the small ICBM was tested at Malmstrom AFB to verify its ability to operate in harsh winter conditions.<ref name="mul2"/>

====301st Air Refueling Wing====
On 5 January 1988, Malmstrom gained its first SAC flying wing since the [[4061st Air Refueling Wing]] had been inactivated in 1961. SAC's [[301st Air Refueling Wing]] arrived from [[Rickenbacker AFB]], Ohio and was responsible for the operation of [[KC-135R]] Stratotankers, refueling fighter, bomber, airlift, special operations and strategic reconnaissance aircraft worldwide.<ref name="mul2"/>

A major restructuring occurred in 1989 when SAC relocated the [[40th Air Division]] to Malmstrom AFB and assigned it host responsibilities for both the newly activated 301st ARW and the 341st Strategic Missile Wing.<ref name="mul2"/>

The 301st ARW deployed to Moon Island in the [[Persian Gulf]] during [[Operation Desert Storm]]. During this time period the 301st flew 443 Combat Sorties refueling 936 coalition aircraft, and transferring 33.5 Million pounds of fuel. The 341st Strategic Missile Wing deployed security, civil engineering, services and support personnel in support of the action. On 14 June 1991, the 40th Air Division inactivated, returning host responsibilities back to the 341st SMW with the 301st ARW remaining as a tenant unit.<ref name="mul2"/>