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Show HILL Friday, ftircaiegk missile sysvems By Dr. Roger D. Launius Ogden ALC Office of History TOP TIMES Nawmbr 16. 1984 17 erected ..expansion; era Soon after the completion of the Minuteman II Materiel Area made its first air shipment of a Minuteman missile from Hill AFB to its launching assembly operations, the personnel of AF Plant 77 site at Malmstrom AFB, Mont. Sealed in a began working on the newest configuration of the specially-designe- d shipping and storage container system, the Minuteman III. This phase of the promeasuring 52 feet by eight feet four inches, the gram was completed in November 1978, when the USAF accepted the last Minuteman III missile into package weighed more than four tons. On March 11, 1964, special ceremonies were con-- , its inventory. Shortly after, ceremonies were held ducted at AF Plant 77 to mark Boeing's completion marking the transfer of AF Plant 77 back to the Ogof its 500th Minuteman. Only a little more than a den ALC. The assets of this facility were then put to use providing logistical support for this and other year later, on May 25, 1965, the Boeing plant held weapons systems. a celebration to mark the completion of the final of Minuteman production at this indusera The Minuteman assembly, number 1,413. trial complex was not the end of Ogden ALC This was not the end of Boeing's use of AF Plant Minuteman involvement. The center has continued to play a pivotal role through its responsiblity for 77, however; in August of 1965, the second generation of the missile, the Minuteman II, came off the system program management, maintenance and facility's production line and was shipped to Grand modification capabilities, and general logistics supForks AFB, N.D., for operational use. After the port. Without question, AF Plant 77, during its production of 2,660 Minuteman II missiles, the last many years of operation, has provided valuable of this model left AF Plant 77 for Malmstrom AFB service to the United States through its support of the Minuteman ICBM program. May 6, 1969. The decade of the 1950s was truly an era of expansion for the organizations located at Hill AFB. The Ogden Air Materiel Area, forerunner of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, extended its maintenance and system management activities far beyond the v initial missions of World War II by becoming very involved in strategic missile systems. This involvement was heightened when new facilities were constructed in the West Area of Hill AFB such as AF Plant 77. Owned by the government but operated by the Boeing Company, this plant supported the new Minuteman ICBM system then in the final stages of development. First tested in 1957, the nuclear warhead carrypropelled Minuteman missile soon being, solid-fue- l came one of the nation's most important strategic weapons. Three Utah contractors were involved in i the Minuteman progam: Thiokol Chemical Company produced the large first-stagengine; Hercules Powder Company manufactured the third-stag- e engine; and Boeing was the final assembler and tester of the system. The $11 million Boeing assembly facility on Hill . m . '5L lAfrM, AFB, AF Plant 77, was established Nov. 5, 1959, at the direction of the Office of the Secretary of v Defense. Assets in the West Area were made availUXZJ ' able for Plant 77 on July 7, 1960. The first phase of construction, beginning Sept. 15, 1960, involved the modification of 59 existing structures, but by I early 1962 the plant had added nine new buildings and several support structures, and was moving " toward full capability. " , inir , iiiwiiim. In this plant, Boeing assembled and checked the it pr f., first Minuteman missile prior to its dispersal to an In the early 1960s, construction began in the West Area of Hill AFB on AF Plant 77, owned by the active launching site. In November of 1962, the Air government, but operated by the Boeing Company. . solid-propelle- e, nt rir IK':: 'Py 11 f 1 1 Going TDY? join your buddies s , (. tTOni.m-iiii- -" -- . 03cxb Qflto S7ghAi?3 G0cq? - STASH YOUR STUFF at i (HAFB Discount) ll I NEW "SPORTY CRAFT" 4 - CONVERSION CHEV-VA- N Stock 8-07- 23 jJJ xJJ KJJ per mo.1 PC loaded with equipment. 12 J g A.P.R. Nothing down, pay only the 1st payment and tax license, 48 month closed end lease. No customer V Responsibility at end of lease. & 7T INI K I I u n II II 3 J |