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Show flMES HILLTOP TIMES Missile deactivation begins at Malmstrom July 26, 2007 Minuteman III ballistic missiles from 500 to 450 beginning in 341 st Space Wing Public Affairs Office FY07." Malmstrom AFB currently ALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. operates, maintains, secures and supports two types of Minute— The first Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic man III Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting weapons missile was removed from a launch facility near Brady, Mont., systems: the REACT-A and the REACT-B systems. The 564th as a result of the order to begin MS is the only squadron operatmissile deactivation activities. ing the REACT-B system in the The deactivated missile will Aii* Force. be shipped to Hill Air Force Base. Two teams of missile maintainers and handlers executed The 341st Space Wing rethe seven-and-a-half-hour misceived formal direction June 29 sion to remove the first missile from Au- Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley to pro- from its launcher. ceed with missile deactivations. In a statement to the media, Fifty Minuteman III missiles Col. Sandy Finan, 341st Space and five missile alert facilities in Wing commander, said the deacnorthcentral Montana, operated tivation would continue at a rate by the 564th Missile Squadron, of about one missile per week to will be deactivated. meet the one-year deadline for The decision was made by the deactivation. nation's defense leaders and is in "Many of the missile comaccordance with the 2006 Quaponents removed during deacdrennial Defense Review, which tivation will return to weapon stated, "to achieve the characsystem's flight test and operateristics of the future joint force tions programs, extending the and build upon progress to date, entire intercontinental ballistic the Department of Defense will missile program's viable service reduce the number of deployed life beyond 2018," Finan said. Bv VALERIE MULIETT M VALERIE MULLETT/U S. A:r Forco Senior Airmen Vasileios Kefalas (left) and Joshua Kelly prepare the downstage of a Minuteman III missile recently before it is completely hoisted into a transporter-erector for transport back to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. The missile was being removed from a launch facility near Brady, Mont., marking the start of Defense Department-directed deactivation activities in the 564th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. 309th Missile Maintenance marks second year of meeting or beating deadlines BY MITCH SHAW Standard-Examiner staff mishaw@standard.net T he 309th Missile Maintenance Group knows how to deliver. Last year, the 309th Missile Maintenance Group reached a very important milestone that validates this statement. November 7, 2006, marked two full years of on-time or early deliveries by the group. The work being done on the missiles is part of the Propulsion Replacement Program which is designed to replace old and outdated propulsion materials. The program takes old missiles out of the silos and replaces them with refurbished missiles expected to last until 2020. The missiles are brought to the depot, where all the components are stripped off, separated into stages and then delivered to ATK Launch Systems for processing. After the contractor replaces old propellant with new propellant, the missiles are transported back to the depot, assembled into functional ICBM boosters and delivered back to the war fighter. Missiles completed are shipped to Minot AFB, N.D., Malmstrom AFB, Mont., and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. The Missile Maintenance Transportation and Storage team is a very important part of this equation. "Our job is to service all the transportation and handling equipment that is used for the ICBM Minuteman Missiles," said Diane Jensen, 581 Missile Maintenance Squadron. "We are responsible for ensuring all the equipment receives its services and is maintained." Transporting missiles back and forth is quite a big undertaking and often a logistical See 309TH I page 4 J Membership helps the Detters: Bank the"way they want. » Manage their money, '<• Invest lor their family's future. With USAA, insurance is just the start... $'**- 'V- m "MY USAA CREDIT CARD GETS ME THE REWARDS I WANT " *••"• •»"•• III m %0 W I W W I* Ilia -Jared and Rachel Detter. USAA Memhers Earn more rewards without all the fees - cash, gift cards, merchandise and travel discounts. • Low member-only rates. • No limit on number of points, with no expiration date. • Receive a special credit card rate during regular deployment or PCS and a 100% rebate on all finance charges during a military campaign * Visit USaa.COm or call 800.235.8394. You or your spouse serve in the military? Parents ever bBen members? See if you can join USAA. We know what it means to serve! USAA INSURANCE • BANKING • INVESTMENTS • MEMBER SERVICES ^^^^^ o o 0 o •o |