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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES October 11, 2007 Northrop Grumman looks back on ICBM decade "stopped catastrophic warfare." Standard-Examiner staff "We need to be prepared tbusselberg@standard.net for the next step," he said. "We're not spending enough LEARFIELD — The on certain weapons systems, Cold War may be over, need $400 million more, and but the ICBM continthe military itself needs $4 ues to play a vital role in the billion more. I don't want us nation's defense. to fall back, lose manpower." Hundreds of Top of Utah Bishop commended the employees of Northrop hundreds gathered at the obGrumman joined with mili-. servance for their hard work. tary, local government lead"Your production of the ers and other officials in herICBM makes my life and that ' aiding that fact as the 50th of my kids safer," Bishop anniversary of the Interconsaid. "It is still a significant tinental Ballistic Missile was deterrent by land, sea and celebrated Friday morning. air." "The 50th anniversary of Deppe, a veteran of more Sputnik's launch was Oct. 4, than 40 years in the military, and a poll of Americans in much of that associated with the spring of 1958 indicated the ICBM, said the contracalmost 70 percent believed tors' support is essential to nuclear war was imminent," the success of Team Hill and said Rep. Rob Bishop, Rthe ICBM. He characterized Utah, of the history behind the ICBM as "teamwork on the missile's beginnings. Courtesy photo display," praising all involved For Northrop Grumman, John Clay, Maj. Gen. Kathleen Close, Maj. Gen. Tom Deppe, Frank Moore and Sen. Rob Bishop for having to keep all sysFriday was also a time to spoke at the anniversary celebration of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. tems "up every day." celebrate the firm's decade of "We are America's silent involvement as the U.S. Air 1 protectors," he said. day,' on the missile from Northrop Grumman Mission Other speakers included Force's ICBM Prime InteWhile the Soviet launch"nose to nozzle." Maj. Gen. Kathleen D. Close, Systems sector. grated Contractor. ing of Sputnik made it appear Bishop, who was a longThe civilian, military and The company is one of the commander of the Ogden Air as though the "Soviets had contractors integrated role in time history teacher at Box lead contractors in moderniz- Logistics Center at Hill Air sprinted ahead" in the arms Force Base; Maj. Gen. ThomElder High School before the production of the ICBM ing and maintaining the "relirace, Deppe said "we focused as Deppe, vice commander, assuming his post in 2003 was praised by Close, who ability, safety and security of our efforts, felt a sense of in Congress, recounted late called the effort "very imthe nation's land-based Min- U.S. Air Force Space Comurgency." President Reagan's "peaceuteman III weapon system," mand; and Frank Moore, vice portant for the community." president and general manShe spoke of the "tremendous through-strength" mansaid John Clay, vice presiThe ICBM now provides a dent and general manager of ager of Northrop Grumman's dedication of the professional tra, and how ongoing com"critical backdrop, last line of Missile Defense Division, team, for what they do every mitment to the ICBM has Northrop Grumman. defense," he said. BY TOM BUSSELBERG C Hill's efforts play integral part in nation's ICBM defense BY TOM BUSSELBERG "Over the years, Hill added Minuteman II, Minuteman III and Peacekeeper," Clay noted. Sixteen years LEARFIELD — Nearly a half cenago, the ICBM System Program Office tury ago, the first successful Atlas was established at Hill and in 1995, ICBM missile wasjaynclied. .„ , the final transition from the Ballistic That Vandenberg AFB launch was Missile Organization was complete when Space and Missile Systems Defollowed three years later by Hill Air tachment 10 was closed and Hill AFB Force Base's becoming home to one of accepted additional development and the first related missile units. acquisition responsibility for all ICBM That fact was related Oct. 5 by John programs. Clay, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's ICBM Currently, the 526th ICBM Systems Prime Integration Contract during an Group, under the leadership of Col. anniversary celebration. Dale Taenaka, performs this mission It was December of 1960 when "with a long tradition of excellence," headquarters Strategic Air Command Clay continued. The group operates unactivated the 4602nd Strategic Wing der command of the 508th Aerospace at HAFB. Although the Mobile Missile Sustainment Wing at the base. Wing was later deactivated, support The 309th Missile Maintenance that Team Hill provided to the MinuteGroup led by Col. Jodi Bliss was called man system continued to grow, Clay "another key organization ensuring the said. success of the ICBM mission." Illustrating the long relationship Hill . "The outstanding contribution has had with the ICBM Minuteman of these fine men and women to the program are these references from a strategic deterrence mission has esU.S. Air Force fact sheet. tablished Hill Air Force Base as the "As the Logistics System Program center of excellence for ICBM system Manager for the nation's entire ICBM management," Clay said. force, the Ogden Air Logistics Center Maj. Gen. Tom Deppe, recently (OALC) at HAFB had a close working assigned as vice commander of Air relationship with all ICBM systems, Force Space Command, was on hand including the Minuteman family." for the ceremonies, which also cited The base was assigned manageNorthrop Grumman's 10th year as the ment of the SM-80 Minuteman ICBM prime integrating contractor for the program in January of 1969, and connation's land-based ICBM strategic struction began later that year on Air deterrent force. Force Plant 77 in the base's west area. Previously, Deppe served as comThis facility would be owned by the mander of the 20th Air Force, charged Air Force and operated by Boeing and with Minuteman III operations. He would be the final assembly and recyserved as a combat targeting team cling point for all Minuteman missiles. chief and chief of the ICBM DeployFrom there, all operational missiles ment Section at Strategic Air Comwould be delivered to the launch sites mand. either by truck, rail or air transportaIn a brief interview, Deppe said "the tion. Courtesy photo ICBM is not as important now as it was In November of 1962 the first Min- John Clay, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's ICBM in the Cold War. We've gone from nine uteman air shipment took place when Prime Integration Contract, spoke during an anniversary celebration. to three operational wings. But there a C-133 transported a missile from are still other nations with the ability Hill to its launching site at Malmstrom to strike us. It is still as important in a AFB, Mont. Just two months later, the officials dedicated the $12.5-million 1960, he said, and since that time, the functional world." first Minuteman missile to be repaired Minuteman Missile Engineering Test base has provided "extensive support Every day there are more than at Plant 77 was completed. Facility at Hill, the first and only com- to the ICBM force including sustaining 1,000 people directly involved with the In July 1965 the Ogden Air Mateplete system engineering test facility engineering, logistics, maintenance, re- ICBM in a security way, he said. That riel Area assumed complete logistics for an operational missile in the USAF pair and modifications to include major includes checking them, making sure management for the entire Minuteman inventory. Less than two years later, defense acquisition programs." they are properly maintained in underI missile force, around 800 missiles op- groundbreaking was held for a new The role of the Hill Air Force Loground silos. erated by SAC. The first Minuteman II $16.5-million Minuteman II Engineer- gistics Center was solidified in 1963, "In a lot of ways things have came off the AF Plant 77 assembly line ing test facility. with transfer of program management changed," Deppe said. "But in other the next month. Actual groundbreaking for faciliresponsibility for Minuteman I to the ways, the ICBM is just as critical to Then in January of 1966 USAF ties at Hill occurred in September of base. our nation's defense." Standard-Examiner staff tbusselberg@standard.net C |