Category Archives: Military

The funniest 8-ton door you’ll see all day

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It’s larger than the door to my underground blogging bunker here at the ol’ BMB, and since it’s in a decomissioned missile facility it has fewer loaded weapons behind it. But it sure is funnier than anything I’ve got, since my wife won’t let me paint our doors! This is the door to the underground Minuteman II launch facility at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in lovely Cactus Flat, South Dakota. I made a trip there last week after encountering the site by chance en route to a video shoot much earlier. The door you see here goes to the hardened “capsule” that missileers would inhabit 24/7, ready to launch the missiles under their control. Not only does it weigh 8 tons, it also is lined by very large steel pins that lock into place when the door is secured.

If you have ever watched the movie War Games, and/or you don’t live in North Dakota, you may have the impression that nuclear missile launch facilities were hidden. Wrong. Travel central North Dakota and you’ll discover that neither are hidden or secret, there are signs pointing to them, and that people in the area find them rather commonplace. Even so, taking a tour of this park corrected a lot of misconceptions I had about life in the missile wing.

North Dakota has recently opened a state park Minuteman site, which I haven’t had the opportunity to visit. You can find out more about it by visiting the websites for it at either OscarZero.com or the State Historical Society’s page. Even cooler: our state site is called the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site. Chalk one up for the Gipper!

Minot Air Force Base hosts Northern Neighbors Day 2009

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I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Minot Air Force Base’s “Northern Neighbors Day” this weekend. I believe this show runs every two years, but it’s been a while since I’ve been able to make it to one. I have been looking forward to this day for two years, and I was not disappointed. Boy, did I take a lot of pictures. Here are a few…and there’s a link to a gallery of more at the bottom of this post.

Starting with the star of the show, the B-52 Stratofortress.

Check out the riflings on the barrel of this A-10’s 30mm gun! That’ll get those depleted uranium shells spinning.

Of course, there were plenty of aerobatic demonstrations.

How’s that for a ribbon cutting ceremony?

Various planes and helicopters were available for people to inspect, including a peek into the cockpits of some such as the F-15 and F-16. Pilots were on hand to chat.

Don’t get any funny adventurous ideas. You’re still on a nuclear weapon facility. I need one of these for my property, at least the last line anyway.

Yes, attractive women DO fly deadly planes.

I’m sure I’d have even more photo opportunities if my truck did this.

If I couldn’t attach these to my motorcycle, I bet I could make a monster go-kart with them!

The Barack Obama fighter. Hope™! Change™!

As some of the Army’s “Golden Knights” parachute team spiral toward us, the Pietsch brothers circle in their stunt planes.

These jets can fire up at a moment’s notice. They have explosive charges on the engines that can be detonated to spin the turbines up instantly, negating the use of an APU. They can be airborne and ready to go make some mayhem in a matter of minutes. We got a demo.

Something you don’t see every day: an F-16 Fighting Falcon alongside a P-38 Lightning!

Something else you don’t see every day: a B-52 Stratofortress next to a B-25 Mitchell!

This was my first experience with the B2 Spirit stealth bomber. I came away from it very pleased. All radar invisibility aside, the thing is just darn near impossible to see or hear when it’s coming or going! Only when it flies by is it detectable, and then it’s too late. It’s quite BIG, too.

U2 flyby. No, not Bono…he only THINKS he can fly. I was stunned at just how loud this aircraft is, and it was a real hoot to see it peel off and head to 60,000 feet. I don’t think they’ve ever let on how high it can REALLY go. Space, pretty much.

Uniform-01, the missile training facility. It’s an exact replica of a Minuteman III silo and launch facility. Through a stroke of luck my friend Jerry and I got a personalized tour of this thing, with the better part of an hour to just have the instructor to ourselves and ask questions. This alone made the trip worthwhile. No, I was NOT allowed to take my camera with me when we went down the hole.

Beauty.

Amen, brutha. I know the pusillanimous, sissified PC crowd thinks that this statement is imperialist and overbearing…but it’s not. America has been the greatest stabilizing force in the world. It’s because of the folks serving here at Minot Air Force Base, and all over the world, that we enjoy peace. If there’s a war, they win it for us. If there’s peace, it’s because people are afraid to mess with them. They stand by our allies and defend our nation and its friends.

Want more pics? I took a TON of them. These were just some of my favorites. I took the opportunity to make an online gallery of the ones I like the best. You can find it by clicking here. I hope you enjoy. Thanks to the friendly (and I do mean FRIENDLY) folks at the Minot Air Force Base for all that they do and all their hard work and hospitality in making this Northern Neighbors Day one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life!

Memorial Day 2009 in pictures

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I had the privilege of attending the Memorial Day ceremony at the veterans’ cemetery at Fort Abraham Lincoln yesterday. Here’s some of what I saw, in case you were unable to be there.

The sound of Freedom.

Yes, I had ear plugs. And I was able to avoid being hit by flying brass (visible in this photo).

The cannon, she was a harsh mistress. Must be because she’s French.

A drum circle followed the program ceremony, with two honor songs. I was able to shake the hands of most of the drummers and give them my thanks afterward.

By the time I got back to town, the flags had been raised to full staff at the Memorial Bridge.
Custom calls for them to be raised at noon.

Flags flew at each of the military stations along the new bridge.

Once again, I’d like to convey my thanks to everyone who serves in our military. I’d also like to convey those same thanks to anyone whose loved one serves. They sacrifice right along the servicemen and women which comprise our nation’s forces of freedom.

A tribute to our soldiers this Memorial Day

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I put together a little video tribute for Memorial Day late last night. I was moved to do so by something President Obama said in his speech at the Arizona State University commencement this year:

“…we’ve become accustomed to the term ‘military superpower’… forgetting about the qualities that got us there. Not just the power of our weapons, but the discipline, and valor, and the code of conduct of our men and women in uniform.”

At first I was really bent at the way this radical leftist spoke. I interpreted his words as meaning that the military had forgotten those qualities! What an awful thing to say! However, in the spirit of letting my temper cool down before going at it, I took another listen and decided to give the President the benefit of the doubt.

I looked at his words in a different light. In this context I took it to mean that, among the other things he denigrated his own nation for, the American people have forgotten the qualities of our heroic military men and women. That’s still a slap in the face to America, albeit a somewhat less offensive one to our soldiers and their loved ones. And, I figured, something that’s quite far from the truth.

On this of all holidays, I reasoned, it was especially important to let the soldiers who see this website know that we have not forgotten them. We have not forgotten their character. We have not forgotten their loyalty to their nation and their mission. We have not forgotten that their families and loved ones sacrifice by their side, saying goodbye to Mommy or Daddy, spouse, child, or friend for months at a time as they serve in harm’s way. How dare you, Mr. President, even insinuate such a thing?

I stand by my interpretation of the President’s words. I tried to read the actual text by Googling it online, which was interesting – the version on the Huffington Post stripped this part out! Perhaps they’re afraid of others making the same interpretation as I initially did. In any case, like I said, I’ll give the President the benefit of the doubt…and that ain’t pretty, either.

Like millions of Americans, I pray for our soldiers. I’m ever aware of the fact that somebody, somewhere is putting their life on the line for my freedom and the safety of my family. I’m also aware that somebody who loves that soldier is without them right now as they serve. It’s a humbling thought, and it’s one that provokes instant anger at the thought that anyone thinks we’ve forgotten them. On that note, here’s the meager tribute I assembled:


If you don’t see playback controls, move your cursor over the video window.
If you or someone you love serves in our military, I want to convey my thanks to you on this holiday weekend. Please give no weight to the words of the President (or his teleprompter, it’s hard to know who decides what escapes the President’s lips) or people like him whose goal is to deride this nation and remake it in their own twisted image. The people who hold America and its core values dear are mindful of your commitment and thankful on this day and every day.

November 11th, 11:00 am. 11-11-11. Where were you today?

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Today wasn’t very sunny, so one of the features that makes this memorial at the state capitol grounds so special was hampered by weather this year. I was at work anyway, and ran errands over lunch, so I missed it. November 11th is always Veteran’s Day, and this memorial is designed for something special at 11:00 am on 11/11 each year. Here’s how I featured it last year:

I don’t know how many of you folks have looked far back enough to see this post about the Veteran’s Memorial at the state capitol grounds, but this year marks the first time I actually made it to the memorial on Veteran’s Day. As noted in my original post, this monument has a unique feature that displays itself on Veteran’s Day.

On Veteran’s Day at 11:00am, the sun sweeps a path across the metal globe in the middle of the monument. Judging by the number of people waiting to catch a glimpse of this once-a-year happening, I can see it’s no secret.

North Dakota is raised on this globe, and polished. When the sun comes across the globe, the great state of North Dakota shines. It was dull when I inspected the site on Saturday, so I rubbed it furiously to try to shine it up. You’d think someone would have thought of that already, but I guess not.

This is the base upon which the globe sits. Note that the inscription says “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day.” That’s important…

…because I got there late. I mistakenly thought it would be at 11:11. The significance of all those elevens, by the way? World War I ended at 11:00 on 11/11/1918. I mistakenly thought there would be a fourth eleven in the time that the sun was centered on North Dakota. That’s why it’s off-center in the photo above.

Here’s the tube through which the sun shines to reach the globe in the middle of the memorial. It casts about a four-inch circle of light on the globe when fully aligned at 11:00. It appears to have some sort of reflective inside, although I don’t know if that’s true. While the sun is coming through it, it’s hard to look at.

I’d like to pass along a belated thanks to all veterans. Closest to me are my friends Reed and Tony, although I’ve met many others and owe my freedom to millions of ’em. Military service is not something to be taken lightly. The memorial at the state capitol bears the names of North Dakota soldiers who lost their lives in service to their country. If you haven’t inspected this memorial, which has a new parking lot and is just south of the State Library building, please pay it a visit. Once again, the original blog post can be seen by clicking here.

This is one act that really bombed

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I took some time this week to visit the B-17 bomber that was parked near Executive Air for the better part of the work week. It’s cool to see such a piece of history, especially since it’s a piece of technology and military hardware at the same time. As usual, I took a lot of photos…but, in an unusual move, I’m actually going to post a large number of them right away instead of saying I’ll do it later! Have a great weekend.

It wouldn’t be a truly nostalgic WW2 era plane without some 1930’s – shaped woman painted on the side. I couldn’t help but think of the old 1980s video game “B-17 Bomber” on the Mattel Intellivision game console. A friend of mine had that game and the expensive Speech Synthesis module, which allowed many of its games to “talk. B-17 Bomber was one such game. Thanks to the Internet, you can listen to the introductory sound from that game by clicking here (mp3 format).

What a big machine, don’t you think? When the news of possible hail or a tornado came in last night, this plane was moved into the BP hangar on site. It barely fit; it had to be rolled in by hand, with four guys on each wheel to move its weight, and its gun almost touched the hangar doors once closed. There were “little planes” tucked under each wing as well, but the mighty Flying Fortress fit. Say that three times fast.

Payload. One of the types of bombs dropped by these planes was called a Thunderbug. That’s just one of the fun nicknames that military folks came up with for various hardware and ordinance, and it shows they have a sense of humor. These obviously aren’t real, otherwise I’d be trying to strap one onto my motorcycle for use on a tailgater! Now let’s take a walk through this majestic aircraft…

This is the forward gun turret. Note the picture of someone’s lady on the left side wall. This would be a pretty crazy place to be when the fighting got hectic! I can’t even imagine. I think the fella who did the calculations for the bomb trajectories was located up here as well as the forward gunners.

This is the cockpit, one of the few places with windows that don’t have a gun sticking out of them. It must be a challenge to taxi a “tail-dragger” aircraft like this one…in fact, a friend of mine was near an accident at Oshkosh a few years ago where a little plane cut in front of a big plane on the tarmac. The propeller of the big plane sliced right through the little one. Messy. The pilots of planes like this have to zig-zag when they taxi so they can look out the side windows; the front windows point at the sky until they take off.

The bomb bay with doors open. That rail down the middle is the “walkway” for the plane’s crew. It’s about six inches wide. I had fun sneaking through there with my camera bag! It would be best to be skinny to be on a B-17 crew. I had that part covered, but then I decided to lug my gear with me.

This is where the radio operator sat, and there are a couple of jump seats as well. It’s pretty amazing to see how many crew positions are actually on this aircraft. I may have to hunt down a book about these guys…

I would have thought there’d be more bomb space and less crew space, but I really don’t know much about aircraft. Here you can see side guns as well as bunks for crew members, who I suppose rotated resting periods. This photo is somewhat out of sequence as it was taken from the rear of the aircraft, facing forward.

Firepower. The guys manning these guns were responsible for keeping this aircraft safe from enemy fighters. To do so requires some big guns, and there are big guns all over the B-17.

For $425 or so, you can take a ride on this plane, and even sit up in the nose turret. For $425, I think they should make these guns operational. Now that would be worth running to an ATM!

The aforementioned bunks. At the end of the fuselage is where the rear landing gear is stowed, and of course another gun position.

Thus endeth the tour. This was truly an amazing way to spend my lunch hour. It’s one thing to leisurely poke around this aircraft, looking at the old technology and trying to grasp a bit of history. It would have been another world entirely to dodge German or Japanese AA fire, fend off enemy fighters from a gun turret, and hopefully make it to the intended target and back safely. Oh yeah, and deliver the bomb payload on target. The people who fight for our country are incredible, but I think of World War Two stories and am in total awe.

The plane will have left Bismarck by now, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to see it before it departed. I’m told there will be a B-17 bomber at the Jamestown air show this year, but I’m not sure if it’s this one. I also don’t know if a curious blogger would get the chance to climb around on it with his camera! This may have been my only opportunity to see a piece of aviation history. Thankfully I was able to seize it.

Litany of Failure: some MAFB specifics

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Litany of Failure is the subheading of a portion of this Air Force Times article that caught my eye.

“Inspectors watched as a security forces airman played video games on his cell phone while standing guard at a “restricted area perimeter,” the DTRA report said. Meanwhile, another airman nearby was “unaware of her duties and responsibilities” during the exercise.”

…

* An internal security response team didn’t respond to its “pre-designated defensive fighting position” during an attack on the weapon storage area, leaving an entire side of the maintenance facility vulnerable to enemy fire.

* Security forces didn’t clear a building upon entering it, which allowed inspectors to “kill” three of those four airmen.

* Security forces failed to use the correct entry codes, issued that week, to allow certain personnel into restricted areas.

* Security forces airmen failed to properly check an emergency vehicle for unauthorized personnel when it arrived at a weapons storage area, or search it correctly once it left.

* While wing airmen simulated loading an aircraft with nuclear weapons, security forces airmen failed to investigate vulnerabilities on the route from the storage area to the flight line, and didn’t arm three SF airmen posted at traffic control points along that route.

* While on the aircraft, one flight of security forces airmen didn’t understand key nuclear surety terminology, including the “two-person concept” — the security mechanism that requires two people to arm a nuclear weapon in case the codes fall into the hands of an airman gone bad.

How could things get this bad? I don’t know. It’s going to take a long time for the Minot AFB personnel to build a decent reputation again. But the Air Force is going to set about doing just that, apparently, with the addition of another B-52 squadron to the base. At first glance, a cynic might think it’s typical of government to reward failure, but I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. According to the article I linked above, they’re going to use the extra active-duty resources to allow for more training. Hopefully that’s the case.

It really does seem as though MAFB’s problems were a top-down issue. The first article I referenced described leadership that was detached from the servicemen. It’s hard to make changes at the top in any government organization, civilian or military, but hopefully the recent shakeup at the top of the Air Force command structure will ripple downward. Oh, and someone please teach these kids how to leave their cell phones behind.

Cold War exhibit at the Heritage Center

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This is part of a small Cold War exhibit at the ND State Heritage Center. It’s nothing on the scale of the National Atomic Museum I wrote about,but is tailored toward a North Dakota audience.


Here’s a list of Soviet missile targets in North Dakota. The list was released by FEMA in 1990, after the fall of the Soviet Union. I suppose it’s only fair, as North Dakota had a lot of really nasty firecrackers pointed in their direction as well! Mutual Assured Destruction, and all that…


Here’s one of those targets: MAFB missile facilities. Unlike the movie War Games, where the launch control center is disguised as a farm house, we’re actually pretty open about where our stuff is at. As those joker peaceniks found out a while back, we have plenty of men & women ready to defend those facilities. As far as who kept throwing jackrabbits over the fence line to trip the sensors at the silo sites, well…I have no idea who that could be!

At the end of the exhibit, visitors are invited to leave a Post-It with their impressions of the display. Mine said something to the effect of, “We won the Cold War nearly twenty years ago, and the liberals are STILL trying to surrender.” I’m sure it wasn’t long before some career academic came by and made it go away, but I exercised my right to free speech.

I’m not sure how long this exhibit is scheduled to be in the Heritage Center; in fact, I took the pics over a week ago. It doesn’t show up on the State Historical Society web page, but that doesn’t look like it’s updated very frequently. If you’re interested in this exhibit, hang a sharp right as soon as you enter the Heritage Center. It is (was?) in the gallery room preceding the door to the library of the state archives.

Memorial Day 2008 in pictures

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I was able to attend the ceremony at the Veteran’s Cemetery out near Fort Lincoln today and brought back some photos for those who were unable to make it. I had wool socks and long johns on, because it was cold enough to see my breath when I first got there and started swapping lenses. I’d even tanked up on hot cappuccino before getting out of the truck. There isn’t really much to say about the sacrifice of our military personnel that hasn’t already been said, and far more eloquently than I’m able, so I’ll let my photos do the talking.

The flags were ordered half staff in the morning. As this day is one of pride as well as solemnitude, they would soon return to full position at the end of the ceremony.

Penny Ripperger, 119th Wing, ND Air National Guard. Master of Ceremonies today. Note the ND state capitol building and Blackhawk helicopters in the background…the view from out here is remarkable.

Lots of motorcycles and cars. I got there early, but as I left I saw cars parked along Highway 1806 for nearly a mile in addition to the parking set aside for them. Number of North Dakota Peace Coalition bumper stickers spotted: zero.

Patriot Guard Riders were in attendance. I was lugging camera gear so I used four-wheeled conveyance this morning. Plus, my bikes don’t have cupholders.

Flyover by the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters based in Bismarck.

Major General David Sprynczynatyk. One of the few people with a last name harder to spell than mine. His wife is a city commissioner in Bismarck.

109th Congress. House Resolution 891, declaring that the USA will prevail in the Global War on Terror. Resolution includes: “honors all those Americans who have taken an active part in the Global War on Terror, whether as first responders protecting the homeland, as servicemembers overseas, as diplomats and intelligence officers, or in other roles; … declares that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.” This man, Earl Pomeroy, voted NO. But he never misses a photo op.

Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler, Bismarck High School graduate and current Superintendent of the US Naval Academy. His parents got to see him address the ceremony as keynote speaker today!

The color guard from Standing Rock. The brave Native American warrior is NOT a thing of the past.

Following the rifle volley, the cannon salute. The cannon was fickle today, but the crew performed admirably. Only those of us close up could probably see a few finicky rounds being unloaded. In true North Dakota and Bismarck-Mandan Blog fashion, there’s a windmill in the background.

Flags returned to full staff. We don’t just mourn our fallen military personnel, we rejoice in the honor of their service…and not just those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Anyone who wears the uniform is a true American hero for their service. I for one am grateful for the freedoms I enjoy due to their steadfast defense of our nation.

That’s pretty much it. I have other photos as well, but these tell the story of the day pretty well. All this typing has also helped me regain feeling in my fingers; working a camera with gloves on isn’t very realistic! I hope you enjoyed this look at the ceremony and I ask that you take a moment to consider the brave men and women who carry the safety of our nation and our freedom on their shoulders.

Some gave all

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You can find a copy of this poster on the North Dakota National Guard website by clicking here. This weekend, as we honor the sacrifices of all soldiers who died defending our freedom and our nation. the loss of several North Dakota soldiers in the modern war on terrorism is particularly fresh in memory.

As far as I’m concerned EVERY soldier who ever served receives my honor and respect, and not just on Memorial Day. Does a soldier have to die in battle to sacrifice? No, sir. For instance, the day they enlist they give up a lot of their freedom so that they can be prepared to protect ours. They give of their time. Their families do, too. They pay the toll in injuries in training and on the battlefield, many of them career ending. And, yes, many pay with their lives. How great a cost they pay for our freedom!

There are two memorial ceremonies being held this weekend. For a program of the events taking place at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery out near Fort Lincoln, click here. Patriot Guard Riders and other riders will be participating. Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler, superintendent of the US Naval Academy, will be the keynote speaker.

It doesn’t have to be Memorial Day for a person to reflect on the sacrifice of US military personnel. Having a day to devote to their memory, however, is a special opportunity to make sure that we express our gratitude as a nation. Oh, and hopefully the flag is flying at the North Dakota State Capitol this year. That was pretty embarassing last year.