Missileers spend most of their work shifts 60 feet underground, where they do more than simply wait for the balloon to go up, reports SSgt. Jeremy Larlee. Getting to that hole in the ground for missileers assigned to F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., may take more than an hour on the road, followed by about 90 minutes of security checks. Two missile officers serve in each underground capsule, while topside at the missile alert facility, there are numerous support and security forces personnel to provide food, maintenance, and protection for the “biggest deterrent in the world,” says TSgt. Paul Bobenmoyer, MAF facility manager.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.