The end of a 14-year effort to complete environmental requirements related to 150 Minuteman II ICBM facilities throughout Missouri came to a close last week, when Air Force, EPA, and Missouri state officials met at Whiteman AFB, Mo., to sign an agreement transferring long-term stewardship of the sites to Missouri. TSgt. Matt Summers reports that the Air Force monitored and took samples from the sites, which USAF dismantled in the early 1990s under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Larry Erickson with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources says most of the sites will be used for agricultural endeavors.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.