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 six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
