The Air Force is trying to find a way to compensate land owners so it can expand the buffer zones around its Minuteman III missile silos and missile alert facilities at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., reported the Great Falls Tribune. Malmstrom officials want to avoid encroachment by structures like cellular towers that could cause electromagnetic interference with the base’s vital microwave communications or wind towers that could impede the base’s security helicopters from quickly landing in certain areas when responding to possible intrusions, according to the newspaper. When the missile sites were built decades ago, there was a 1,200-foot easement around each one. Back in 2009, during a debate on legislation to allow “land-use planning” near the missile sites, the Air Force favored creating 3,900-foot buffer zones around them, stated the Tribune.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
