Airmen from Malmstrom AFB, Mont., test launched an unarmed Minuteman III missile on Monday from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., as part of a periodical test of the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile fleet. The airmen from the 341st Missile Wing launched the missile at 2:10 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg, and it flew about 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, according to an Air Force Global Strike Command release. The missile carried a telemetry package to provide “valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,” the release states. The service regularly tests its Minuteman missiles to ensure readiness, though this launch came as North Korea has tested a series of missiles in the Pacific.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American
