The Minuteman III, Designed for 10 Years of Use, Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
18 Aug 2020
Military.com | By Lt. Col. David Faggard
Lt. Col. David Faggard is the director of public affairs at Air Force Global Strike Command. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of AFGSC.
Wednesday marks 50 years since America's Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile was first placed on alert at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Since then, Americans and their allies have slept peacefully at night because our airmen are watching over us.
This is particularly remarkable because the Minuteman III was initially designed for a lifespan of only 10 years, following the Minutemen IA, 1B and II beginning in the late 1950s. Now, as then, the missiles and the airmen operating, maintaining and securing them remain ready for anything, anywhere, at any time.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2020/08/18/minuteman-iii-designed-10-years-of-use-celebrates-its-50th-anniversary.html
