Mission accomplished: Airmen complete code change

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon White
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  For the third time this year, Malmstrom Airmen reset launch codes, performed annual site inspections and replaced small arms at launch facilities assigned to the 341st Missile Wing June 22 to 26. 

Code change occurs in three stages for each respective missile squadron assigned to Malmstrom. The 10th Missile Squadron was the final stage this year.
The annual code change process enhances nuclear surety by ensuring Minuteman III launch codes remain secure. 

"This is the most important peacetime mission the 10th MS and the 341st MW performs," said Lt. Col. Peter Bonetti, 10th MS commander. "It is directed by Gen. [Kevin] Chilton, USSTRATCOM commander, and is a wing-wide effort. No one discipline alone accomplishes this." 

Missileers, security forces members, missile maintainers and other support personnel, such as missile chefs and missile alert facility managers, all play a critical role, Colonel Bonetti said. 

The list continues. Airmen from the 341st Force Support Squadron bring cots to the MAFs for extra people to sleep on and enough food to eat. Other Airmen direct movement in the field over radio, maintain tools and equipment in tool rooms, and run components and other supplies to the field. 

Missile combat crews who command the weapon system direct the code change operations from the launch control centers located in the squadron. For these missileers, the operations tempo jumps during code changes, Colonel Bonetti said. 

"The missile officers on duty during code change are hand-picked for their proficiency; they are 20 of our finest," he said. "Their work load increases 10-fold with maintenance teams and security forces in the field day and night, while still being required to perform their regular operations, monitoring sites and coordinating regularly scheduled maintenance." 

To complete the code change process quickly, two kinds of maintenance teams dispatch to the field. Facility maintenance teams get to the sites first. 

Their job is to open or penetrate the launch facility. This process is directed by missile combat crews and can take several hours. Once open, the FMT and security forces Airmen keep the site open and secure for the electro-mechanical teams to upload the new codes. 

"Time is limited," said 1st Lt. Benjamin Sydnor, officer in charge of EMT section. "The teams are allowed 16 hours per day, including drive time, to change codes. With FMT penetrating the sites, EMT can upload new codes in five or six sites and not waste several hours just to get on one site." 

The steps EMT crews take to upload the new launch codes are not overly complicated, but require strict attention to detail, Lieutenant Sydnor said. 

These steps are outlined in technical orders that Airmen must follow. 

"The most important thing you do as a technician is follow tech orders," said Staff Sgt. Donald Moran, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron EMT team chief. "We work with the deadliest weapon system known to man. We have to do things right the first time to maintain a secure and reliable system." 

When the code change is complete at the launch facility, the missile is brought back on alert. 

"Running the field in EMT is the best job in the Air Force," Sergeant Moran said. "I am one of about only 30 other EMT team chiefs in the world who put missiles back on alert. You are directly enhancing nuclear surety and positive control of the weapon system. No other job allows you that opportunity and sense of accomplishment. " 

While EMT loads codes and travels between sites, FMT members have time to conduct annual inspections on the facility's equipment, including but not limited to back-up power generators, facility lighting, batteries and M870 shotguns, said Master Sgt. Jerry Phillips, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron NCO in charge of FMT. 

"Code change is a prime opportunity for us to perform inspections since we open every site," Sergeant Phillips said. "Our whole shop is solely dedicated to supporting code change with the exception of several teams who will respond to high priority maintenance." 

About seven FMT crews will post to the field at once, accompanied by security forces members. Airmen will start and run the diesel generators for a minimum of 30 minutes to ensure start-up batteries are operational and that the generators are in working order. 

The crews also check the generator's diesel fuel tank monitoring systems to ensure fuel is not leaking into the ground. 

FMT also tackles logistics, Sergeant Philips said. 

"They don't have all the resources readily available on site for the tasks they do," Sergeant Philips said. "We send runners to the field with distilled water for servicing batteries and parts to fix things they find. We also send teams to replace the shotguns on site so the they can be inspected at [combat arms training and maintenance]." 

Lastly, while missileers are busy directing the maintenance crews, and maintenance crews are loading codes and inspecting sites, security forces are keeping their eyes open for threats. 

Security escort team guards from the 741st Missile Security Forces Squadron watch the site. 

"We ride out with FMT and protect the weapon," said Senior Airman Dan McBurney, 741st MSFS SET guard. "Our mission is important. We have to know our job well and we take it seriously." 

The security forces Airmen walk the fence line, without getting distracted. No cell phones, no music, just the wildlife, Airman McBurney said. 

"The biggest challenge is combating boredom sometimes," he said. "You have to remain alert, and monitor the road to ensure people who approach the site belong there and that people are not photographing the site." 

This job is something the Airmen do year-round, but during code change, they stay for an entire week instead of posting with a maintenance crew for one or two days, said Senior Airman Caleb Hout, 741st MSFS SET guard. 

"The big difference is when we get to the missile alert facility, it's packed with people," he said. "It's hectic, but the chefs make some good food for us. The scenery is the same and there are mundane parts to the job, but overall it's exciting. We guard the world's deadliest weapon. That's exciting."