Malmstrom’s museum: a great place to volunteer

  • Published
  • By John Turner
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  It is noon on a typical day at Malmstrom Air Force Base's museum, and the facility is buzzing with guests. A father and his young son browse rows of model aircraft; a retired military couple nostalgically reminisces while looking at vintage uniforms; an Airman points to photographs and enthusiastically explains to her parents her role in one of Malmstrom's current missions.

At the heart of all this activity, museum director Rob Turnbow is chatting with a pair of Canadians who are touring Great Falls, Montana. The visitors are fascinated by the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile components on display, and appreciative of the defense the weapon provides for all of North America.

Warm weather brings a surge in visitation to the museum. Sometimes as many as 60 people come through the front door each day during the summer.

"Folks love to come from all over to visit our museum," said Turnbow. "I've had people from southern Florida, California, Canada and Alaska come through."

The museum is the public's keyhole view of Malmstrom and, in a broader sense, the Air Force at large. The facility--technically a 'heritage center'--houses interpretive displays and more than 450 artifacts that span the base's 73-year history starting in World War II. Outside, there are 13 aircraft and aerospace vehicles on static display in the museum's seven-acre airpark.

The facility and displays must be kept in top condition for public viewing. The museum provides the first, yet lasting, impression of the Air Force.

"There are a lot of misconceptions about what goes on inside the walls of Malmstrom AFB," Turnbow said. "(The public) can come here and learn about us and get a general insight as to what we do, and maybe take away some history of what happened here. And it is a great place for retirees and other veterans to come back and do a memory tour."

Airmen who volunteer at the museum are ambassadors for the base and for the Air Force.

Volunteers can help in a wide variety of ways, including greeting visitors, maintaining displays, and giving guided tours. An hour or two of availability each week can even make the difference whether the museum is open to the public or not.

"My job requires me to go and do things at other locations besides the museum," Turnbow said. "It helps me to have volunteers I can trust to be here with our guests so the museum can stay open."

Turnbow was once a regular volunteer at the museum, before he retired from active duty and accepted the director's position.

"I'm not going to ask a volunteer to do something I've never done myself," he said.

Staff Sgt. Nickie Watson, 490th Missile Squadron facility manager, also volunteers at the museum. He said that while it has meant giving up some of his off-duty time, he has been rewarded by learning about Malmstrom's rich history and hearing interesting stories from visitors.

"Volunteering has meant a lot to me," he said. "I believe volunteering helps educate the public about Malmstrom, and lets them see that we really care about Great Falls and that we appreciate what the city does for us."

One of Watson's favorite memories is when two women who worked on the Semi-Automated Ground Environment computer here discovered that the museum has a console from the system.

"They told me they were Airmen back in the 1980s and that was their job," he said. "I could see that they were very excited that something they contributed to on base was in there for all to see."

Turnbow agrees that meeting visitors and seeing the base through their eyes is a fulfilling experience.

"The customers make it great," he said. "You get them talking and sometimes it's hard to let them leave because you want to continue to hear what they have to say."

Anyone interested in volunteering at the museum can call 731-2705.