National Meeting 2024 Buellton, California

The tour provided to us at the Vandenberg Space Force Base consisted of visiting 3 specific locations on base, as well as being provided a fantastic lunch in the afternoon.

The attendees were separated on 3 buses, which allowed our Airman tour guides to take each bus to one of the 3 specific locations we would visit, providing us with the ability to take in that location without a large crowd of attendees to deal with.

The tour started with all 3 buses taking us all to the base theater where we were provided an outstanding briefing on the specifics of what was going to happen that day.

It is important to preface the remainder of the descriptions to be shared regarding the tour experienced at Vandenberg, this author found the entire tour to be absolutely phenomenal. There were several incidences where this author found his head spinning with the volume of incredible information being discussed.

In an effort to not sound so redundant, it simply does not suffice to describe an experience as it was "nice" or "great" where a majority of the tour was absolutely incredible. The Airman who hosted this tour put together a tour that left this writer gobsmacked at times. A lot of the time, actually. So, forgive any seemingly redundant descriptors and adjectives for the remainder of this webpage.

It is also crucial to point out that there is a profound difference between reading about certain aspects of Vandenberg Space Force Base, and being familiar with what Vandenberg is tasked with on this base. However, seeing it in person all the while taking it all in, as well as having these talented, bright and intelligent Airman present their segments of the tour and describing those features - was simply beyond words.

There were a number of topics discussed during our briefing, of importance the following were highlighted.

Vandenberg Space Force Base Sentinel Overview

The three areas on base that we would be visiting were:

Missile Processing Facility (MPF)

Western Range Operations Control Center (WROCC)

377th Test and Evaluation Group (TEG)

Lunch at the Maintenance High Bay

Given the Nunn-McCurdy statute, the Sentinel missile program is taking a step back and evaluating the program as established thus far, before moving forward. As a result there was not much new information shared during this briefing.

However, one of the colonels providing the briefing talked about the plan to centralize the entire training structure for the new Sentinel missile, and build the entire training program there at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Instead of having the Sentinel training structure based at 12 different locations across the United States, the preliminary plan will be to build that entire training program there at Vandenberg at a location the size of approximately 4 Super Walmarts.

A remarkable addition to the briefing held that morning, was presented by the spouse of one of the Colonels who was filling us in with that morning's briefing.

The spouse addressed a lack of resources to aid families who are stationed at various Air Force bases and make that transition at each of these Air Force bases easier on everyone involved. An excellent analogy was provided by pointing out that when the family is doing well, the Airman serving in the Air Force will be at their optimal capacity in working in the Air Force. The spouse highlighted how she has taken the initiative to establish the much needed resources for families.

Another phenomenal piece of information provided by the spouse was the gathering of resources she finds essential to providing help and guidance to the children of Airman. It was so uplifting to hear how this spouse was being such an incredible advocate to families and more specifically to the children in those families.

All of these resources are then shared with all of the families throughout the entire United States Air Force.

This was awesome news to hear.

Upon completing our briefing the attendees gathered back on our respective buses, and our bus, the Green bus, headed out to the Missile Processing Facility.

Missile Processing Facility Vandenberg

This author has always struggled with an insatiable curiosity and found standing right by this Minuteman III missile that had been pulled from FE Warren AFB and not being able to reach out and just lightly touch this missile that will be launched this coming February 2025, was a challenge. However, with respect, and some semblance of self control, the author behaved himself.

However, there is a significant concern, perhaps paranoia, that this author observed two Airman throughout the tour of the MPF reach out and touch the missile, while the second Airman was actually observed placing both hands on the missile and leaning forward while said hands were resting on the missile. There is a concern that this was deliberately staged to test this author. Just saying.

Our guide, Austin, described to our group the various maintenance tasks that are performed while the missile is at the Missile Processing Facility. The seriousness and the organized and extremely well thought out process of taking these missiles that had been placed on strategic alert for decades, pulling them from their respective Launch Facilities and delivering them to Vandenberg. Once at Vandenberg a series of meticulous tasks are conducted, all for the purpose of exhaustively testing the entire missle and its reentry vehicle/vehicles, all the while recording every aspect of that launch and then analyzing it to a significant depth of assessment - truly hit home how profound and serious the ICBM program truly is.

These men and women, the Air Force and the Department of Defense as a whole are not just randomly pointing at a Minuteman missile and impulsively stating, 'let's launch that one'. It is a much more involved, multilayered process.

Finding the words to describe what it was like for this author to be standing right next to this Minuteman III missile is difficult. It is not a mock up, it is not a training missile, it is a missile that has stood on alert for decades, and is currently in the early stages of being prepared to launch - that experience continues to percolate down into what this author is attempting to share here.

It is one thing to read about, research, look at videos, research some more, as well as talking to people who have been or are currently apart of the Minuteman missile weapon system. Within that context there is also other significant aspects to consider. The amount of respect, the intense seriousness of it all, the unflinching and unquestionable reality that this is the worlds most powerful weapon, and then there is the magnitude of what the Minuteman missile weapon system embodies - all of which definitely and intensely grabs and focuses your attention.

But then one finds themselves standing directly in front of a Minuteman III missile that had been previously placed on strategic alert. Shut the front door.

The Missile Processing Facility, followed by the Western Range Operational Control Center, having an awesome lunch at the Maintenance High Bay, at which point we wrapped up this profoundly incredible tour when we visited the Integrated Launch Support Center, a part of the 377th Test And Evaluation Group.

Vandenberg provides the means to prove that the Minuteman III missile is ready to launch at a moments notice. The test launches from Vandenberg are an evidence based approach that emphasizes to the Air Force, as well as to the United States, that these missiles are reliable and will do exactly what they are meant to do. It also highlights to the rest of the world that we mean what we say we can do. Full stop.

The takeaway from it all emphasized how serious Vandenberg Space Force Base and all of its various programs and Vandenberg's specialties embrace. Vandenberg Space Force Base is responsible for a great deal more than just the Minuteman III missile. Being able to take a peek at seeing how all of these programs fit together that provide a reliable, accurate, consistent weapon system was pretty incredible.

It is an understatement in expressing how mind boggling it was to be able to see with your own eyes in addition to processing the vast amount of information that was presented by the numerous highly intelligent and expert Airman and Vandenberg employees is gobsmacking. (Again, apologies for the reduncy in some of these statements)

After wrapping up with our tour of the Missile Processing Facility we were then taken over to the Western Range Operations Control Center.

While at this facility we were shown three different rooms, the Area Control Center, the Missile Flight Control Center and the Mission Room B.

The primary objective of the Western Range Operations Control Center is to provide command and control of all the Vandenberg launches (military, private and commercial) and to oversee the Western Range, an area that encompasses the west coast of the continental United States and extends more than 4,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean.

Our first stop at the WROCC was the Area Control Center.

Upon walking into the room the first things that catches your attention are the multiple computer monitors with images of the coastline, both the land mass as well as the ocean.

Each of these monitors has numerous "dots" or marks on the image, both on the imagery of the land along the coast there at Vandenberg, and there were numerous marks in these images over the ocean. Each of the dots/marks depicted the air traffic in the area, both land and over the water. There were also marks for all of the boats and water craft in the area.

Suffice it to say, there were a lot of aircraft and boats being displayed on these computer monitors.

Our host in the Area Control Center was a civilian and he did an excellent job explaining the role of this center. This gentleman has worked at the ACC for a number of years and was able to provide a number of interesting experiences while working there. He and his staff monitor all of the air traffic and water traffic as a launch is preparing to happen.

If an airplane, helicopter or some type of boat or watercraft wanders too close to the launch area, this team is responsible for notifying the team in the Missile Flight Control room of this development, which could potentially halt or put the launch on a pause.

If you are intimidated by computers, visiting the multiple rooms at the Western Range Operations Control Center building will overwhelm you. The number of computers and computer monitors in the multitude of rooms housed by the WROCC building is astounding. The computer technicians responsible for keeping this equipment up and running truly have a huge task on their hands.

There is a great deal more that can be discussed regarding the tour of the Western Range Operations Control Center. As discussed previously, this author having the incredible opportunity of being provided this incredible tour of this building alone, is awe inspiring. As you walk through each of these rooms your visual awareness of the dozens and dozens of computer monitors, computer stations, huge large screen monitors - it all emphasizes just how profoundly serious Vandenberg Space Force Base is in providing their expertise, intelligence and skills that all combine to make the multitude of launches, military, private and commercial, possible.

Given the amount of information and images presented thus far, it will make it better organized to continue the final parts ot this spectacular tour at Vandenberg on a second page. Also, the second page will be summarizing the great AAFM meeting in Buellton as well. Please click on the link below for more photographs and additional discussions on the lunch provided at Vandenberg, the Integrated Launch Support Center at the 377th TEG and the AAFM General Meeting and AAFM banquet.