Malmstrom Air Force Base

Malmstrom Air Force Base is located in Cascade County, Montana, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. Established in 1942 as Great Falls Army Air Base, the site was initially known as East Base. During World War II, the installation served as a heavy bomber training center for B-17 Flying Fortress crews and functioned as a primary processing point for aircraft transferred to the Soviet Union via the Lend-Lease Program. In 1947, the facility was renamed Great Falls Air Force Base. During the Berlin Airlift in 1948, the base served as the sole replacement aircrew training site for C-54 Skymaster units.

The installation was renamed Malmstrom Air Force Base in 1955 in honor of Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. During the Cold War, the base hosted Air Defense Command units operating F-94 Starfire, F-101 Voodoo, and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors. It also housed a Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) data center for regional air defense. In 1961, the 341st Strategic Missile Wing was assigned to the base, establishing the first operational Minuteman I intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) wing.

Currently, the base is operated by the Air Force Global Strike Command and serves as the home of the 341st Missile Wing. The wing’s primary mission is the maintenance and operation of LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBMs. These assets are deployed across a missile field encompassing approximately 23,500 square miles in central Montana. Subordinate units include the 10th, 12th, and 490th Missile Squadrons.

Fixed-wing flight operations at the base ceased in 1996, and the runway was subsequently decommissioned. Present infrastructure includes a heliport that supports the 40th Helicopter Squadron, which operates UH-1N Iroquois aircraft to provide security and transport for the missile complex. Other stationed units include the 819th RED HORSE Squadron and the 219th RED HORSE Squadron. The base also hosts the Malmstrom Museum, which exhibits historical aircraft and artifacts.