Association of Air Force Missileers leaders visit Warren Published Feb. 29, 2012 By Retired Col. Charlie Simpson Association of Air Force Missileers director F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Retired Col. Bob Mattson, Association of Air Force Missileers vice president, and retired Col. Charlie Simpson, AAFM executive director, recently spent two days at F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., touring the operations and maintenance facilities of the 90th Missile Wing. Maj. Gen. C. Donald Alston, 20th Air Force commander, invited Mattson and Simpson to the base to update them and the 3,500 members of the AAFM on the way the wing trains and evaluates missile operators and maintainers, as well as to give them a taste of the daily routine in an ICBM wing today. Simpson and Mattson have extensive missile experience. Simpson served in both operations and maintenance, working with Titan I, Minuteman and Ground Launched Cruise Missiles; whereas Mattson spent most of his Air Force career in missile maintenance of the Minuteman and GLCM systems. Both commented that while much has changed, much has remained the same in the more than 50 years ICBMs have been on alert. "The most important constants are the dedication, professionalism, technical expertise and enthusiasm of the people who operate, maintain and support our missile force," Simpson said. The two colonels began their first day in the mass briefing for crews heading for alert. Simpson addressed those attending, relating the events of October 1962, when missileers in brand new systems faced the threat of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. One of the critical milestones during that crisis was, at the request of President Kennedy, the placing of the first 10 Minuteman missiles on alert. The new missile sites at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., were not scheduled to be operational for many months later, but Air Force and contractor personnel were able to bring those first 10 missiles, what Kennedy would later call his "ace in the hole," to alert only a few days into the crisis. During the two-day visit, Mattson and Simpson toured maintenance and operations facilities and offices and had discussions with maintenance team and crew members. They visited the training launch facility, where they also saw security forces members in training, and sat in a codes class and a missile crew missile procedures trainer ride. They spent most of their time talking to the young officers and enlisted members responsible for keeping the ICBM force ready for its mission. Simpson had a brief visit with Col. Christopher Coffelt, 90th Missile Wing commander, and on the second day, about 20 local members of the AAFM joined a number of people from 20th AF and the 90th MW for lunch. During the lunch, Colorado native Jim Widlar, AAFM member, gave a presentation about Atlas missiles at Warren in the early 1960s. Widlar served as an enlisted missile maintenance technician on Atlas D and E missiles in the 389th Strategic Missile Wing. The association will conduct its next national meeting Oct. 10 through 14 to commemorate the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the first Minuteman alert. Several AAFM members who were involved in placing those first 10 Minuteman missiles on alert will be present at the October event.