F.E. Warren makes history for the second time Published Dec. 3, 2009 By Lt. Col. Trevor Flint 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- At a base and wing as steeped in history as ours, it may not seem that any modern history could compare with some of the century-old legends of F.E. Warren. But something huge happened here at the Mighty Ninety this week, and it is way, way more than just a patch change. Sure, our fundamental day-to-day mission of maintaining, operating, securing and supporting missiles on alert for our nation's strategic deterrence did not change. But our wing's transition to Air Force Global Strike Command Tuesday is a huge deal because now each of us has not once, but twice made Air Force and F.E. Warren history. First, we had the unique opportunity to do something very few Airmen in recent Air Force history can lay claim to: the chance to operationalize a brand new major command. Not since 1990 when Air Force Special Operations Command stood up has the Air Force created a new MAJCOM like it has with AFGSC. I was a second lieutenant back in 1992-1993 when ICBMs moved from Strategic Air Command to Air Combat Command and finally to Air Force Space Command. While that was a significant emotional event for our mission -- a proud tear still comes to the eyes of most steely-eyed veterans of Mother SAC, it was not nearly as big as what we have been a part of this week. Big not only because of the historic rarity of standing up a new MAJCOM, but more so because it is a tremendous step by our Air Force to execute our top priority of revitalizing the nuclear enterprise. We are making history a second time this week when Twentieth Air Force arrived to begin our Combat Capability Evaluation, making us the first-ever AFGSC unit to be inspected. And that is big too. Why so? Well, anytime we are inspected by a higher headquarters it is, of course, a big deal. But this one means more. It has been a tough, challenging couple of years around the nuclear business, and we have certainly taken our lumps here too. But true to our ICBM pride and trademark can-do attitude, we took our medicine and have busted our tails to make ourselves better. It is up to us to return our pre-eminence and restore the confidence of the Air Force and the nation in our abilities to execute this critical mission. We are ready, and it is time to put ourselves back at the top and to assure our new MAJCOM commander of what we here have never doubted or questioned: We've got this. Making history this week has been the easy part. The challenge and charge we have before us now is to make our mark on this Air Force history. We have right now the greatest opportunity since the first ICBM came on alert more than 50 years ago to make our mark and deliver on the Air Force's awesome ICBM legacy. We must seize that and run with it. We owe it to ourselves, our leaders, our fellow wingmen across the base, our teammates throughout 20th AF, AFGSC and the Air Force. We owe it to those who came before us, who built and developed this great ICBM legacy and to those who will follow after us. And most importantly, we owe it to our awesome nation that depends on us and expects us to be the steadfast stewards of the world's most impressive and powerful weapon system. So think about it as we close out this week. We have made history, and it is now our chance to make our mark on the ICBM legacy.