Verendrye powers national defense

Transcription

1 Chapter 7

2 Verendrye powers national defense A plaque is unveiled on Oct. 24, 2013 to commemorate a B-52 Stratofortress model placed on the Minot Air Force Base. From left are Col. Alex Mezynski, commander of the Minot Air Force Base, Scot Oathout, Boeing B-52 and Legacy Tanker Program Manager, and Verendrye Manager Bruce Carlson, who is also chairman of the Military Affairs Committee. Another similar model is also on display at the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot. B y the early 1950s, members of Verendrye We feel very fortunate in securing a contract Electric Cooperative had proven that a such as this for it will change the financial picture group of farmers could build a successful for the future. Currently the Air Force is asking for electric cooperative from scratch. But in 1955, the 2,000 kilowatts, a demand which is comparable to cooperative would face a new test of its abilities about one-sixth of the electricity used in the city of a test that to this day has proven to be one of its Minot. 1 Today the base is Verendrye s single largest greatest achievements, resulting in a decades-long user of electricity, comprising nearly 20 percent of partnership to electrify one of the most powerful its kilowatt-hour sales. places on Earth. Verendrye s partnership with the Air Force In the July 1955 issue of North Dakota REC/ actually began in June 1951, when it energized RTC, Line Superintendent Ruben Haga announced a radar base south of Minot. That base was the cooperative signed a contract to power the Minot decommissioned decades ago, and now contains a Air Force Base. Haga described it as a huge jet number of privately owned homes. air base. 1 Ruben Haga, Line Superintendent s notes, North Dakota REC/ RTC, Verendrye Electric News, July 1955, 10. Celebrating 75 Years of Verendrye Electric Cooperative 58

3 START OF MINOT AIR FORCE BASE After World War II ended in 1945, the Soviet Union emerged as a new threat to the United States. Because of the Cold War, the U.S. began to look for possible sites for military bases in northern states. By 1955, Minot businessmen and citizens donated approximately $50,000 to buy the first portions of land for the base north of Minot. The groundbreaking took place July 12, 1955, and construction started shortly after that. The base started out as an Air Defense Command Base and the first unit was the 32nd Fighter Group, activated on Feb. 8, The Air Force took up occupancy eight days later on Feb The first mission of the base was to send jets to shoot down enemy bombers. 2 Minot Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base History, af.mil/library/history.asp (accessed on August 28, 2013). An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is launched at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Air Force periodically removes a missile from a silo in North Dakota and test launches it in California. 1st Lt. Jeremy King (left) and 2nd Lt. Glen Jasper (right), both from the 740th Missile Squadron, simulate launching a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at the missile procedure trainer at the Minot Air Force Base. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Smith. 59 Building a dream together

4 Pictured here is the Minot AFB Main Gate in For decades, visitors to the base have been greeted with the words Only the Best Come North. U.S. Air Force photo. Throughout the years, the base has been home to a variety of aircraft, and in July 1961 the first B-52H Stratofortress, named Peace Persuader, was stationed there. Today the base is only one of two bases with B-52s; the other being Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. In 1962, the base began constructing underground silos to house Minuteman I intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), with the first missile arriving on Sept. 9, 1963, and the missiles being ready for combat by April The missiles were eventually upgraded to Minuteman III ICBMs and the base currently controls 150 of them. The only other bases that control Minutemans are F.E. Warren in Cheyenne, Wyo., and Malmstrom in Great Falls, Mont. Celebrating 75 Years of Verendrye Electric Cooperative 60

5 TODAY S MISSION Today, the Minot Air Force Base remains a critical part of our country s national defense and is the only base with two of the three components of the nuclear triad: bombers and missiles. The third leg of the triad is nuclear submarines. It is very important that Minot Air Force Base with its dual nuclear mission of B-52s and missiles remain a vital, robust, well-funded, well-supported part of our military now and for generations to come, Sen. John Hoeven said in August 2013 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new $16 million air traffic control tower and base operations facility. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, speaking at the same event, described the base as the second most powerful on Earth and urged continuing support of Minot AFB. BUILDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Verendrye initially had to build 20 miles of power lines to bring power to the base, and upgrade several miles of power lines from single-phase to three-phase power. While these upgrades were essential for the new base, the improvements also helped other members by providing a more robust distribution system. In November 1961, Harlan Hanson, the Verendrye engineer at the time, announced Verendrye was awarded bids to serve 44 missile sites. Hanson said bringing lines to the sites would be challenging because each one would require three-phase service. Each site would use enough electricity to power 30 farms. Crews had to convert 184 miles of line to three-phase service and build an additional 29 miles of line. Lineworker Burton Atkinson carries a large light bulb that was installed in the light fixtures towering above the B-52 flightline on the Minot Air Force Base. Verendrye has served the base since the 1950s and was awarded a 50-year contract in 2011 to own and maintain the electrical distribution facilities. 61 Building a dream together

6 This 1960s era photo shows the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at the Minot Air Force Base. The base s original mission was to provide jets that could knock down enemy bombers that might fly into the U.S. from Russia. The base is now home to B-52 bombers and Minuteman III missiles. Photo courtesy of the Minot Air Force Base. The short timeline for construction was also a challenge to Verendrye. The completion dates, as set forth in our contract with the Air Force, are very rigid. They did not give us any time to loiter along the way, Hanson wrote in March Because of the large footprint required for 150 missiles, the missile field is also powered by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative, North Central Electric Cooperative, Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative and McLean Electric Cooperative. Although Verendrye has served the base since it was built, it did not always own and maintain the facilities there. In 2011, the cooperative was awarded a 50-year contract to purchase, maintain and operate electrical distribution infrastructure. This arrangement helps all Verendrye members because of additional revenue and the availability of more resources. Three full-time lineworkers, who work on the base, can be called on to help in other areas during outages if needed. The contract meant that Verendrye had to construct a 4,000-square-foot facility on the base for its workers and equipment. We re extremely proud of the relationship we have with the Air Force Base, said Verendrye Manager Bruce Carlson. The relationship was beneficial when the base was built and it remains a vital part of our cooperative today. Verendrye has taken steps to ensure the Celebrating 75 Years of Verendrye Electric Cooperative 62

7 Workers construct a missile site in this photo. Construction on the missile sites began in 1962 and the missiles were combat ready by Verendrye provides power to 44 of the 150 sites. The missile field is also powered by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative, North Central Electric Cooperative, Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative and McLean Electric Cooperative. lights stay on for national defense. John Westby, Verendrye s operations engineer, said Verendrye has built the distribution system in a way that allows the base to be served from multiple sources. We have three sources of power and each one could run the entire base. There is triple redundancy, Westby said. Verendrye also utilizes Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), which alerts employees to potential problems in substations. If something goes wrong with a substation, we are going to see an alarm go off in our Velva office, Westby said. IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY The base is crucial to North Dakota s economy, with an economic impact of $584 million in The base has more than 1,700 housing units for members of the military and has a population of around 12,807, which includes 5,569 military members, 6,053 family members and 1,185 civilians. About 50 percent of the population lives off base. The Air Force has also proven its commitment to the community through the years, not only through its economic impact, but in other ways. In 2011, the base showed its commitment to the area by providing troops to help fight the historic Souris River flood. 63 Building a dream together

8 Workers build a substation for the Air Force Base in this undated photo. Verendrye has powered the base since it opened in The flood was definitely evidence of the way people in this community care for each other, said Col. James Dawkins, commander of the base at that time. The relationship between the base and the community is one of the strongest I have seen in my 23 years in the military. That strong linkage and interaction also gives the folks downtown an intrinsic understanding of what our purpose is and what it means to serve in the military. 3 Col. Alex Mezynski, who took over as commander of the base following Dawkins 3 Candi Helseth and Kent Brick, Electric co-op s services, support for bases moves well into 21 st Century, North Dakota Living. July 2012, 13. departure, said the power and endurance of the B-52 symbolizes the long-lasting relationship with the community. The base is truly an extension of our community. We have been partners for over 50 years, Mezynski said at an Oct. 17, 2013 event commemorating a scale model of a B-52 on the base. Local businesses raised $75,000 for two models one on the base and the other in the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot. Although the strong relationship North Dakotans have had with the Air Force has developed over six decades, there were indications in the 1950s that the relationship would last. Celebrating 75 Years of Verendrye Electric Cooperative 64

9 We want to become part of this community because we are going to be here for a long time, said Lt. Col. Harry V. Blankard, in Blankard was second in command of the base at the time. 4 4 Con Blomberg, Verendrye Serves National Defense, North Dakota REC/RTC, September 1959, 6. A B-52H Stratofortress soars through the sky during the rapid launch exercise at the Minot Air Force Base. A sequence of seven B-52s successfully launched confirming the Air Force s agile ability to respond when called upon. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jesse Lopez. 65 Building a dream together

10 Capt. Earl Schaller, pilot, and Capt. Brandon Wheeler, co-pilot, both from the 69th Bomb Squadron, move into position behind another B-52H Stratofortress during a training mission. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lee A. Osberry Jr. Celebrating 75 Years of Verendrye Electric Cooperative 66