This morning we drove into Cheyenne and then north on I-25 to the Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility which is now a state historic site. This facility was originally built in 1962 as a Minuteman I Launch Control Site for F.E. Warren Air Force Base, and then in 1986 it was converted to Peacekeeper missiles and remained active until 2005 when it was closed.
Quebec 01 is the only accessible Peacekeeper Missile Alert Facility left in the world. Their mission is to "preserve and interpret the Cold War history of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, fostering an understanding of the mission and duties of the personnel and crews assigned to work there."
There are no missiles here nor were there ever. 50 foot underground is a launch control center, a place from where up to 10 missiles would be launched, and the launch control equipment room that housed a generator, air handling equipment and other life support systems. The structure you can see from the driveway is where personnel would live and work in support of the launch control facility below them. This would include security forces, a cook and a site facility manager. They would be there for three to five days before rotating out with another crew. The personnel that staffed the launch control facility underground include two missileers.
Promptly at 1030 our tour guide locked the front doors and away we went. We were the only ones there!! We first entered the security area where anyone needing access to the underground facility would have to pass through. Armed guards would check ID, security clearance, access list, etc and then board the elevator that descends 50 ft to the launch control facility.
Next we entered the equipment room. The HVAC equipment provides fresh air to the underground facilities and was set up with filters for nuclear, biological and chemical contaminants. A generator provided power. There were stores of food and water for an extended stay.
Inside the launch control center there are two working positions - the Missile Combat Crew Commander (MCCC) and the Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander (DMCCC). There are also latrine facilities and a bed area. They were usually on duty eight or twelve hours underground followed by rest on the topside in the Launch Control Facility (LCF) and there were at the facility for 36 or 40-hour shifts.
The consoles where the keys are inserted are separated such that one person could not launch the missiles. There are checks and balances (fail-safe) built into the launch process to make sure an inadvertent launch could not happen. The sites are connected to the silos and other sites by hardened underground cables which allow communications. They also have satcom and UHF/VHF communications.
We exited the underground facility and that concluded the tour. Outside we noticed the air intakes, communications antennas , etc
We have been to two different missile sites before, one south of Tucson AZ and one at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City SD. As we lived the cold war period and then served in the Air Force then also, this is very interesting. Most people have no comprehension of the number of missile sites and control centers around the country, let alone just here in Wyoming! Unfortunately the Russians and Chinese do!
We headed back south the Cheyenne and stopped at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum. It is located on the grounds where the annual Frontier Days is held.
After paying a small fee we entered the museum. The entire building is a tribute to the Frontier Days, which is an outdoor rodeo and old west celebration that has been held annually (except 2020 during COVID) since 1897. The event draws over 200,000 attendees annually.
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