It was a typical Monday afternoon when Mark Jantzer, outgoing chairman of Task Force 21 joined me at the Northern Sentry office. We shook hands and almost immediately began to talk about his role with Task Force 21, and his hand off of chairman duties to Peter Hankla, current vice-chairman of TF 21.
“I’ve been chairman for 25 years” Jantzer said “and now looking down the road it’s time for a change before we start another crucial time for Minot Air Force Base” that being the modernization projects on the board that include the new Sentinel ICBM missiles, the re-reengining of the B-52’s and the development of the new LRSO (long range standoff) cruise missiles that will be part of the arsenal of nuclear weapons.
What is good news for the community of Minot, and Minot Air Force Base, is that although he won’t serve as chairman of Task Force 21, Mark will remain an active member of this group that acts as a liaison between Minot and those deciding budgets and missions of the Air Force. The new Trump administration, although seemingly will be more aggressive in maintaining and modernizing the U.S. military force, “one just never knows” says Jantzer.
Time allowed us to discuss a lot of topics. Mark serves on several different committees that share information about the Air Force, and so it’s always informative to visit with him about current events. In 25 years of serving as chairman of Task Force 21 things that affect the missions of the Minot Air Force Base have changed significantly, and it was that part of the conversation that brought us to a discussion about the quality of the men and women serving at Minot Air Force Base. It seems that the older you get, the younger these Airmen seem to be. The quality of these Airmen is always a topic that base commanders hit on when speaking to civic organization such as the Honorary Commanders gathering, or the monthly meetings of the Minot Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee. Do they do things a bit differently today than when we were the ages of these Airmen? Of course…but then again they have to keep up with our adversaries.
Task Force 21 is probably on the point of the spear when it comes to being informed about world events. The many nuclear symposiums that Task Force 21 has sponsored are very dynamic forums that talk about the new global order, and the importance of keeping a strong nuclear deterrent.
Another conversation I had was with Task Force 21 member Jason Zimmerman. In speaking about Mark Jantzer, he was quick to point out that it was under the watchful eye of Jantzer and Task Force 21 that Minot maintained the 2 nuclear missions that keep Minot Air Force Base relevant. “It’s really pretty evident that his leadership has made a difference” says Zimmerman.
I can certainly attest that being a part of the community that supports Minot Air Force Base, and its’ missions is certainly contagious. It is for that reason that I think that Mark Jantzer, by his own admission, will be around for quite a while as a member of Task Force 21 and the Military Affairs Committee. Mark is always willing to talk Minot Air Force Base, whether it be with a reporter for the Northern Sentry, or a with our North Dakota congressional delegation. To Mark Jantzer we say, “thank you”. I can only imagine the number of hours that he has dedicated to being chairman of Task Force 21. As my Dad used to say when he was trying to explain the good works of someone like Mark, “it’s not an easy lift, but he managed to make it work and make it work well”. We couldn’t agree more.
Special Note: Catch my conversation with Mark Jantzer in this edition of The Northern Sentry.
Best Kept Secrets-
Pretty common knowledge that Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a great summertime destination, right? But things are changing, folks. Take a look at the Medora website and see the many concerts they have coming up.
We spent a night in Medora on Friday, and toured Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Saturday. We (my wife & I) had a great time and enjoyed the now snow covered landscape and the many buffalo and wild horses we encountered.
Got and extra weekend? Try Medora….
Today’s Chuckle-
Too many people confuse being broad-minded with simply having a swelled head.
