This is my last column…for 2023. So often I hear about the awesome support that the community of Minot gives the Minot Air Force Base. That may be true, but it’s a 2-way street, and it’s only fair to bring into focus what the Minot Air Force Base does for Minot, each and every year.
Economic Impact
Once a year we receive a report on the economic impact of the Minot AFB on the community of Minot. This year it was $595 million dollars! Agriculture will always be the largest contributor to the economy of Minot, and the many other surrounding communities. But with the Sentinel modernization in the very near future, it is a good possibility that economic impact with increase significantly.
Volunteer Support
When entities like the North Dakota State Fair and Norsk Hostfest look for volunteers, they often ask the folks at Minot Air Force Base for manpower. Everything from security to ticket sales; it takes hundreds of volunteers, and the Minot Air Force Base has stepped up to the plate and provided the extra manpower resources that have been needed.
The Mission
The Minot Air Force Base is the only base in the continental United States to support 2 of the 3 legs of the nuclear triad. I know we hear about the mission of Minot Air Force Base often, but what does it really mean?
The B 52’s from Minot Air Force Base have continuously deployed to several bases around the world to prove to not only our adversaries, but our allies, that the U.S. can, and will, send bombers anywhere to support the mission of maintaining freedom.
The Minuteman 3 missiles, even though they may have been in service for over 50 years, are still a deterrent to those governments that feel the need to aggressively challenge the freedom that we all enjoy.
I am so fortunate to be exposed to the many “stories with the story” of Minot Air Force Base. Every time I enter the front gate I think about what it takes to keep a base and community like Minot Air Force Base relevant. Amazing is such a cliché word…but it truly is amazing.
A Simple “Thank You” For Your Service
It really does mean a lot when you take time to say thank you to one of our Airmen at Minot Air Force Base. It’s so easy to let them know that we appreciate what they do. Remember, very few of them will be able to “go home” for Christmas. I remember my first Christmas away from home, and I am sure you do, too. A simple “thank your” certainly means a lot.
Finally…
Thanks to the men and women who have chosen to serve our country as members of the military. Your service does not go unnoticed.
Today’s Chuckle
If you can see the writing on the wall, you probably run a daycare center.
Best Kept Secrets
Take a tour down Main Street Minot and look at the amazing buildings that have gotten new life in the past year. Many have taken on a new look, albeit more of an “old look” with the façade program that gives incentives to building owners to replace years of remodeling changes with the original look.
Then there is the Ascend Wellness building on the 100 block of Main Street. We’ve watched as Melinda Howe has transformed a building that was once a Masonic Lodge, into a wellness center, and has managed to maintain much of the ambience of the original building. So much to see and do in Downtown Minot!
