For Lt. Col. Jacob Lusson, his third year started with a couple of moves. One geographical, as he now has the Commander’s office on the main floor of the 91st Missile Wing building, moving upstairs from his office of 2 years, and his position as Operations Officer of the 740th Missile Squadron. Career wise his move from Operations Officer would be to Commander of the 742d Missile Squadron, known as the Wolf Pack.
Lt Col Lusson calls Phoenix, Arizona home, graduating from Arizona State University in close by Tempe. “It took us a while to adjust to the weather, but I think we’re in it now” chuckles Lusson. His wife, Martha, and 4 kids live on base. “Brisa, James, Jacqueline and Peter, so girl-boy-girl-boy.”
The difference between being the DO verses being the Squadron Commander? “Down there it was more or less focusing on operations and making sure the job gets done” says Lusson, “Up here my main focus will be taking care of our Airmen. I am most excited about being able to have a direct, positive impact on Airmen’s lives, and obviously help them accomplish the mission, but that brings a whole new set of challenges.”
Each of the 3 missile squadrons in the 91st Missile Wing has about 85 Airmen. Of those, 15-18 are enlisted members, and the rest are officers who are missileers. Each squadron will be responsible for 50 missiles of the 150 that are a part of the 91st MW.
What are the challenges today, now that the Minuteman III’s are over 50 years old. According to Lusson “we work every day to sustain these missiles until the Sentinel comes online in the coming years. It’s always a challenge.”
The Airmen arriving at Minot Air Force base as part of the 91st MW are usually excited to get here, because for a lot of them, it’s their first assignment “so they are ready to get going and get the mission done. A lot of them are coming in from different areas of the country and so they are adjusting to coming up here, in the north, and of course the weather mostly” says Lusson. But in general, they get up here, they get through their first winter and they are good to go.”
To get these young, and often unattached Airmen in the fabric of the base, there are squadron events. They all have similar training, so they get to know each other and those that are more experienced encourage the Airmen to stick together and help each other out. “We like them to help each other when they are learning the ropes and adjusting to being in Minot. I think we do a pretty good job of that” according to Lusson.
When it comes to teaching the new arrivals to Minot AFB about the history of the 3 missile squadrons, Lt. Col Lusson says “it’s a group effort, from Commander’s Calls to training when they first get here, they go through Mission Qualification Training that not only teaches them what they need to know for the job, but the history and the heritage.
Between the 3 missile squadron there is what Lt. Col Lusson refers to as a healthy competition. “We’re always trying to do better and make each other better.”
The rural setting of a North Dakota missile silo will be a bit of an eyeopener for Airmen as they take their first tour of the missile fields around Minot AFB. “You know out here it’s pretty much wide open spaces.
And the challenges ahead for the 742d? “There are always ongoing efforts for sustainment, and different programs to make sure we are more safe, secure, and reliable weapons system, and make sure that we are safe and secure and if we need to execute we are able to. There will be continuous programs all the way until Sentinel comes online.”
And the simulated electronic test launch and the follow through test launch at Vandenberg make sure that missile squadrons like the 742d are ready and prepared should they need to be.
And what does Lt Col Husson want to be his legacy after command of the 742d? “I want to be sure that we are developing our Airmen, professionally as Airmen and personally as humans. Making sure that I left the squadron in a better place than I found it. Making sure all the while that we are performing our mission and grow the squadron.”
