AF will host 'Sentinel' town halls in Lewistown and Great Falls

The U.S. Air Force will host two town hall meetings to provide the latest information about the Sentinel Program.

The Air Force is replacing all Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles across Montana with Sentinel ICBMs.

The project includes modernizing launch facilities, control centers, and other ground infrastructure throughout Montana.

The town hall meetings will be on Wednesday, September 4 at the Fergus County Fairgrounds in Lewistown; and on Thursday, September 5, at the C.M. Russell High School auditorium in Great Falls.

Both meetings start at 6 p.m. and will be open to the public.

During the meetings, the Air Force will provide an overview of the Sentinel Program and its projected impact on the affected communities, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The Sentinel project includes the renovation of existing missile launch facilities, the construction of two dozen new missile alert facilities, and 62 new communication towers within the missile fields overseen by Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, and F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

MTN News

The 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom is responsible for 150 launch facilities – the unmanned silos where missiles are located; and 15 missile alert facilities – where military personnel monitor and operate the system.

They’re spread across a 13,800-square-mile missile field that covers parts of eight counties: Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Judith Basin, Lewis & Clark, Meagher, Teton, and Wheatland.

To support the project, leaders are planning two “workforce hubs,” one in Great Falls and one in Lewistown. Each will be around 50 to 60 acres and include housing, dining, medical, and recreational facilities for work crews.

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Between the two locations, they will host more than 2,000 temporary workers – with up to 3,000 at the peak of construction.

Malmstrom’s tentative timeline goes from 2025 to 2033. Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota will be updated following Malmstrom. Click here to learn more about the project.

The Air Force hosted similar town hall meetings in January 2024: