...(for) people who are on alert at the launch missile control centers it's very much an invisible thankless job....nobody sees what they do, nobody cares about it. I see them as almost invisible warriors, the security police that are there, the facility managers, the chefs... they're just out there in the middle of nowhere 24 hours a day and I think it's good that people know they're out there doing a job that not everybody can do and not everybody wants to do.
Wendy McNeil, Ellsworth Air Force Base Missileer, February 1991 to December 1992.
20 feet below you is the underground Launch Center for the missiles of the Delta Flight. Even at the height of the Cold War, Delta-01 looked like little more than the average ranch house. The facility may have sat quietly off the highway, but ever watchful personnel kept an eye out for visitors. Security was maintained at the highest level. Even if you worked for the Air Force, you would have to use the gate telephone to contact a security policeman inside. Only by having the proper codes could you gain entry.
Tours of this facility are offered throughout the year. You can arrange your tour at the visitor center, located off Interstate 90 at exit 131, or by calling (605) 433-5552.
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