Trip Report - Oscar Zero 2009 I planned this trip as soon as I learned that the former Grand Forks AF Missile Site O-00 ND was now open as a historic site. Over Labor Day weekend, I flew to Grand Forks to visit the installation. This was my first time using Grand Forks International Airport (GFK). While I was in the area, I also visited some other former missile alert facilities in the Grand Forks missile field. And I accidently stumbled upon two of the three water reservoir/pumping stations of the SAFEGUARD system! All of the sites I visited on this trip are in North Dakota.

Saturday, 5 Sep 2009

My aircraft departed Denver at 0629, transiting MSP before arriving in Grand Forks at 1240. A Toyota Avalon awaited me in the rental lot. My goal for the day was to find and photograph six Launch Control Facilities (sorry, I still haven't gotten used to the newfangled term Missile Alert Facility) and a long-range radar site before stopping for the night.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site K-00 (9881, JFXD)
General view of Launch Control Facility (LCF) from access road
Launch Control Support Building (LCSB) viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Hardened Ultra High Frequency (UHF) antenna
Obsolete USAF sign
Side view of LCSB
LCSB
General view
General view

Finley Air Force Station (1444, GQYZ)
Gate
General view of site
General view of site
General view of site
General view of site
General view of site
Radar tower
Radar tower

Finley Communications Facility Annex (7298, GQZD)
View of GATR building looking WNW
View of GATR building looking NW

I observed the former location of Finley Family Housing Annex (4925, GQZM) but did not photograph it. The houses have been removed and the land was being used to park RVs and other vehicles attending a racing event adjacent to the former housing. I looked for, but was unable to find the location of Finley Water System Annex.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site M-00 (9580, JFYB)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Hardened UHF antenna
Partial side view of LCSB
Partial view of LCSB showing pole for basketball hoop
Vehicle garage

Grand Forks AF Missile Site L-00 (9612, JFXQ)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Side view of LCSB
LCSB
LCSB
Access gate
View of LCF from helipad
Vehicle garage and unknown building
Hardened UHF antenna in distance
Helipad
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site N-00 (9635, JFYN)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Gate and vehicle garage
Hardened UHF antenna
Medium Frequency (MF) antenna field marker outside fence, LCSB in background
Closeup of MF antenna field marker
Side view of LCSB
LCSB
View of helipad from access road
General view
Vehicle garage
Hardened Intersite Communications System marker pole
Gate

Grand Forks AF Missile Site I-00 (9525, JFWF)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
LCSB
Hardened UHF antenna
Vehicle garage
Corner of security fence with windsock frame
Side view of LCSB with obsolete USAF sign on security fence
View of helipad from access road
Gate and LCSB
View from road

Grand Forks AF Missile Site J-00 (9574, JFWS)
General view of LCF from access road
Sign on gate
General view
LCSB viewed from gate
Hardened UHF antenna
Side view of LCSB
Opposite side view of LCSB
LCSB
LCSB
LCSB
Electric power poles
Medium Frequency (MF) antenna field "dipole field" with faded sign
MF antenna field
MF antenna field warning sign
LCSB and vehicle garage with obsolete USAF sign on fence
View of LCF from helipad
Vehicle garage
Vehicle garage
Obsolete USAF sign
Helipad
General view

After 271 miles in 6.83 hours, I stopped for the night on Grand Forks AFB and enjoyed a very nice lodging room.

Sunday, 6 Sep 2009

I knew this was going to be a long day, so I got on the road at 0600.

Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex (SRMSC) Water Booster Station #2 This was one of three such installations that were part of the Army's Safeguard system; judging from the signage the property was transferred to the Air Force at some point in time, perhaps when the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Site was transferred to become Concrete Missile Early Warning Site (eventually, Cavalier Air Force Station).
General view
General view
Obsolete USAF sign
Reservoir
Reservoir
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building showing facility number

Grand Forks AF Missile Site C-00 (9633, JFTM)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
LCSB
Entrance gate
Hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View of LCF from helipad
Vehicle garage
General view

Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex (SRMSC) Water Booster Station #3 This was one of three such installations that were part of the Army's Safeguard system; judging from the signage the property was transferred to the Air Force at some point in time, perhaps when the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Site was transferred to become Concrete Missile Early Warning Site (eventually, Cavalier Air Force Station).
General view
General view
Obsolete USAF sign
Obsolete USAF sign
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building with current sign
Reservoir
Reservoir
Fire hydrant

Grand Forks AF Missile Site A-00 (9790, JFSP)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Obsolete USAF sign
Vehicle garage
Angled view of LCSB showing USAF sign
Hardened UHF antenna
Side view of LCSB
View of helipad from access road
View of LCF from helipad
Fence with sign
General view
General view
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site E-00 (9758, JFUK)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Oblique view of LCSB
LCSB
Vehicle garage
Former location of hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View of LCF from helipad

Grand Forks AF Missile Site E-43 (9490, JFUN)
View from road
Closer view of USAF sign)

Now it was time for the highlight of the trip, a visit to the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site. The Air Force inactivated the Grand Forks missile sites back in the 1990s, and while demolition of the silos and partial demolition at the alert facilities was the norm, this one alert facility was preserved. The State of North Dakota now operates it as a historic site. I made advance plans for my visit with Mr. Mark T. Sundlov, Site Supervisor. At the site, I was guided by Ms. Dorreen Beaver. My thanks to Mark for arranging access and my thanks to Dorreen for patiently showing me around. I also made contact with Ms. Becky Meidinger of the Friends of Oscar Zero group; she explained that the Friends are a nonprofit entity that supports the development and ongoing expenses of the site.

If you are thinking, "I've seen the preserved Ellsworth D-01 missile alert facility in South Dakota, it's the same thing so I'm not going to Cooperstown." then study my photos carefully. The thing is, Grand Forks was the last of the six Minuteman missile wings to be built, and its Sylvania-built launch control centers are MASSIVE compared to the TINY Boeing-designed launch control centers you might have seen at the Ellsworth site (or at other Minuteman wings). I was prepared for the size difference based on my research, but it was so striking in person that I laughed out loud when I saw it for myself.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site O-00 (9637, JFYZ)
Outside the Fence
Vintage USAF "O-00" sign on stop sign post
View looking down access road at facility
View of LCF from access road approaching parking area
Helipad with LCF compound in background
Current sign at entry gate
Vintage USAF signs at entry gate
MF antenna field marker
MF antenna field marker
MF antenna field marker
Inside the Fence
Satellite television receive-only (TVRO) antenna, sewage lagoon in background behind "Keep Out" sign
Ventilation air exhaust and intake
Ventilation air intake and exhaust
LCSB showing security lighting
Vehicle garage and fueling point
Fuel tanks and hard High Frequency (HF) receive antenna
General view of LCSB
General view of LCSB
LCSB and hard UHF antenna
Closeup of soft Super High Frequency (SHF) receive antenna
Base of SHF receive antenna
LCSB and soft SHF receive antenna and Very High Frequency (VHF) antenna
LCSB and vehicle garage
Closeup of hard UHF antenna
Detail on hard UHF antenna radome
Hard UHF antenna and hard High Frequency (HF) transmit antenna
Hard HF transmit antenna
Hard HF transmit antenna
Hard HF receive antenna
General view of LCSB
Hard HF receive antenna and satellite dish antenna
LCSB showing VHF antenna and soft SHF receive antenna
Ground Level Inside the LCSB
Common living area
Common living area
Common living area, note flashing red alert light on wall
Dining area, kitchen in background
Kitchen
Typical sleeping room
Site diagram used for visitor safety briefings
Security Control Center (SCC)
SCC
SCC
SCC
SCC
SCC
SCC
SCC
SCC
SCC
Fire hose
Fuel card imprinter
Transition Area
Upstairs elevator access area with large exterior doors in background
Communications station in upstairs elevator access area
Artwork in upstairs elevator access area
Looking down emergency ladder from upstairs elevator access area
Looking down emergency ladder from upstairs elevator access area
Elevator equipment in upstairs elevator access area
Elevator car controls
Elevator car emergency hatch
Bottom of elevator shaft, emergency ladder to left
Bottom of elevator shaft while car is upstairs
View looking up elevator shaft
Launch Control Equipment Building (LCEB)
LCEB blast door
Looking into LCEB
Generator inside enclosure
Shock isolator
General view inside LCEB
Equipment
Equipment
Launch Control Center (LCC) Periphery
Looking into LCC
Hatch to emergency escape tunnel
LCC suspended within enclosure
Detail at front of LCC
Detail at front of LCC
Floor hatch for access to area around capsule within enclosure
View from LCC looking past elevator access area into LCEB
LCC Interior
View through blast door into LCC
Equipment racks
Deputy position, commander position in background
Equipment in center of LCC, bunk in background
Deputy position
Detail of shock absorber system
Commander position
Launch keys at commander position
Equipment with wall mural in background
Bunk
Restroom
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Lockbox showing two hasps for two locks
Lockbox
Supply cabinet above microwave oven
Overhead lights and copper grounding bar
Artwork above entrance portal as seen from LCC, restroom door at left
Status board viewed from commander position, deputy position to left
View above commander position
Equipment racks, shock isolator to left
Artwork on LCC wall
LCC blast door
LCC entrance
LCC far side
LCC far side

The other component of the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site is just a few miles away. The below-ground portions of this launch facility were destroyed, but the surface features were preserved. Missile site afficianados will know that the Grand Forks launch facilities had a hardened Launcher Equipment Building as opposed to the earlier five Minuteman wings that had softer Launcher Support Buildings.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site N-33 (9614, JFYR)
View from outside fence showing USAF "N-33" sign
View from outside Launch Facility (LF) fence showing current sign
General view of LF showing Improved Minuteman Physical Security System (IMPSS) antenna
Detail of IMPSS antenna
Launcher closure
Launcher closure
Launcher closure
Launcher closure
Access to Launcher Equipment Building (LEB)
Access to LEB
Primary door and security pit door
Primary door and security pit door
Primary door and security pit door
Outer Zone (OZ) security system radar receiver antenna
OZ radar receiver antenna
OZ radar receiver antenna
Detail on OZ radar receiver antenna
Ventilation air intake and exhaust
General view of LF
General view of LF
General view of LF
Lanyard mounting point
Vent detail

Grand Forks AF Missile Site H-00 (9515, JFVU)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View of LCF from helipad
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site G-00 (9724, JFVH)
General view of LCF from access road
LCSB viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Angled view of LCSB
Hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View of LCF from helipad
General view
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site F-00 (9759, JFUW)
General view of LCF from access road
General view
LCSB viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Location of former hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View of LCF from helipad

Including the two I visited a few years ago, I have photographed alll 15 of the Grand Forks LCFs! When I arrived back at my room on Grand Forks AFB, I had covered 457 miles in 12 hours.

Monday, 7 Sep 2009

This was a lazy day, I didn't even depart lodging until 0900.

Grand Forks Defense Fuel Supply PointJFSE)
Gate
Gate and sign
Boarded-up building
General view
General view

I only drove 36 miles in 1.15 hours, before turning in the car at GFK. The total was 764 driving miles on the rental car. I departed GFK at 1305 and made it home to DEN at 1806.