Minot's Wing Operations Center serves as nucleus for security, maintenance missions

by Airman 1st Class Lauren Pitts
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

9/29/2014 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D.  -- Across hundreds of miles of missile complex, countless launch facilities are under the constant watch of Minot Airmen. These guardians, however, are not scattered throughout the complex, but in a darkened room beneath Minot Air Force Base.

Illuminated only by the glow of computer monitors, the Wing Operations Center is home to one of the most unique shops on base. The WOC is where Airmen from the 91st Security Support Squadron and 91st Maintenance Operations Squadron must work together to ensure missile wing mission success.

"We're known as the hub," said Tech. Sgt. Joshua English, 91st SSPTS and NCO in charge of missile security control. "Anything security or maintenance related that goes on in the field goes through us first."

Supervising all maintenance activities in the missile complex, Airmen from the 91st MOS depend on their wingmen on the security side to keep their flow of maintenance running smoothly, said Tech. Sgt. Natasha Horn, assistant NCOIC of the 91st Missile Maintenance Operations Center.

"For MMOC, we're overseeing all the maintenance in the field," Horn said. "Whenever teams go out or we get a notification from a capsule, we need to make sure they have the right tools available to solve the issue."

With the flow of the office moving from maintenance to security and vise versa, the defenders are also on constant lookout for news from maintainers.

"Whatever they provide us with maintenance, it's our job to provide the security," English said.

Although the combination of maintenance and security may seem strange, the partnership of the two is instrumental to the success of the wing, Horn explained.

"I like the fact that we share the same area," Horn said. "Sometimes for us to do our job we need cops, and if they're not there we can't do it. Coordinating with them is so crucial."

Certain maintenance requires specific security, and the readiness of the missile wing relies heavily on the communication and cohesion of the WOC. If there was ever friction in the shop, the mission would be impacted, English explained.

"The relationship has to be there," English said. "We work together to make sure everything is done right."

As the nucleus of missile wing operations, not a day goes by where the WOC isn't up to date on the missile field actions, English said. Working 24/7, 365 days a year, operations cannot happen without being filtered through the WOC.

"There's never a day off, never a down day," English said. "If we didn't work together, there wouldn't be a mission."