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308th Strategic Missile Wing becomes operational

On Jan. 1, 1964, after three years of constructing launch facilities in central Arkansas at a cost of more than $80 million, the 308th Strategic Missile Wing (SMW) completed its first operational day with Titan II Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles on alert in all 18 of its silos. The 308th Strategic Missile Wing consisted of two operational squadrons, the 373rd and 374th Strategic Missile Squadrons. (The two patches at the bottom.) With the arrival of the 308th Missile Wing, Little Rock AFB now operated 18 Titans IIs, B-58 Hustler medium bombers, and KC-135 Stratotankers as a part of Strategic Air Command. Little Rock AFB missileers performed this nuclear deterrence mission 24/7/365 for the next 23 years.

PHOTO BY: Jeremy Prichard
VIRIN: 170101-F-DL035-1002.JPG
FULL SIZE: 0.22 MB
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