Minot Air Force Base (/ˈmaɪnɒt/ ⓘ MY-not; IATA: MIB, ICAO: KMIB, FAA LID: MIB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation in Ward County, North Dakota, thirteen miles (20 km) north of the city of Minot via U.S. Route 83.

Originally opened 68 years ago in 1957 as an Air Defense Command (ADC) base, Minot AFB became a major Strategic Air Command (SAC) base in the early 1960s, with both nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missiles and manned bombers and aerial refueling aircraft.

It was replaced in February 1960 by the 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (The Spittin' Kittens), transferred to Minot from Suffolk County AFB on Long Island, New York.

The Minot SAGE facility was deactivated after less than two years of operation, in May 1963, The facility was then renamed the PRIDE Building ("Professional Results in Daily Effort") after ADC's and SAC's alternate motto of the 1960s and 1970s, and became a large office building housing many different organizations.

The first SAC KC-135A Stratotanker assigned, nicknamed "Miss Minot," arrived on 23 September 1959 and remained on base until the 906th Air Refueling Squadron was relocated to Grand Forks AFB in northeast North Dakota in January 1994.

These changes were in line with the Air Force policy of keeping active those units with the most illustrious histories.

Following the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–81, SAC tasked the former 57th Air Division to organize the Strategic Projection Force.

The 57th AD became the host unit, providing logistical, security, administrative and other support services to the 5th BMW, 91st SMW and tenant organizations.

[22] The Air Force said the launch codes were outdated and had been deactivated before the incident, but it was still a violation of protocol, prompting an investigation.

It was the fourth incident within a year involving problems with secure handling of components of America's nuclear weapons.

The incident occurred during the changing out of components used to facilitate secure communications between an underground missile-control facility and missile silos near Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, according to Col. Dewey Ford, a spokesman for the Air Force Space Command in Colorado.

That made the old component inoperable, but an Air Force source said old launch codes were still contained in the part.

[23] Under standard procedure, the four-officer crew of the facility is supposed to keep the component secure until it is returned to the base.

[24] This violated Air Force procedure, which calls for at least two of the crew members to remain awake while in control of the component.

The incident, which was first made public by the Project on Government Oversight, was the fourth misstep involving the handling of America's nuclear weapons in one year.

[25] In fall 2009, Minot suffered another embarrassment when the newly formed 69th Bomb Squadron failed its Initial Nuclear Surety Inspection (INSI).

Another incident first reported in May 2013 by the Associated Press revealed that 17 officers in charge of maintaining the base's Minuteman III nuclear missiles were "sidelined" for numerous violations of safety procedures.

The unit in charge of maintaining the nuclear missiles performed poorly during an inspection that took place in March 2013.

[28] Following the release of the Deputy Commander's strongly worded internal email, the Air Force began investigating the incident further.

The 5th Bomb Wing is composed of: The 91st Missile Wing (91 MW) of the Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is responsible for maintaining the Minuteman III nuclear missiles, located in three main fields to the north, west, and south of the base.

It is one of the Air Force's three operational intercontinental ballistic missile units, with Malmstrom AFB at Great Falls, Montana, and F.E.

Today, the group is responsible for providing maintenance and logistics support for the wing's ICBM fleet.

Due to the winter conditions, a phrase spread within the USAF regarding why people would not wish to be stationed there: "Why not Minot?

In response, people who loved Minot AFB, and the surrounding area, came up with the comeback "-41 Keeps the RIF-Raf out.

MNHS recently opened in August 2024; base students previously attended Minot High School, which was split between two campuses: Central (1918, downtown) for freshmen and sophomores, and Magic City (1974, on the southwest side of the city) for juniors and seniors.