The Investigation of UFO Events at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota

Following the UFO events in the early morning on 24 October 1968, Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, NE, initiated investigations.[1] Immediately after the B-52 landed, pilot Maj. James Partin reported for a debriefing in the office of the Base Operations commander Col. Ralph Kirchoff. The designated Minot AFB UFO investigating officer, Lt. Col. Arthur Werlich, was awakened and informed of the situation. Later, the 5^th Bombardment Wing commander requested an analysis of the B-52 radarscope film by targeting studies officer SSgt. Richard Clark. Later, the 810^th Strategic Aerospace Division commander Brig. Gen. Ralph Holland debriefed the B-52 crewmembers. Werlich phoned SAC headquarters requesting technical assistance for his investigation. Denied assistance, he was instructed to comply with Air Force Regulation 80-17. That afternoon, the 91^st Strategic Missile Wing commander dispatched a team to investigate the break-in at Oscar-7. Late in the day, Werlich phoned Project Blue Book at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, reporting the UFO events, and began the process of collating the case data per Air Force Regulation 80-17. Several days later, he submitted the Basic Reporting Data, and the next day, Blue Book staff requested supplemental information. Werlich also forwarded all information he collated to Gen. Hollingsworth at SAC headquarters for briefing Vice Commander in Chief Gen. Keith Compton and staff (on 31 October).In the week following, Air Force officers arrived from off base to review the radarscope film and invited B-52 Navigator Capt. Patrick McCaslin to join the meeting. Oscar-Flight Security Controller SSgt. William Smith informed Werlich of numerous reports of unusual lights near the Canadian border, and recalls an officer spent a few days at Oscar-2 camped in a vehicle. Blue Book chief Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla evaluated the case data received from Minot AFB, and submitted a final case report on 13 November 1968.[2]

[1] Preceding text: A Narrative of UFO Events at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.

[2] From 1946-1992, Strategic Air Command was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force, responsible for the bomber-based, and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal. Minot AFB, in northwestern North Dakota, was a principal SAC dual-wing base, consisting of the 5th Bombardment Wing, with 15 B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers capable of delivering nuclear and conventional ordinance worldwide; and the 91st Strategic Missile Wing, responsible for 150 Minuteman, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) housed in underground Launch Facilities scattered across an area of 8,500 square miles. In addition, the 862^nd Combat Support Group provided base security and material support to the wings. At the time, the wings were subordinate to the 810^th Strategic Aerospace Division at Minot AFB, which was responsible for mission support at Minot AFB, ND, Glasgow AFB, and Malmstrom AFB, MT. The 810^th SAD was subordinate to the Fifteenth Air Force, March AFB, CA, and Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, NE. Today both wings continue operations under the major command of the Air Force Global Strike Command.