EOD Badge and Skull created by Christopher Pearce and James Jones
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EOD Badge and Skull created by Christopher Pearce and James Jones |
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So, you're going to be stationed here.... First of all, welcome and we're glad you are coming. A tour of duty at Minot is a unique experience and most people enjoy their time here. We are a close-knit unit and we're sure you'll find new friends and memorable times during your stay. Our EOD Flight has a proud tradition of excellence. We were established in 1994, achieved operational status for conventional responses in the summer of 1995, and stood up our nuclear response mission one year later. Since then, we have proven our mission capability during four major higher headquarters inspections, three of them only nine months apart: the ACC Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) Phase I (combat deployment), ACC ORI Phase II (combat employment), and two ACC Nuclear Surety Inspections (NSI). We were rated "Excellent" in the first three inspections and earned the ACC Inspector General Superior Team Performers' Award during the combat employment ORI and the NSI, both in 1997. We recently earned a rare "Outstanding" on our most recent inspection in March, the ACC NSI, and were awarded yet another ACC IG Team Superior Performer Award. We are proud of our accomplishments and have worked hard to achieve so much in such a short time. Quality of life gets major attention here and I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised at the quantity, quality, and variety of support facilities on base. The base recently finished construction on an indoor heated swimming pool, recently added an indoor tennis facility, and is upgrading many facilities such as: outdoor recreation, the youth center, the enlisted club, and the community center to name a few. There are some things you should do before coming here to make your move easier. First, contact your sponsor here with your travel information so we can arrange to meet you and secure your accommodations. Second, let us know your clothes sizes if you are coming in the winter so we can have some cold weather gear waiting for you. Make sure your automobile is in solid mechanical condition and you may want to have a block heater installed if you don't have one already. If you are flying, you can fly right into Minot--the airport is served by Northwest Airlines three times a day. Speaking of Minot, you'll be happy to hear that the the city has all the conveniences you're probably used to. With a population of over 40,000, Minot has all the major retail and franchise outlets you'd find in other cities of that size. Raising a family here has advantages. North Dakota has the highest mean SAT scores in the nation--number one in math and two in verbal. They take special pride in the education of the children here. The crime rates are the lowest in the nation. During the winter, you can typically leave your auto running with the keys in the ignition to keep the car warm while you shop, and when you return, the car is still there. Try that in any major metropolitan area. In fact, United Parcel Service has designated Minot as a "safe delivery zone." This means if you are not home, UPS will leave your package either in front of your house or with a neighbor without fear of it disappearing. North Dakota also has the cleanest air and the purest water in the nation. No wonder so many military families decide to stay here beyond their original tour. Base housing is almost always available and the base has recently completed construction on new senior NCO housing units--they're sharp! Rental property off base is also available at a reasonable cost. However, the city of Minot is ten miles south of the base and winter commuting can some times be challenging due to the weather. Here are some web sites you may want to visit to get some information about the local area.... City of Minot http://www.minot.ndak.net/minot/chamber.html This is the magic city's web site. You can find some good pictures of the city here. Minot AFB Public Access Page http://www.minot.af.mil/ You can visit this web site from any browser to find out about Minot AFB. All the information here is pubic access. Minot AFB Restricted Military Access Page http://wwwmil.minot.af.mil/ You can only visit this site from a military network computer. Lots of great info for military members coming to Minot. Minot State University http://warp6.cs.misu.nodak.edu/ Good site to visit to find out info about some of the of base educational services available Minot Public Schools http://minot.com/~mps/ Got Kids? If you live downtown, they'll be attending some of the best public schools in the nation. Find out more about those schools at this site. Cities of North Dakota http://www.tradecorridor.com/cities.htm This site has links to most of the cities and towns in North Dakota and many just north of the border, in Canada. Surf the sites to get a "feel" for North Dakota. Minot Local Weather Conditions http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/currwx.pl?cccc=KMOT This site provides daily weather conditions for the Minot area. Be sure and check this during the winter to get an idea of what kind of weather you'll need to pack for. North Dakota Weather Conditions http://www.state.nd.us/htbin/dot/road_report_map This site is a must if you plan on driving here any time during October - May. Many road close during winter storms so be sure and plan ahead. Good luck on your trip and we look forward to your arrival. Michael T. Smith, MSgt, USAF Chief, 5th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight |
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