I saw an identical thread last night on another forum only that person was witnessing it outside of Minot, ND. I didn't really pay to much attention without another to confirm. It looks like you're the second. Must be a national or regional drill to have 2 events 2 states away. If that's the case it wouldn't surprise me to hear a lot more from others in the near future.

I am a missiler stationed at Malmstrom AFB. What you witnessed was routine maintenance. Those black SUVs you saw were probably not SUVs but tactical vehicles. We use the Lynch Bearcat along with HMMWVs. They have weapons mounts for M-60s and MK-19s for defense, that's what the boxes on top were. There were most likely UH-1Ns around you didn't see. You have to think there is going to be a ton of security when nuclear weapons are exposed to any sort of risk. And they are called Launch Facilities(LF) not silos. And I wouldn't mess with the Security Forces out there. They used to roll in the convoys with the US Marshals but have transitioned to AF OSI now. They will run any vehicle that gets in their way off the road and then ticket you for getting in the way. If you can, look up AFI 91-114 and you will see our Weapons System Safety Rules(WSSRs) that is our basic guidance for keeping the weapons safe and secure.

Oh a missileer is one of the AF Officers who sit underground 24/7 365 and await the order to launch the missiles. And the missiles have been upgraded so the components are at most a couple years old.

Oh another thing, the LF you saw is part of the FE Warren AFB missile complex. It stretches into Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Malmstrom's missile complex is the size of West Virginia and it takes us over 2 and a half hours to reach some of our sites. We put over 1,000,000 miles on the roads every year at our base between missile crews, cops, and maintenance crews driving around.

Originally posted by tortfeasor1
Looking back, I am really regretting not stopping to take a picture or some video with my droid. At the time, it occurred to me that it might be a good idea. But I was too scared that somebody would see me and come arrest me for videotaping them or something. This is not a very populated area so if I stopped it would be pretty obvious I was there. I don't know if it's legal to video them or not, but I didn't want to be the one to find out lol.

I have heard stories from a co-worker who lives in Banner County who had a flat tire near this installation. She told me that they had a flat and were looking for some help to get it jacked up so they could put a spare on. They walked up to a humvee near this place and the soldiers got out of the vehicle to greet them with weapons drawn. Apparently the soldiers were polite, but ordered them to get back and return to their vehicle and told them that they wouldn't be able to help. Something tells me whatever they were doing this morning they weren't messing around.

It's a missile installation.
What do you expect, that they will come out and help you?
It's called security.
They have protocols they have to follow.
They can't just do what they want and open the gates when they want for whatever reason they feel like, not even to help someone.
You could crash your car and be stuck with petrol leaking out of it and the chance of it igniting and blowing up your car with you in it, and they wouldn't be able to come and help you.
It's just the way it is.

I mean, think about it, they have nuclear armed missiles inside that base.
it's a strategically important military base. If the base was breached the implications would be enourmous.
The missiles could be launched against the United States it self, or against another country.
Or they could hold the base and it's personnel hostage for ransom or some other demands.

Bottom line is security, and maintaining that security of the base, is the most important thing to those soldiers.
It is their job, their duty.
They do not and can not compromise on their duties, because it could not only mean their job, but the security and welfare of their own country, or that of another country.
Millions of people could die if they screw up.

For all they know, your friends could have been domestic extremists trying to bring down the US government.
They do not know who you are or what you want, no matter what you claim.

Like I said, bottom line is security is the most important thing.

That's not quite true. The Security Forces will stop and help you if you are in need most of the time. The only times they won't would be if there are nuclear weapons on the road or at risk. And then they will call for the local authorities to respond. We have procedures in place for situations like that.

Maybe I did know your father. I'm in the 10th. We have the most interactions with the Flight Security Controller (FSC). They are the cops in charge of each flight area so whenever we get alarms at the sites we tell them and they send the other cops to respond.