From print to progress

  • Published
  • By By Airman 1st Class Ashley Coomes
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AFB, ND --  Before Grand Forks was a refueling wing, it was a fighter wing, bombardment wing and missile wing. Before this base was home to the KC-135, it was home to the B-52s, B-1s, F-101s and F-106s. Before the Leader Online, there was The Leader newspaper.

For the past 40 years, The Leader has brought news coverage from around base in a hard copy form to the base populace and surrounding community.

The first publication on base was The Peace Garden Trident, which was published by the Grand Forks Herald from 1963 to 1965.

In 1966, the base began its own publication, The Leader. It was about that time when the Minuteman II missile complex became operational, commencing the wing's primary mission in defense of the United States during the Cold War.

The base experienced several major changes during the '70s. The 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated in 1971 and, in its place, the 460th FIS was stationed here by Air Defense Command. Shortly after, the base completed an upgrade to the Minuteman III missiles.

A major headline that was seen in The Leader was the B-52 Stratofortress explosion on the runway in January 1983. The accident killed five Airmen and injured eight others.
A triumphant day for Grand Forks servicemembers came in 1991 when former President George H. W. Bush ordered the B-52s to be removed from alert at the end of the 40-year Cold War.

After the Cold War era dust settled, the wing went through several mission makeovers ultimately becoming the 319th Air Refueling Wing. The bombers were replaced by KC-135s and the Minuteman III missile silos were imploded several years later.

The base has been a huge part of the Greater Grand Forks community for the past 50 years. The Air Force's impact on the local community was perhaps the greatest following the flood of 1997. The downtown area of Grand Forks was flooded and the base greatly helped those in need. The natural disaster bonded the base and the Grand Forks community.

Throughout the years the Air Force has made changes to GFAFB according to the needs of the military and the Leader has been there reporting the important information. Now, the Leader will continue its service in an online format. Look for the first Leader Online Jan. 4 and stay updated with the latest information on the Grand Forks AFB public Web site at http://public.grandforks.amc.af.mil.