MMRT conducts off-base exercise with state, local first responders
Tremonton, Utah – The Minuteman III Missile Mishap Response Team (MMRT) from Hill Air Force Base conducted an off-base, weeklong missile mishap hazmat exercise at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds with state and local first responders from Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 2023.
The exercise scenario involved a simulated transportation accident involving a truck carrying a missile component that contained hazardous material near a populated area.
Exercise scenarios allow MMRT members to train in a variety of circumstances, so they will be prepared if a real-world incident ever occurs, according to the team’s program manager. For example, an incident on an Air Force base may require different equipment and techniques than incidents in isolated areas or urban centers.
The MMRT, composed of Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center personnel, 582nd Missile Maintenance Squadron technicians and contracted mission partner personnel, deployed to the scene to assess the situation and safely recover the asset.
In addition, more than 40 state and local responders observed the exercise, allowing them to learn more about Air Force assets in their area. They included responders from the Utah North Region Hazmat Task Force, Tremonton Fire Department and Utah State Fire Marshalls Office.
The MMRT is on call 24/7, 365 days a year, to respond to any number of situations involving an intercontinental ballistic missile where the loss of life is possible or technical procedures to address the mishap do not exist.
The MMRT has an integral role in supporting the LGM-30G Minuteman III weapon system and will eventually transition to supporting the new LGM-35A Sentinel, as the Air Force works to replace the 50-year-old Minuteman III.
The Minuteman III ICBMs are located at Air Force Global Strike Command bases in Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota.