The "Mole Hill"

In the early days of SAC, bomber and tanker crews pulled their alert duty primarily in an alert facility called the mole hill. Partially underground and partially above ground the "mole hill" resemble a half submerged cube with entry/exit arms radiating from its four sides. At the sound of the klaxon, the alert crews would scramble and race out the exits to either climb into the aircraft cockpits or load up into a waiting van to be taken to their aircraft. Malmstrom AFB had such a relic from SAC's past (KC-97 tankers) and it was the home of the 341st SMW's operations squadrons.

At the time that I was assigned to the 341st SMW, there was no active SAC flying unit on the base. There was; however, a unit comprising of old B-57s that flew as "targets" for the NORAD unit and the Montana National Guard F-106s stationed out of Great Falls' airport. Plus there was an air search and rescue helicopter squadron located on the base.