Maintainers 
at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., finished painting the first of nine Minuteman III ICBM payload transporters with the names of cities and counties surrounding the base. Honoring the base’s host city, the 341st Maintenance Group christened the first of the 66-foot-long vehicles the “Spirit of Great Falls.” By the end of the summer, the unit plans to emblazon a further eight vehicles with the titles: Electric City Endeavor, Choteau Challenger, Cascade Crusader, Wheatland Wayfarer, Judith Basin Journeyman, Fergus Ferrier, Lewis and Clark Explorer, and Teton Traveler, respectively. (Malmstrom report by Beau Wade)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
