CHEYENNE (Tribune News Service) — To celebrate International Women’s Day, F.E. Warren Air Force Base staffed one of its Missile Alert Facilities (MAF) with an all-female crew Friday.

They are part of the 321st Missile Squadron, which operates under the 90th Missile Wing and is tasked with monitoring and maintaining the Minuteman III Launch Facilities.

First Lt. Sophie Oswalt, a missile combat crew commander, was one of the women working the alert at Kilo 01 in Western Nebraska on Friday. She comes from a family with military roots, including her father who also served in the Air Force.

She came to F.E. Warren in June 2022 and rotates through five alert facilities that her squadron oversees.

“Working with an all-female crew makes me proud to be a part of such a strong team where females are proving themselves in every role,” she said. “It is not just the crew members doing important work when we are here at the MAF as we rely heavily on the work of security forces, facility managers and MAF chefs topside to support the mission, all of which are positions held by females here.

“Working with my female flight members that I pull alert with has led the small group of us to become lifelong friends beyond our alerts together, and I will always be proud to work alongside them.”

Oswalt said she has seen strides for gender equality and inclusivity in the Air Force even since she commissioned in May 2021. This includes updates to hair standards in response to feedback and new flight suits they received last year tailored for women’s bodies rather than the previous men’s sizing they had.

“They seem like little things to someone else but really do make a huge difference for female members,” she said.

In her time in the Air Force, she said she has learned that it is OK to be feminine and not give in to pressures to conform to how you feel you are supposed to act.

Senior Enlisted Leader Tech Sgt. Samantha Collet is the only female MAF manager on base. She said she has seen the Air Force make large steps toward inclusivity since she commissioned 15 years ago.

“I think we will start to see more women rising to the top ranks and breaking down barriers and stereotypes that we typically saw back in the 1990s when males dominated most jobs and key positions,” she said. “It’s important that the women in the military now are key role models to those coming in after us and are setting the standard and leaving it better than we had it.”

In December, Maj. Gen. Stacy Jo Huser was appointed as the first female commander of the 20th Air Force, based at F.E. Warren Base.

Crew members will often spend around a week at a time at a MAF or rotating between them. The facilities have lodging to house at least 10 people who can be found on-site at any given time as well as areas to recreate by watching television, playing games or grilling.

The 321st Missile Squadron is one of two others, the 319th and 320th, who maintain 50 Minuteman III MAFs each. Their primary mission is to provide full-time nuclear capabilities upon presidential orders.

Second Lt. ReShaunna Shelby is from Jackson, Mississippi, and she recalled the first time she saw snow was at a MAF last Christmas.

“Myself and my crew commander played games during our off days upstairs, and it made the holidays feel like holidays should,” she said.

The 20th Air Force has the Women’s Initiative Team with representatives at each 20th Air Force base (90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren, 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota, 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico and 582d Helicopter Group at F.E. Warren). Their goal is to create initiatives and lines of effort to confront issues related to women who serve.

F.E. Warren also has a Diversity and Inclusion Council to support those at the base.

In addition to an all-female capsule crew and female facility manager at Kilo 01 on Friday, the base also staffed Gate 5, off Central Avenue, with an all-female force.

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