Scott's USAF Installations Page

Trip Report: Oscar Zero

First published in 2009. Reformatted 2025.

I planned this trip as soon as I learned that the former Grand Forks AF Missile Site O-00 ND was now open as a historic site. Over Labor Day weekend, I flew to Grand Forks to visit the installation. This was my first time using Grand Forks International Airport. While I was in the area, I also visited some other former missile alert facilities in the Grand Forks missile field. And I accidently stumbled upon two of the three water reservoir/pumping stations of the SAFEGUARD system. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.

Saturday, 5 September 2009

My flight departed Denver at 0629, transiting MSP before arriving in Grand Forks at 1240. A Toyota Avalon awaited me in the rental lot. My goal for the day was to find and photograph six launch control facilities (sorry, I still haven't gotten used to the newfangled term missile alert facility) and a long-range radar site before stopping for the night.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site K-00 ND, PIN 9881, ILC JFXD
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Hardened Ultra High Frequency (UHF) antenna
Obsolete USAF sign
Side view of launch control support building
Launch control support building
General view
General view

Finley Air Force Station ND, PIN 1444, ILC GQYZ
Gate
General view of site
General view of site
General view of site
General view of site
General view of site
Radar tower
Radar tower

Finley Communications Facility Annex ND, PIN 7298, ILC GQZD
View of GATR building looking WNW
View of GATR building looking NW

Grand Forks AF Missile Site M-00 ND, PIN 9580, ILC JFYB
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Hardened UHF antenna
Partial side view of launch control support building
Partial view of launch control support building showing pole for basketball hoop
Vehicle garage

Grand Forks AF Missile Site L-00 ND, PIN 9612, ILC JFXQ
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Access gate
View from helipad
Vehicle garage and unknown building
Hardened UHF antenna in distance
Helipad
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site N-00 ND, PIN 9635, ILC JFYN
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Gate and vehicle garage
Hardened UHF antenna
Medium Frequency (MF) antenna field marker outside fence, launch control support building in background
Closeup of MF antenna field marker
Side view of launch control support building
Launch control support building
View of helipad from access road
General view
Vehicle garage
Hardened Intersite Communications System marker pole
Gate

Grand Forks AF Missile Site I-00 ND, PIN 9525, ILC JFWF
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Launch control support building
Hardened UHF antenna
Vehicle garage
Corner of security fence with windsock frame
Side view of launch control support building with obsolete USAF sign on security fence
View of helipad from access road
Gate and launch control support building
View from road

Grand Forks AF Missile Site J-00 ND, PIN 9574, ILC JFWS
View from access road
Sign on gate
General view
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Hardened UHF antenna
Side view of launch control support building
Opposite side view of launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Electric power poles
Medium Frequency (MF) antenna field "dipole field" with faded sign
MF antenna field
MF antenna field warning sign
Launch control support building and vehicle garage with obsolete USAF sign on fence
View from helipad
Vehicle garage
Vehicle garage
Obsolete USAF sign
Helipad
General view

After 271 miles in 6.83 hours, I stopped for the night on Grand Forks Air Force Base and enjoyed a very nice lodging room.

Sunday, 6 September 2009

I knew this was going to be a long day, so I got on the road at 0600.

Grafton Gap Filler Annex (P-29B) ND, PIN 3271
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building and radar tower footing
Closeup of two of the three radar tower footings

Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex Water Booster Station No. 2 ND. This was one of three such installations that were part of the Army's Safeguard system; judging from the signage the property was transferred to the Air Force at some point in time, perhaps when the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Site was transferred to become Concrete Missile Early Warning Site (eventually, Cavalier Air Force Station).
General view
General view
Obsolete USAF sign
Reservoir
Reservoir
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building showing facility number

Grand Forks AF Missile Site C-00 ND, PIN 9633, ILC JFTM
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Launch control support building
Entrance gate
Hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View from helipad
Vehicle garage
General view

Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex Water Booster Station No. 3 ND. This was one of three such installations that were part of the Army's Safeguard system; judging from the signage the property was transferred to the Air Force at some point in time, perhaps when the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Site was transferred to become Concrete Missile Early Warning Site (eventually, Cavalier Air Force Station).
General view
General view
Obsolete USAF sign
Obsolete USAF sign
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building
Pumping station building with current sign
Reservoir
Reservoir
Fire hydrant

Grand Forks AF Missile Site A-00 ND, PIN 9790, ILC JFSP
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Obsolete USAF sign
Vehicle garage
Launch control support building showing USAF sign
Hardened UHF antenna
Launch control support building
View of helipad from access road
View from helipad
Fence with sign
General view
General view
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site E-00 ND, PIN 9758, ILC JFUK
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Vehicle garage
Former location of hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View from helipad

Grand Forks AF Missile Site E-43 ND, PIN 9490, ILC JFUN
View from road
Closer view of USAF sign

Now it was time for the highlight of the trip, a visit to the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site. The Air Force inactivated the Grand Forks missile sites back in the 1990s, and while demolition of the silos and partial demolition at the alert facilities was the norm, this one alert facility was preserved. The State of North Dakota now operates it as a historic site. I made advance plans for my visit with Mr. Mark T. Sundlov, Site Supervisor. At the site, I was guided by Ms. Dorreen Beaver. My thanks to Mark for arranging access and my thanks to Dorreen for patiently showing me around. I also made contact with Ms. Becky Meidinger of the Friends of Oscar Zero group; she explained that the Friends are a nonprofit entity that supports the development and ongoing expenses of the site.

If you are thinking, "I've seen the preserved Ellsworth D-01 missile alert facility in South Dakota, it's the same thing so I'm not going to Cooperstown" then study my photos carefully. Grand Forks was the last of the six Minuteman missile wings to be built, and its Sylvania-built launch control centers are MASSIVE compared to the TINY Boeing-designed launch control centers you might have seen at the Ellsworth site (or at other Minuteman wings). I was prepared for the size difference based on my research, but it was so striking in person that I laughed out loud when I saw it for myself.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site O-00 ND, PIN 9637, ILC JFYZ

Outside the Fence
Vintage USAF "O-00" sign on stop sign post
View from access road
View from access road
General view showing helipad
Non-historic sign at entry gate
Vintage USAF signs at entry gate
Medium Frequency (MF) antenna field marker
MF antenna field marker
MF antenna field marker

Transition Area
Upstairs elevator access area with large exterior doors in background
Communications station in upstairs elevator access area
Artwork in upstairs elevator access area
Looking down emergency ladder from upstairs elevator access area
Looking down emergency ladder from upstairs elevator access area
Elevator equipment in upstairs elevator access area
Elevator car controls
Elevator car emergency hatch
Bottom of elevator shaft, emergency ladder to left
Bottom of elevator shaft while car is upstairs
View looking up elevator shaft

Launch Control Equipment Building
Launch control equipment building blast door
Looking into launch control equipment building
Generator inside enclosure
Shock isolator
General view inside launch control equipment building
Equipment
Equipment

Launch Control Center Periphery
Looking into launch control center
Hatch to emergency escape tunnel
Launch control center suspended within enclosure
Detail at front of launch control center
Detail at front of launch control center
Floor hatch for access to area around launch control center capsule within enclosure
View from launch control center looking past elevator access area into launch control equipment building

Launch Control Center Interior
View through blast door into launch control center
Equipment racks
Deputy position, commander position in background
Equipment in center of launch control center, bunk in background
Deputy position
Detail of shock absorber system
Commander position
Launch keys at commander position
Equipment with wall mural in background
Bunk
Restroom
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Equipment racks
Lockbox showing two hasps for two locks
Lockbox
Supply cabinet above microwave oven
Overhead lights and copper grounding bar
Artwork above entrance portal as seen from launch control center, restroom door at left
Status board viewed from commander position, deputy position to left
View above commander position
Equipment racks, shock isolator to left
Artwork on launch control center wall
Launch control center blast door
Launch control center entrance
Launch control center far side
Launch control center far side

The other component of the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site is just a few miles away. The below-ground portions of this launch facility were destroyed, but the surface features were preserved. Missile site aficionados will know that the Grand Forks launch facilities had a hardened launcher equipment building as opposed to the earlier five Minuteman wings that had softer launcher support buildings.

Grand Forks AF Missile Site N-33 ND, PIN 9614, ILC JFYR
Fence with vintage USAF "N-33" sign
Fence with non-historic sign
General view showing Improved Minuteman Physical Security System antenna
Improved Minuteman Physical Security System antenna detail
Launcher closure
Launcher closure
Launcher closure
Launcher closure
Access to launcher equipment building
Access to launcher equipment building
Primary door and security pit door
Primary door and security pit door
Primary door and security pit door
Outer zone security system radar receiver antenna
Outer zone radar receiver antenna
Outer zone radar receiver antenna
Outer zone radar receiver antenna detail
Ventilation air intake and exhaust
General view
General view
General view
Lanyard mounting point
Vent detail

Grand Forks AF Missile Site H-00 ND, PIN 9515, ILC JFVU
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View from helipad
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site G-00 ND, PIN 9724, ILC JFVH
View from access road
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Launch control support building
Hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View from helipad
General view
General view

Grand Forks AF Missile Site F-00 ND, PIN 9759, ILC JFUW
View from access road
General view
Launch control support building viewed from gate
Vehicle garage
Location of former hardened UHF antenna
View of helipad from access road
View from helipad

Including the two I visited a few years ago, I have photographed alll 15 of the Grand Forks launch control facilities! When I arrived back at my room on Grand Forks AFB, I had covered 457 miles in 12 hours.

Monday, 7 September 2009

This was a lazy day; I didn't even depart lodging until 0900.

Grand Forks Defense Fuel Supply Point ND, ILC JFSE
Gate
Gate and sign
Boarded-up building
General view
General view

I only drove 36 miles in 1.15 hours, before turning in the car at GFK. The total was 764 driving miles on the rental car. I departed GFK at 1305 and made it home to DEN at 1806.

Updated April 20, 2025

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