Feb. 19—CHEYENNE — Col. Johnny Galbert began his role as commander of the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in June. On Friday, he shared his current priorities for the base at a Military Affairs Committee luncheon hosted by the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce.

He said his top priorities include taking care of airmen and their families, sustaining Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), nuclear modernization and strengthening community engagement.

“We take great pride in supporting 4,300 family members and roughly 29,000 active-duty, reserve, family members and retirees around the community,” Galbert said. “Whether they’ll be coming up on the base to get their prescription medication, or shopping at the BX [Base Exchange] or commissary. That is of the utmost priority for me, is to take care of our airmen and their families.”

However, he said it has become increasingly difficult in recent years to get things done for airmen and their families.

“You see a ton of people coming to visit the base,” he said. “We’re always advocating up to the highest levels to make sure we can push through that bureaucratic process so that we’re able to take care of airmen and families.”

In December 2023, the Air Force raised the basic housing allowance by 5.4%. At F.E. Warren, this provides financial support to the most junior airmen, from E1 to E4, to help with monthly housing expenses. Nationally, the program is intended to cover 95% of housing costs. According to the Air & Space Forces Magazine, that means troops’ out-of-pocket expenses for housing range from $85 to $194 per month for 2024.

Galbert said his mission to open up the base will also support his priority of strengthening community engagement.

“What I’d like to do is to get as many people on the base to highlight our amazing airmen and our wonderful mission that we do each and every day,” he said.

He mentioned several ways to support this through community-based programs like Adopt An Airman, Fort D.A. Russell Days and airshows, as well as working with community nonprofits like Meals on Wheels.

More than 4,200 people work at F.E. Warren, and Galbert said the base generates $529 million annually for the community.

Another one of his priorities is sustaining the Minuteman III missiles. They generally have a 10-year lifespan, and Galbert said that some on the base have been around for nearly 56 years. Although the Air Force is slated to replace the Minuteman III ICBMs with the new Sentinel missiles, he said it is crucial to continue to maintain the existing missiles during the 10-year replacement project.

“It’s taking quite a bit to maintain Minuteman III. So, some of those two- and three-hour jobs are turned into six- and seven-hour jobs on top of the weather, on top of the 152-mile drive. And a lot of people don’t realize that, hey, Minuteman III has to be around until Sentinel is fully operational. So, that could be another 10 or 12 years. Who knows? And so we can’t just take our eyes off of Minuteman III and focus on Sentinel, the new ICBM,” Galbert said. “We have to continue to fight and advocate for all the equipment, the pieces, the parts, the manning, all the resources that we need in order to keep Minuteman III viable.”

The final priority he highlighted Friday is nuclear modernization. This means bringing in new equipment and gear, as well as updating older ones to ensure fail-proof support of the base mission.

In addition to Sentinel, the base is also expecting new helicopters, the MH-139 “Grey Wolf,” to replace the Vietnam-era Hueys. F.E. Warren also received new joint light tactical vehicles, totaling around 27 currently on the base.

“So, lots of nuclear modernization going on, even military construction on the base, as well,” he said.

Galbert got his start in the Air Force in 2001 at F.E. Warren. He has been stationed at bases around the country, and is now on his third stint in Cheyenne.

“This is my third time at F.E. Warren. I’ve had a blast each and every time. This community has always welcomed me and treated me like their own.”

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Noah Zahn is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s local government/business reporter. He can be reached at 307-633-3128 or nzahn@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on X @NoahZahnn.