Photo By Airman Enso Valle | (From left to right): Brent Korte, president and chief executive officer of Korte...... read more read more
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The Air Force officially broke ground on its largest military construction project August 17, 2026, here, in support of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program during a groundbreaking ceremony.
The event marked thestart ofconstructionfora new,state-of-the-art,more than170,000-square-foot facility to support Second Air Force and Air Education and Training Command’sSentinelICBM Formal Training Unit. Once complete, the FTU will serve as the instructional hub for America’s next generation of land-based nuclear deterrence, providing initial skills training for missile operators and advanced technical curriculum for missile maintainers asthey transition to the Sentinel weapon system.
Speaking on behalf of the Vandenberg-based Sentinel Task Force Detachment 9, Lt. Col. Suzy Lamar said this milestone is a critical step in modernizing the nation’s nuclear triad.
“This groundbreakingmilestoneis a visible testament to thecontinuedmomentum behind the Sentinel program,” said Lamar, the detachment’s commander. “Our task force is sharply focused on ensuring a seamless, coordinated site transition from the Minuteman IIIto Sentinel, and capitalizing on the physical progress we see here today is essential to making that operational shift a reality.”
Managing the Sentinel ICBM transition and integration efforts falls totheSentinel Task Force,which was activated at Vandenberg on March 6, 2025. The task forceis responsible foroverseeing and coordinating the daily activities for local transition planning to deactivate legacy Minuteman III operational sites while deploying the Sentinel weapon system in an efficient andtimelymanner.
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together military, industry and local civic leaders, alongside representatives from state and federal congressional offices, to commemorate the project’s kickoff and highlight the strong community partnership driving the Sentinel mission forward.
During the ceremony, attendees heard remarks from key leaders guiding the strategic transition, including Space Force Col. James Horne III, Space Launch Delta 30 commander; Col. Richard Morrison, Air Force Global Strike Command’s A10 directorate deputy director;as well as Lamar.
Following the remarks, speakers were joined by key project partners –ArmyCol. Joshua P. Bost, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District commander; Lt. Col. Luke Oman, 532nd Training Squadron commander; Daniel Gilstrap, Joint Task Force Castle; ThorKooda, Sentinel System Program Office; and Brent Korte, Chief Executive Officer of the Korte Company. Together, eachdonnedhard hatswhile holdingceremonialshovelswhere theyturnedtheproject’sfirst dirt, officially launching construction.
Speaking during the groundbreaking, Horne highlighted the strategic necessity of the new facility and the deep history of the installation.
“Vandenberg wasestablishedas a missile training and test basenearly sevendecades ago during the first missile age. Today, we are preparing to train the force that will lead us into the Sentinel era,” said Horne III. “For Space Launch Delta 30, this groundbreaking is also part of a much larger transformation across Vandenberg. We are modernizing infrastructure, expanding capacity and strengthening installation support to meet the growing demands of space training, space launch and missile testing, and all the strategic missions we support, ensuring every mission partner has what it needs to operate from America’s Western Test Range and spaceport of the future.” The facility, slated to open in the early 2030s, aims to streamline future ICBM training through the integration of student instruction and lab curriculums. Through this consolidation, the Air Force plans to increase instructional collaboration while maximizing overall training efficiency to support ICBM training.
“The FTU, a state-of-the-art facility, will completely transform how we develop our nuclear warriors,” saidOman.
Byconsolidatingoperations and maintenance training under one roof,Oman saidthe new facility willeliminatestudent transit times and spark daily collaboration between instructors and students.
“This highly digital, modernized infrastructure ensures that Second Air Force is delivering combat-ready Airmen who are fully prepared to operate and maintain the Sentinel system on day one.”
| Date Taken: | 09.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2026 17:59 |
| Story ID: | 573725 |
| Location: | VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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