California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories

Detachment 1, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-based Midcourse Defense)

by Sharon Watkins Lang

Command Historian, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT)

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD)

 

The 100th Missile Defense Brigade officially stood up in 2003, with a flag unfurling ceremony conducted on 16 October 2003. A multicomponent unit composed of active component and Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion (GMD), manned by Alaska National Guard Soldiers was subsequently activated in January 2004.

 

At this point there is no mention of a Detachment 1 or the proposal to establish a Detachment 1, the original manning documents only identified Colorado and Alaska. There are however occasional references to a future deployment of four defense missiles, which would be on alert at Vandenberg. And, as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense test program progressed, the Missile Defense Agency emplaced the first GMD interceptor at the Vandenberg AFB site on 10 December 2004.
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The first mention of a unit at Vandenberg ("a small contingency force element of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade at Vandenberg Air Force Base) comes in October 2005 and a story about Northern Edge exercises conduced in August of that year. The article notes that "a five-Soldier team deployed to augment the current two-person liaison team during the crisis. All five members were certified to man the operations center and to arm the ground-based interceptors inside each silo." The "Vandenberg Augmentation Detachment enabled the enlarged group to assume 24-hour operations. As MAJ Martin Bortolutti, the 100th Missile Defense Brigade's liaison officer noted, "NORTHERN EDGE provided a unique opportunity for the brigade to deploy this detachment for the first time. During times of increased tension, or war, its crucial to provide the essential manpower at Vandenberg Air Force Base for an indefinite timeline. This allows the brigade to maintain better combat effectiveness for the ballistic missile fight by maintaining constant information flow."

In October 2005, the USASMDC/ARSTRAT issued a Press Release which discusses the duties of the two liaison officers from the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) who serve at Vandenberg on TDY assignments. Representing the Brigade, "SSGT Eddie Negron and I" work with the Missile Defense Flight, contract civilians "designed to support all GMD operations on the Base. The LNOs "monitor all GMD assets located on the base including the Command Launch Equipment, IFICS Data Terminal and missile Silos." They also assist Boeing in the ground-based interceptor transition process during combat and crisis situations.

 

On 10 April 2006, the Director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering (USAF) dedicated the missile defense facilities at Vandenberg AFB as the "Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site." Mrs. Nancy Reagan, widow of the former president also participated in the ceremony. At that time, the site consisted of a complex with four silos housing two interceptor missiles. Meanwhile, "the other two silos will be used for operationally realistic testing but can be equipped with operational interceptors." On the 25th anniversary of President Reagan's SDI speech, 27 March 2008, the Air Force and the MDA unveiled a memorial plaque and a bust of President Reagan at the Reagan Missile Defense Site. Del Puente observation site. Lt. Gen Obering returned to Vandenberg for this joint Air Force/MDA ceremony, which included a color guard from the 100th Missile Defense (GMD) BDE support detachment performing the initial flag raising.

Two months later, the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD) and the 49th Missile Defense Battalion (GMD) were brought to operational level, for the first time, by U.S. Northern Command in response to the Korean missile crisis. The crisis, which culminated on 4 July, as North Korea launched seven test missiles (6 on 4 July and 1 on 5 July). All missiles fell short and landed in the Sea of Japan. In Alaska, Echo crew was on duty on the day of the launch. According to MDA records the system remained on operational status for 54 days, which at that time was the second longest period of active service for a missile defense system following the October 1975 - February 1976 period of the SAFEGUARD system.

The first live GMD interceptor, fired by 100th Missile Defense personnel, was launched from Vandenberg on 1 September 2006 by Soldiers from Schriever AFB, Colorado. This was a flight test designed to gather data on tracking and targeting mechanisms.

As stated in the National Guard Bureau Organizational Authority No. 150-08, dated 10 June 2008, "under the provisions of Title 32 United States Code, Section 104, and with the consent of the Governors, the troop allotments to Colorado and California are changed as indicated below effective 16 May 2008." With this order, the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD) Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) reorganized and became two separate units. These were the HHB 100th Missile Defense Brigade located in Colorado Spring, Colorado and Detachment 1, HHB, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (GMD), assigned to Vandenberg AFB, California. Beginning in June, Detachment 1, 100th Missile Defense Brigade (IGMD) was officially established and seven Soldiers and their families moved to Vandenberg AFB to begin 24 hour operations. In this transfer the Soldiers became members of the California National Guard and the only army unit assigned to Vandenberg.

It was not however until 13 May 2011 that Detachment 1 was officially activated and unfurled its guidon in a combined activation/change of command ceremony. As COL Gregory Bowen, Commander, 100th Missile Defense (GMD), observed that although the detachment had been operating since 2008 out of California, it was not recognized by the Army as an official unit. It was necessary to resubmit the GMD manning document to the Secretary of the Army for approval, before California could be legally added. That process finally concluded in March 2011 and Detachment 1 could be formally activated.

CPT Orlando Cobos, who began his command as one of the TDY Soldiers from Colorado almost four years earlier, was then presented with the new Detachment One guidon. He subsequently, transferred the guidon to his successor CPT William Palermo. At this time, Detachment 1 was "a full-time duty station with plans to add more Soldiers to handle the mission." According to the FY16 Historical Report for the 100th Missile Defense BDE, Detachment 1 had grown to an authorized strength of 14 Soldier.

In 2015, one of those 14 Soldiers was recognized as the Missile Defender of the Year by the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. SSGT Norman Perkins, of Detachment 1, received the award from LTG Michael D. Dubie, Deputy Commander, of U.S. Northern Command, on 10 January in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Ronald Reagan Missile Site was once again at the forefront in on 30 May 2017. On that date, a Ground-Based Interceptor launched from Vandenberg successfully intercepted an ICBM launched from Kwajalein Atoll, in Flight Test Ground-based Interceptor -15. This was the first successful intercept of an ICBM by the GMD system. The intercept was achieved by a five Soldier crew stationed at Schriever AFB, Colorado.

 

 

Detachment One (California Army National Guard Unit formed in 2007/2008?)

Formally recognized/activated by the Army in 2011.
Guidon unfurled 13 May 2011 at Vandenberg AFB, California

 

Commanders:

Capt. Aaron Gatzke: (1 August 2018 - present)
Capt William J. Smith: (1 July 2017 - 1 August 2018)
CPT Kurtiss Clark: (23 June 2015 - 1 July 2017)
1LT Juan Andrini: (30 May 2013 - 23 June 2015)
CPT William Palermo: (13 May 2011 - 30 May 2013)
CPT Orlando Cobos: (? 2007 - 13 May 2011)

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Written 4 April 2019

Posted 22 March 2020