Tuesday’s Quick Hits

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Greetings! Here are the topics for today’s common-sense commentary:

  • The Sentinel ICBM
  • Unintentional Shootings by Children
  • Best & Worst States for Doctors
  • Basketball & Basketball

THE SENTINEL ICBM:

In case you haven’t heard, the U.S. Air Force is replacing the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. The Sentinel ICBM represents the modernization of the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad. (Source)

Malmstrom Air Force Base (MAFB) has 150 Minuteman III missiles that are due to be replaced in the next few years with the Sentinel. This should be exciting news for Montana and Great Falls which is where MAFB is located. This means an influx of workers to replace the Minuteman III missiles and that MAFB will remain a viable part of our nation’s nuclear deterrence for years and years to come.

The Hill recently did a piece on the program and I think they found the two most negative people they could find in Montana to comment about the missile upgrade. They contacted Walter Schweitzer, current Montana Farmers Union President and brother of former Governor Brian Schweitzer, and Great Falls City Commissioner Rick Tryon.

Schweitzer said the Air Force has “danced around” community questions concerning public safety, housing and road maintenance, as the military prepares to bring thousands of workers to their city.

You can guess what Tryon talked about…

The Hill reported that in Montana, work at Malmstrom is primarily going to impact two communities: Great Falls and Lewistown. The Air Force held town halls there in January to discuss Sentinel.
But Rick Tryon, a Great Falls city commissioner, said his concerns were not adequately addressed at the town hall and that the Air Force told him there was no money in the budget for public safety.
“We are a little behind in adequately funding our public safety,” Tryon said, adding that his city has around 100 police officers in a community of roughly 60,000 people. “Everybody understands that before this happens, we’ve got to do something to beef up our public safety here, locally.”
“And the way it stands right now, there’s no plan from the Air Force or the federal folks to do that.”

I know that Tryon gets ticked off when someone talks about “whining” but that is what he and Schweitzer are doing. It would be great if they showed support for the project – a project that will keep Malmstrom open and provide the state with millions of dollars. I’m sure the feds will address their needs as the time to start the project gets closer. Besides, with U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana chairing the Defense Appropriations Committee, I’m sure the needs of the community will be addressed without the whining of two people who know very little about the military.

By the way, I worked at two ICBM bases during my time in the U.S. Air Force, plus I was a staffer for U.S. Senator Conrad Burns and dealt with military and defense issues on his behalf.

You can read The Hill report HERE.

UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTINGS BY CHILDREN:

NBC News is reporting that at least 157 people were killed and 270 were injured last year in unintentional shootings by children, according to Everytown, an advocacy group for firearm safety.

The children who pulled the trigger were most often teenagers ages 14 to 17 or children ages 5 and under, according to Everytown’s data, which is compiled from media reports. Roughly half of the incidents involved children who shot themselves. In the other half, someone else was injured or killed — usually another child.

Freedom…

Read the complete report from NBC News plus a link to the Everytown data HERE

BEST & WORST STATES FOR DOCTORS:

Color me surprised when I read the 2024 WalletHub report that lists the best and worst states for doctors.

WalletHub reports that to identify the best states for doctors (and for patients who want the best care), WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 19 key metrics. The data set ranges from the average annual wage of physicians to the number of hospitals per capita to the quality of the public hospital system.

Montana was ranked #1.

Check out the full report from WalletHub HERE.

BASKETBALL & BASKETBALL:

Besides what I wrote about yesterday, two additional teams from Montana made postseason tournaments.

The Montana Lady Griz are playing in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). They will host Boise State on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. More info can be found HERE.

The Montana Griz men’s basketball team will continue its season at the Ro College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event will take place March 23-27 with all games in the 15-team field being played at the Ocean Center. More info can be found HERE.

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5 thoughts on “Tuesday’s Quick Hits”

  2. I worked all over the state on various missile sites for many years. My Union and Boeing put together some training classes in preparation for the different work on the sites. I worked for Falls Construction when the built a trailer park for the influx of workers. It’s now Countryside village. I’m not aware any of that caused the City much hardship.

  3. You would certainly not think Montana was #1 for doctors based on how often primary care docs at the Clinic or Benefis quit to move elsewhere and you have to pick a new one. If they even have one accepting new patients. Things must be awesome in other Montana cities.

      • I think our last infection doctor left too. Kinda scary when you go septic. 

        But I will say this. The doctors in this town saved my life three times. I have had nothing but outstanding care through eight surgeries. I wake up every morning knowing I wouldn’t be here if not for their dedication. I’m very appreciative.

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