Strategic Air Command thumb|130px|Minuteman III missile at GFAFB entrance On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. Many of these bases were near the U.S. border with Canada; those close to GFAFB in the north central U.S. were Minot and Glasgow to the west, and three in Michigan to the east (Sawyer, Kinchloe, and Wurtsmith).
STrategiC air cOmmAnd thumB|130px|MinUtEmAN iii MissIlE at gFAfb entrancE on 1 SePteMbeR 1958, the StRateGic aIR command (SaC) esTablished tHe 4133D strAtegIc wiNG at gRAND FORKs as pArt Of Its Plan To diSPersE iTs b-52 heavy boMbErs over a lArger numBeR oF baSeS, thUs makIng it mOre DIffIculT for The soviet uniOn tO kNocK out thE enTiRe fLeet WItH a sURprise fIrST strIKE. mANy of these Bases weRe NeAR the u.s. BOrDer WiTH canada; ThoSE CLoSe TO gfafb iN ThE NorTH ceNtrAL u.S. were mInot anD GlAsgow To tHe West, aNd three in MICHiGan To thE eaST (SaWyer, kinChLOe, AND WuRtsmiTh).