Maxwell Air Force Base has launched its new mission of preparing pilots and crews to fly the MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter, an advanced aircraft that will protect the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile fields in five states.

A ceremony on the base Friday commemorated the new mission for the 908th Airlift Wing. The role of training aviators for the Grey Wolf replaces the 908th Airlift Wing’s previous mission as home base for C-130 Hercules transport planes.

The change was announced almost four years ago, setting in motion an expansive effort to get Maxwell ready for the new responsibility.

Todd Taylor, who oversaw the transition to the Grey Wolf mission as director of the 908th Airlift Wing’s program integration office, said he started working on the project in May 2021.

“Most of that time has been just research, preparing, planning,” Taylor said. “Building execution plans, training plans, financial plans.. So the impact of today, to see aircraft on the ground, flying operations, training operations – the wing actually changing and becoming a helicopter organization – is really significant for the team that’s been responsible for managing this process for three years already.”

A ceremony that included remarks from Lt. Gen. John Healy, commander of the Air Force Reserve, and several others, was followed by a reception where people could see one of the new helicopters up close and pose for photos.

The Grey Wolf will replace the UH-1N “Huey” helicopter. The Grey Wolf cruises 50% faster, flies 50% further, has a 30% larger cabin, and can lift 5,000 pounds more than the Huey, according to the Air Force.

“The bottom line is, it’s a step up, which we would expect,” said Col. Ryan Richardson, commander of the 42nd Air Base Wing, which supports all the 43 missions at Maxwell. “It’s a new aircraft. It’s a new weapons system. It’s faster, safer, arguably more lethal. And obviously we want the safest weapon system for our air crews to execute their missions.”

The crews trained to fly the Grey Wolf will provide security and support for the nation’s ICBM fields in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, and Nebraska, according to the Air Force.

Taylor said the responsibility for supplying trained pilots and crews to the Air Force Global Strike Command, which is responsible for the ICBMs, makes the 908th Airlift Wing a vital cog in the nation’s defense.

”Maxwell is right there at the forefront to making sure that our national security and nuclear surety is covered,” Taylor said.

Richardson said support from political and community leaders has helped Maxwell get ready for its new mission. The base is a major economic engine for Montgomery and the surrounding counties.

“The whole of the River Region has embraced this mission in much the same way they’ve embraced the F-35 coming to the 187th Fighter Wing just down the road at Dannelly,” Richardson said.