Maintenance is performed on a Minuteman III missile at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. More than 4,000 men and women support the operations of 150 intercontinental ballistic missiles spread over 13,800 square miles. (Photo by Michael Tolzmann)

By RICH LAMANCE

Special to Daily News

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Montana – They call this “Big Sky country,” with rolling plains, few trees and lots of, well, sky.

It’s also where the son of a Dowagiac couple calls home, with a job of protecting the U.S. in an area slightly larger than the state of Maryland.

Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. David J. Zawacki, son of Stan and Jean Zawacki, Pine Street, Dowagiac, is a maintenance specialist at this intercontinental ballistic missile base, one of only three remaining in the U.S.

The 341st Missile Wing is one of the largest units in the Air Force, with 150 Minuteman III missiles spread out over 13,800 square miles within 15 missile alert facilities, and more than 4,000 military and civilians, making it the largest complex of its kind in the western hemisphere.

Zawacki is assigned to the 341st Security Forces Support Squadron with the responsibility of vehicle maintenance.

“I work in the vehicle readiness center where I install and maintain security forces equipment on vehicles,” explained Zawacki. “I install public address systems, sirens and emergency lighting on vehicles.

“I’m actually an Air National Guardsman assigned to the 110th Civil Engineer Squadron out of Battle Creek. I’ve been temporarily assigned to Malmstrom to assist security forces.”

To support such a large operation requires help from just about every corner of the Air Force career specialties. Everything from admin to chefs, missile crewman, missile alert officers, security forces, helicopter pilots and maintenance, communications, services, medical and dental – it all adds up to one of the biggest support operations in the military.

“I think our mission here at Malmstrom is extremely important and I believe we do a good job of helping keep the base and all of the missile facilities secure.”

For Zawacki and other airmen stationed here, Montana is either one of the best places to be stationed or one of the worst.

Montana can be a haven for the outdoorsman and traveler with major national parks like Glacier and Yellowstone just a few hours away.

For others, being in an out-of-the way place like Malmstrom, with no major metropolis or urban centers nearby, can make a tour seem isolated.

“I enjoy Montana a lot, but I miss friends and family back in Michigan. My wife is originally from Great Falls, so we come here quite often.”

Zawacki has been in the Air Force for 22 years. “I’ve been stationed all over the world, to places like England, Turkey, South Korea, Israel, Las Vegas, Louisiana and Michigan. I spent 13 years on active duty and nine years with the Michigan Air National Guard.”