565th SMS

The 565th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS) was an intercontinental ballistic missile unit of the United States Air Force. Activated in 1961 at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, the squadron operated LGM-30B Minuteman I missiles as part of the nation’s nuclear deterrence strategy during the Cold War. The 565th SMS maintained a high level of readiness until it was inactivated in 1965 as the Air Force modernized its missile forces and reorganized its strategic assets. Throughout its brief but significant existence, the squadron contributed to the United States’ strategic deterrent posture during a critical period of superpower tensions.