ND North News

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, is set to take part in a town hall meeting organized by the U.S. Air Force in Minot on August 26. The session aims to inform local landowners and community members about a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) currently underway and to provide an overview of the Sentinel Program, which could affect communities near Minot Air Force Base.

The U.S. Air Force began work on the supplemental EIS during the summer of 2025. This update addresses changes in design and facility locations that have occurred since the original EIS was completed in March 2023.

Senator Cramer expressed his appreciation for the Air Force’s efforts to engage with the public and gather feedback on the project. He stated, “Peace through strength is not just slogan or a weapon system, it’s a reputation,” adding, “The Sentinel program is an essential effort toward modernizing our nuclear deterrent capabilities, deterring our adversaries, and ensuring the effectiveness of our ICBM force for decades to come. Thank you to the Air Force and our brave Airmen who have contributed to the deterrence mission. I look forward to participating in a great discussion.”

The town hall will be held at 5:30 p.m. Central Time at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of Minot State University.

Other scheduled attendees include U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND); Col. James Schlabach, Commander of the 91st Missile Wing; Maj. Gen. Colin Connor, Director of ICBM Modernization at Barksdale AFB; Lt. Col. Nicholas Conover, Commander of Detachment 12 for Sentinel ICBM Site Activation Task Force; Lt. Col. Douglas Arnett, Legal Advisor for Sentinel Site Activation Task Force at F.E. Warren AFB; Kathryn Parks, Deputy Program Executive Officer for ICBMs at Hill AFB; Col. James Rodriguez, Senior Materiel Leader for Lower Sentinel Infrastructure & Deployment at Hill AFB; and Brekka Kramer, President & CEO of Minot Chamber Economic Development Corporation.