MAF

What does MAF stand for you may ask? Missile Alert Facility
To learn more about what a MAF is and its purpose visit this site.

While in AL visiting with family this past week, we watched the movie War Games. The basic story line is is about "David Lightman, a young hacker who unwittingly accesses WOPR, a United States military supercomputer programmed to predict possible outcomes of nuclear war. Lightman gets WOPR to run a nuclear war simulation, originally believing it to be a computer game. The simulation causes a national nuclear missile scare and nearly starts World War III." (Wikipedia)
The opening scenes of the movie take place in a MAF.
Getting to my point...
Back in mid-July, Janna and I went with Eddy to Whiteman AFB for his last work days for the year. While we were there we had the opportunity to tour the MAF and go down in the capsule. Seeing the movie War Games reminded me of our tour. It's a pretty neat experience to travel below the ground and see the rather small capsules in which AF teams operated. The MAF at Whiteman AFB and MAFs in the surrounding area are no longer in operation. Their use pretty much ended with the end of the Cold War. There are still functioning MAFs in locations like North Dakota that are sparsely populated.
When seeing a movie like War Games I'm sometimes naive enough to think that stuff isn't "real." However, after touring a MAF it's crazy to think about all the military things we have no idea about.

Shaft to climb down to the capsules.

"Worker" on the engine capsule side.

The diesel engine that keeps the capsules functioning.

Our tour guide in the computer/launch capsule.

IRKS system. Former top secret equipment.
I don't remember what it stands for.

Some of the computer equipment.

Janna standing in the doorway leading back to the elevator.

15 ton blast door.

Paintings by bored Airmen.
What else are you going to do
when you're stuck in an underground capsule
for a 24 hr shift.

Looking into capsule area from outside the blast door.

Looking into the computer room.

Model of the MAF and capsules.
Living Facility is small looking house above ground.
Below ground are the capsules.
Missile silo to the right.