Spanning nearly 45 years between 1947 and 1991, the Cold War was a period of intense geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. During this time, a fear of atomic bomb attacks was pulsing throughout the world, including right here in North Dakota. The confrontation between the US and USSR put our military on continuous alert, and the quiet, remote land of our state was placed directly on the front lines of the Cold War when Minuteman Missiles, destructive forces hidden beneath the landscape, were scattered across the prairie, turning it into a military and technological frontier. For 30 years, North Dakota was the site of 300 missiles, strategically placed for attack.

In the 1970s, the remote sprint launch, or RSL, missile site was constructed as part of the Stanley Mickelson Safeguard Complex, with the purpose of defending the Minuteman Missiles. RSL-3 consisted of four layers of security fencing, a massive 12,500 square foot bunker, a 16 silo sprint missile field, and a Limited Area Sentry Station, creating a juxtaposition between the industrial might and mechanistic strength underground and the above-ground fields of golden wheat and soybeans. For decades, people passed through this seemingly peaceful area unaware of the destructive force hidden beneath the landscape.

While RSL-3 was once a secret, it is now abandoned and open to the public. A must-see especially for those interested in the history of the Cold War, guided tours begin with an overview of the Stanley Mickelson Safeguard Complex and a short movie in the Limited Area Sentry Station. After touring the LASS, visitors can explore the Remote Operations Bunker, the missile field, and a full-scale 27-foot Nike Sprint Missile replica whose counterpart was capable of traveling over 7,000 miles per hour. The facility's presence changed Cold War History and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.