HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — Military and civilian leaders from across the Department of War gathered at the Hill Aerospace Museum July 16, 2026, to activate Joint Task Force Castle and mark the assumption of command by Army Brig. Gen. William C. Hannan Jr., the organization’s first commander.
The ceremony formally established a new joint organization as part of a strategic partnership between the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support the Sentinel program, the nation’s next-generation, ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile system.
During his remarks, Hannan reflected on the historical role of the USACE in supporting strategic weapons programs. He drew comparisons between JTF Castle and earlier organizations such as the USACE Ballistic Missile Construction Office established in 1960 for construction of Atlas, Titan and Minuteman ICBM infrastructure.
“Today, Joint Task Force Castle is activating with 18 people similar to that day in 1960, and is ready for the monumental task of modernizing our nuclear missile infrastructure,” Hannan said.
He emphasized the importance of close integration between the Air Force and USACE, noting the task force was intentionally established as a joint organization to ensure unity of effort across the Sentinel enterprise.
“This will absolutely be one team delivering all of these important weapon systems,” Hannan said.
Pete Sturdivant, director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Infrastructure for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center and civilian deputy of the task force, described the activation as a historic milestone in the continuing partnership between the Air Force and the USACE.
“Fielding the Sentinel system while keeping the Minuteman III system on alert is conceptually straightforward,” Sturdivant said. “But the scale, complexity and execution risks make it one of the most significant undertakings in our nation’s history.”
Sturdivant said the task force will focus on building strong partnerships across government, industry and local communities while delivering the infrastructure required to support national defense objectives.
“(Joint) Task Force Castle is committed to being a trusted strategic partner, finding efficiencies over bureaucracy and prioritizing execution of mission over complacency,” he said.
The event brought together senior leaders from the Air Force, USACE, AFNWC, local communities and industry partners. During the ceremony, the task force’s activation order was read, the unit colors were uncased and Hannan formally assumed command of the newly activated task force.
JTF Castle will serve as the DoW’s integrated organization responsible for delivering critical infrastructure required to field the Sentinel weapon system. The task force combines USACE and Air Force leadership and expertise in military construction and program management, overseeing one of the nation’s largest and most complex modernization efforts.
The activation marks a significant milestone in the recapitalization of the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad. Operating from Hill AFB and integrated within the Sentinel program, the task force will support real estate activities and technical oversight as well as military construction projects, including utility corridors, launch facilities, launch control centers and Sentinel’s supporting infrastructure across multiple missile wings and associated facilities throughout the U.S.
JTF Castle has become the latest example of joint-service collaboration supporting strategic deterrence modernization. As the organization begins operations, its leaders emphasized a shared commitment to delivering the infrastructure necessary to support the Sentinel program and strengthen the nation’s long-term security.
“We will only accept victory to deliver the infrastructure for this absolutely critical program,” Hannan said.
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