MINOT, N.D. (AP)  Vice President Mike Pence is vowing that the U.S. will keep up economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Pence spoke to airmen at North Dakota’s Minot Air Force Base on Friday. The visit marked the second by a top Trump administration official in the past six weeks. The base is home to both B-52 bombers and intercontinental nuclear missiles.

With a huge B-52 in the background, Pence thanked the roughly 250 assembled airmen for their service. He told them President Donald Trump is committed to maintaining America’s nuclear powers as a force for peace.

Pence’s visit to the Minot base coincided with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ visit to the Demilitarized Zone that separates North Korea from South Korea. Mattis accused North Korea of threatening global order and said the Trump administration remains committed to compelling the North to accept complete nuclear disarmament.

 

Previously…

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is planning a visit to North Dakota.

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven says Pence will visit Minot Air Force Base on Friday.

Hoeven is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and co-chairman of the Senate Air Force Caucus. He and Pence will review the Minot base’s nuclear missions.

The base is home to B-52 bombers and also oversees Intercontinental Ballistic Missile silos throughout the North Dakota countryside.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Defense Secretary James Mattis visited the Minot base earlier this month.

 

Hoeven Statement….

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and co-chair of the Senate Air Force Caucus, today announced that Vice President Mike Pence will visit the Minot Air Force Base Friday morning. Hoeven plans to join Pence to review the dual-nuclear missions of the air base, which is home to both B-52 bombers and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silos. The Vice President will meet with the base leadership and address the airmen. Details regarding media availability will be provided by the Vice President’s office later this week.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (Oct. 25, 2017) – Gov. Doug Burgum will welcome Vice President Mike Pence to North Dakota on Friday during his visit to Minot Air Force Base.

Burgum will join Vice President Pence as he receives a mission briefing from Minot Air Force Base leaders and addresses the airmen during his first visit to the base and first stop in North Dakota as vice president.

“We’re grateful to Vice President Pence for coming to North Dakota to see firsthand the essential role that the highly skilled men and women at Minot Air Force Base play in our national security,” Burgum said. “The nuclear deterrent provided by the 91st Missile Wing’s intercontinental ballistic missile silos and the 5th Bomb Wing’s B-52 bombers remains a critical component of our national defense strategy. As a former governor of Indiana, Vice President Pence also understands the vital importance of military bases, their personnel and their families to our states and communities, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to North Dakota.”