[jabits]

This is a remarkably real view of the Minuteman Launch Control Center in the early to mid-80s for sure. The accompanying audio is realistic as well except all six comm systems would be blaring at once and several printers would be clacking away… It was very intense, demanding job.

I was a Launch Control Officer for five years in the mid-80s out of FE Warren AFB in Cheyenne WY. My squadron was the 320th Strategic Missile Squadron with all 5 capsules and 50 missiles were physically in western NE, with the furthest over 100 miles away in Sidney NE. I spent 335 days underground over the 5 year period.

[choeger]

Considering that when the launch order came, MAD had probably already failed: Would you have obeyed the order and killed a few million people?

[jabits]

I’ve oftened wondered that over the years. Maybe that’s why the young ones are usually on the front lines. Another related possibly more difficult, is how many of us would have turned the key without prior world tensions occurring. Before each alert we received a pre-departure briefing on current world conditions. I think an out-of-the-blue order would have been very difficult… We periodically lost a crew member due to internal personal changes with respect to one’s willingness to follow through. One of my early Commanders pulled himself off and left the service to become a Greek Orthodox priest and is still at it today.

[squigz]

Are there procedures in place for if the person in charge of a launch center decides not to launch?

[implements]

(Not speaking for the actual expert) - I think I read that missiles require two separate Launch Control Facilities (LCF) to turn keys for immediate launch, but will eventually launch after a (classified) delay if just one does (unless vetoed by other LCFs in the same group).

[jabits]

This is roughly correct. In addition to the immediate ground launch crew votes (in reality a squadron is 5 launch centers, i.e. capsules, all interconnected to a total of 50 missiles, and as stated two launch control centers need to successfully “vote”), there is always an airborne launch control center flying over ready to provide a second vote after a specific time-out period. In fact one of our primary nuclear safety and control concerns was to keep refreshing the ALCC access timer.

[implements]

Thanks. I did wonder what the launch veto system was actually for? - working from the assumption that it would be procedurally impossible for a crew to successfully vote for a launch without receiving the correct authorisation codes from an external source first. (I guess it suggested to me that a rogue launch could technically happen, but given any system can go wrong (machinery or operators) perhaps it just made sense to have as many inhibitory safety systems as possible).

[dmd]

Did you not have drills where you weren’t told it was a drill?

[jabits]

No we did not. We were heavily trained and frequently evaluated but never believing it was real in that sense. Things happen in the world for which increased level of readiness occurred, but as the fixed pillar of the Strategic Triad, we were always in a higher state of readiness.

[Enginerrrd]

If I recall correctly, this was actually a problem they identified a while back, where they found out there was a high degree of failing to follow the launch orders. They've solved it by creating routine drills where an order comes in, and operators have to enter the code and turn the keys, not knowing if it's actually a drill or the real thing.

[CapitalistCartr]

Wow, I was there at the same time as a 46350. The Northern Tier was a (unappreciated) masterpiece of the Cold War.

[jabits]

I have to believe it was pretty stressful on your end too! One of the biggest pressures of the job was dealing with all the classified and the stuff you had to deal was the same I’m sure.

Hope you are well!

[_boffin_]

Recommend any good non-fiction or even fiction books that talk about these experiences?

[rurp]

Command and Control by Schlosser is a great book about nuclear weapon strategy and policy during the cold war. Much of the book is about a disaster at a large ICBM silo. It's both fascinating and terrifying.