296:
320:
308:
125:
away (Peacekeeper, Minuteman). In the underground environment, crews dealt with artificial lighting, recycled air, loud noises, and intimately close quarters (in
Minuteman and Peacekeeper) with equipment racks. The Atlas F was in an underground silo, along with the launch crew quarters, separated by a tunnel.
116:
in
Arizona, and McConnell AFB in Kansas. 18 Titan II Missile sites were supported by each base. Each missile complex was organized near a missile support base (MSB). Crews would gather on the base, receive briefings and equipment, and travel out to their alert location by either truck or helicopter.
115:
were built in population-sparse locations, such as the
Northern Tier (Washington, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota), Midwest (Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Colorado) and the Southwest (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico). Titan II sites were supported by Little Rock AFB in Arkansas, Davis-Monthan AFB
102:
UMT was performed by the 4315th Combat Crew
Training Squadron/392d Training Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, California and lasted 13 weeks. UQT/UOT was held at the missile base(s) the personnel was assigned to, and conducted by local instructors, lasting three or four weeks. Recurring training happened
74:
From the early days of United States missile crew operations until the late 1970s, the career field was closed to female personnel. Changes were implemented to allow for full female crews on both Titan II and
Minuteman/Peacekeeper crews. In 1978 the restriction of having women on crew was lifted for
251:
Very little is publicly known about Soviet/Russian missile crew members. Following Soviet doctrine, launch control functions are entrusted to higher-ranking officers (lieutenant colonel equivalents), in contrast to United States policy of entrusting lower-ranking officers (captains and lieutenants)
124:
The missile launch control environment also varied by system. Early missiles such as Thor and Atlas, relied on support facilities above ground, with crews protected in a shelter of some sort. Later systems were buried underground, either with the missiles located nearby (i.e. Titan) or a distance
133:
Peacekeeper and Titan II alerts were usually 24-hour tours, with additional time required for briefings at the MSB, and travel time to and from site. Minuteman crews were on 40 hour alerts with additional time required for briefings at the MSB, and travel time to and from site. An experiment with
158:
Each missile crew had at least two officers on-site operating the equipment: the missile combat crew commander (MCCC) and deputy missile combat crew commander (DMCCC). The earlier systems, such as Atlas, Thor and Titan, required more personnel to monitor increasingly complex systems (as listed
221:
missile crews numbered two: the MCCC and DMCCC. Tasks within the system technical orders were sometimes labeled for each crew position, although the majority of tasks could be accomplished by either member.
150:
ICBM crews were feasible; before OIL CHANGE, three crew members were needed (MCCC, DMCCC, Alternate MCCC). The test ended in mid-1968, with the OIL CHANGE recommendations implemented 29 November 1968.
71:
The first missile combat crews were composed of trained aviators (e.g., B-47, B-36), but later generations had no aviation experience and were "grown" to be missileers from the start of their careers.
55:
which provides a survivable launch capability for the
Minuteman ICBM force. Crew size varies among the different missile systems, but the number is always greater than one, to abide by
563:
522:
238:
aircraft. The
Missile Combat Crew-Airborne consists of the Missile Combat Crew Command-Airborne (MCCC-A) and the Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander-Airborne (DMCCC-A).
51:
located throughout the country. There are also a select few missileers that have the chance to become part of a
Missile Combat Crew-Airborne (MCC-A) operating the
573:
39:
systems (IRBMs and ICBMs, respectively). In the United States, personnel, officially coded as
Nuclear and Missile Operations Officers (
470:
501:
392:
558:
414:
Air Force
Historical Research Agency - Semi-annual History of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing, K-WG-44-HI Jan-Jun 88 Vol 1.
443:
Issacs, Terry. (1993) "Silos and Shelters in the Pecos Valley: The Atlas ICBM in Chaves County, New Mexico, 1960-1965".
295:
36:
543:
423:
568:
517:
336:
307:
319:
235:
231:
52:
382:
F.E. Warren AFB Public Affairs: "Special child participates in first 'Missileer for a Day' tour", 26 June 2007
351:
112:
48:
404:
Air Force Historical Research Agency: "A Study of Females on Minuteman/Peacekeeper Crews", 31 January 1985
403:
40:
44:
527:
371:
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: "The Ever-ready Nuclear Missileer", Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 14-21
143:
76:
381:
218:
8:
370:
518:
Airforce.com: Description of Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer career field profile
79:
relieved restrictions on same-sex crew pairings, into "mixed" crews on January 1, 1988.
261:
265:
532:
523:
AF.mil: On eight deployments per month, missileer provides nuclear deterrence article
497:
467:
134:
72-hour tours was started in 2006 but was ended sometime later for unknown reasons.
341:
214:
147:
491:
474:
273:
552:
346:
284:
Nothing is publicly known about Chinese ICBM personnel or their activities.
111:
Locations of United States missile launch complexes varied by system. Most
60:
456:
424:
Air Force Link: "Missile squadron poised for 72-hour alerts", 2 Oct 2006
103:
continually on a monthly basis, and was conducted by local instructors.
537:
264:, including personnel issues. The land-based deterrent, consisting of
167:
The Atlas-F silo-based variant had a crew complement of five members:
56:
75:
the Titan ICBM. Recognizing the limitations in personnel scheduling,
528:
CBS News: 60 minutes - 'Who's minding the nukes?' (April 27th, 2013)
269:
468:
Center for Defense Information: Current World Nuclear Arsenals
540:- Virtual Coffee-house for missileers and interested parties
434:
AFHRA: 351st Strategic Missile Wing History, Oct-Dec 1968
27:), is a team of highly trained specialists, often called
564:
Intercontinental ballistic missiles of the United States
544:
Air Force Link: "Peace is our profession" photo article
493:
Titan Tales: Diary of a Titan II Missile Crew Commander
457:
Donald Boelling, "Titan II Missile Combat Crew", 2007
234:is operated by an airborne missileer crew aboard
225:
550:
87:Combat crew training consisted of three phases,
202:Ballistic Missile Analyst Technician (BMAT)
183:Electric Power Production Technician (EPPT)
177:Ballistic Missile Analyst Technician (BMAT)
574:United States nuclear command and control
63:for positive control of nuclear weapons.
47:, operate underground missile systems at
209:
146:to test if two-person 36-hour tour for
551:
489:
272:missiles was deactivated by President
241:
119:
142:OIL CHANGE was a test implemented by
137:
301:Missile crew member opens blast door
205:Missile Facilities Technician (MFT).
89:Undergraduate Missile Training (UMT)
538:Mercenary-Missileer: Missile Forums
447:, October 1993 Volume 68, number 4.
313:Briefing of 91st Missile Wing crews
260:Little is publicly known about the
180:Missile Facilities Technician (MFT)
153:
13:
483:
37:Intercontinental ballistic missile
35:, staffing Intermediate Range and
14:
585:
511:
246:
16:Team in charge of an ICBM station
533:Airman Magazine: In Silent Alert
393:LGM-30G Minuteman III Fact Sheet
318:
306:
294:
287:
461:
337:Air Force Global Strike Command
192:Titan II crews numbered four:
450:
437:
428:
417:
408:
397:
386:
375:
364:
236:Airborne Launch Control Center
232:Airborne Launch Control System
226:Airborne Launch Control System
128:
53:Airborne Launch Control System
1:
357:
352:Missile launch control center
445:New Mexico Historical Review
106:
7:
559:Nuclear command and control
330:
252:with day-to-day functions.
99:), and recurring training.
93:Unit Qualification Training
82:
10:
590:
66:
255:
97:Unit Orientation Training
279:
187:
162:
569:United States Air Force
325:Minuteman crew on alert
45:United States Air Force
113:launch control centers
49:launch control centers
490:Womack, John (1997).
210:Minuteman/Peacekeeper
77:Strategic Air Command
496:. Soliloquy Press.
242:Global counterparts
120:Working environment
21:missile combat crew
473:2010-02-21 at the
276:in February 1996.
262:French ICBM system
138:Project OIL CHANGE
503:978-0-9655546-0-2
581:
507:
477:
465:
459:
454:
448:
441:
435:
432:
426:
421:
415:
412:
406:
401:
395:
390:
384:
379:
373:
368:
342:LGM-30 Minuteman
322:
310:
298:
154:System specifics
589:
588:
584:
583:
582:
580:
579:
578:
549:
548:
514:
504:
486:
484:Further reading
481:
480:
475:Wayback Machine
466:
462:
455:
451:
442:
438:
433:
429:
422:
418:
413:
409:
402:
398:
391:
387:
380:
376:
369:
365:
360:
333:
326:
323:
314:
311:
302:
299:
290:
282:
258:
249:
244:
228:
212:
190:
165:
156:
140:
131:
122:
109:
85:
69:
17:
12:
11:
5:
587:
577:
576:
571:
566:
561:
547:
546:
541:
535:
530:
525:
520:
513:
512:External links
510:
509:
508:
502:
485:
482:
479:
478:
460:
449:
436:
427:
416:
407:
396:
385:
374:
362:
361:
359:
356:
355:
354:
349:
344:
339:
332:
329:
328:
327:
324:
317:
315:
312:
305:
303:
300:
293:
289:
286:
281:
278:
274:Jacques Chirac
257:
254:
248:
247:Soviet/Russian
245:
243:
240:
227:
224:
211:
208:
207:
206:
203:
200:
197:
189:
186:
185:
184:
181:
178:
175:
172:
164:
161:
155:
152:
139:
136:
130:
127:
121:
118:
108:
105:
84:
81:
68:
65:
43:13NX), of the
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
586:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
560:
557:
556:
554:
545:
542:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
515:
505:
499:
495:
494:
488:
487:
476:
472:
469:
464:
458:
453:
446:
440:
431:
425:
420:
411:
405:
400:
394:
389:
383:
378:
372:
367:
363:
353:
350:
348:
347:Missile Badge
345:
343:
340:
338:
335:
334:
321:
316:
309:
304:
297:
292:
291:
288:Photo gallery
285:
277:
275:
271:
267:
263:
253:
239:
237:
233:
223:
220:
216:
204:
201:
198:
195:
194:
193:
182:
179:
176:
173:
170:
169:
168:
160:
151:
149:
145:
135:
126:
117:
114:
104:
100:
98:
94:
90:
80:
78:
72:
64:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
492:
463:
452:
444:
439:
430:
419:
410:
399:
388:
377:
366:
283:
259:
250:
229:
213:
191:
166:
157:
141:
132:
123:
110:
101:
96:
92:
88:
86:
73:
70:
61:two-man rule
32:
28:
24:
20:
18:
219:Peacekeeper
129:Alert tours
553:Categories
358:References
57:USSTRATCOM
33:missileers
29:missilemen
215:Minuteman
148:Minuteman
107:Locations
471:Archived
331:See also
270:SSBS S3D
159:below).
83:Training
67:Origins
500:
256:French
280:China
266:Hadès
199:DMCCC
188:Titan
174:DMCCC
163:Atlas
31:, or
498:ISBN
268:and
230:The
217:and
196:MCCC
171:MCCC
95:(or
41:AFSC
144:SAC
59:'s
25:MCC
555::
91:,
19:A
506:.
23:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
