PBS "Command and Control"

[reible]

Has anyone else watched it?

I'd like to here what some others thought of it.

Ed

[swampgator]

Ed, could you provide more information. I have no clue as of yet. Thank you.

Steve, the old swampgtor

[ERLover]

http://www.commandandcontrolfilm.com/about/

[reible]

"A Chilling nightmare at a Titan II missile complex in Arkansas in September 1980."

A true story. If you can watch it do so. A young airman drops a 8 pound socket that starts the whole ball rolling so to speak. At least the warhead didn't go off, they found that laying in a ditch after the rocket explodes. No power so no exploding. Wonder how long our luck will last. At least the vintage of missile is gone and I hope we learned somethings.

One of my brothers was cross trained in that area while station in turkey hill in 1957.

Ed

[swampgator]

Thank you ERLover and Ed. I will check out our local listing to see if our PBS station will be broadcasting this film.

After my last Navy aircraft carrier tour to Viet Nam, we were tied up a Leyte Pier in the PI. The sun was setting over the mouth of Subic Bay. I wanted that picture of my last time to ever see that view. Set up the tripod and camera, I was trying to get a picture without the radar tower in view. All of a sudden I heard a .38 special cock beside my head and the voice said to cover the lense. Immediately I complied and asked why I couldn't take the picture. He said I had missed the announcement to not take pictures as they were unloading the nuclear weapons from the carrier. I had to no real idea. I had been told by rumor mill, that we had nukes on board, but I considered that only wishful thinking. The Marine pointed out the covered objects below and I realized the situation. Willingly put the camera away. I have that image in my head, but I can't share it with anyone. But, I suppose I'll never forget. That's my story of being close to these weapons.

Steve, the old swampgator

[ERLover]

I streamed it here this afternoon, it just asked me for my local PBS station.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperie ... ol/player/

[jsburger]

One never knows Steve.

I spent 16+ years of the 24 I spent in the Air Force working/loading nuclear weapons and weapons systems on aircraft. There have been 32 incidents of nuclear weapons being involved in an accident (called a Broken Arrow). None have resulted in a nuclear detonation. This attests to the safety features built into all of our nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.

For example, the B-52 had a system installed called SWESS (Special Weapons Emergency Separation System). I have loaded B-52's with that system. It was designed to safely release the weapons if the aircraft dropped below a certain altitude for any reason. That system is what happened with the B-52 crash over the Mediterranean off the coast off Spain in 1966. The weapons were all recovered.

There are many factors that are pre-programed and have to come together in a specific sequence to have a nuclear weapon detonate with a nuclear yield. None of those factors occur in an accident. That is exactly why the incident in Kansas did not result in a nuclear detonation. The worst that can happen is a conventional explosion that spreads radio active material.

Please don't get me wrong. Any incident with a nuclear weapon is extremely serious. However, the safety systems are adequate IMO.

[ERLover]

I worked with a guy that was Navy, steam AF Carriers, engine room guy. He told me on his that there was a Marine Detail that guarded the Nuke Ordnance 24/7/365 when out at sea.
It is still scary that between us and a few other countries we have more then enough to make the Earth into a lifeless mini sun.

[reible]

You may want to rethink what you have been told. There are still missing bombs that have never been recovered. The accidents are way more then the 32 that is often mentioned, more like more then 1000. In one case the only thing that kept one from going off was a single toggle switch, all the other arming sequences had happened.

Watch the video. There were things I knew about but a lot that I did not.

One thing that was mentioned a lot was human error........ well it best if we never got to the point of having human error dictate a situation.

With all this planning that other then the first two bombs dropped the rest of the people killed have been our own.

By all means find and watch this.

Ed

One never knows Steve.

I spent 16+ years of the 24 I spent in the Air Force working/loading nuclear weapons and weapons systems on aircraft. There have been 32 incidents of nuclear weapons being involved in an accident (called a Broken Arrow). None have resulted in a nuclear detonation. This attests to the safety features built into all of our nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.

For example, the B-52 had a system installed called SWESS (Special Weapons Emergency Separation System). I have loaded B-52's with that system. It was designed to safely release the weapons if the aircraft dropped below a certain altitude for any reason. That system is what happened with the B-52 crash over the Mediterranean off the coast off Spain in 1966. The weapons were all recovered.

There are many factors that are pre-programed and have to come together in a specific sequence to have a nuclear weapon detonate with a nuclear yield. None of those factors occur in an accident. That is exactly why the incident in Kansas did not result in a nuclear detonation. The worst that can happen is a conventional explosion that spreads radio active material.

Please don't get me wrong. Any incident with a nuclear weapon is extremely serious. However, the safety systems are adequate IMO.

[dusty]

"A Chilling nightmare at a Titan II missile complex in Arkansas in September 1980."

A true story. If you can watch it do so. A young airman drops a 8 pound socket that starts the whole ball rolling so to speak. At least the warhead didn't go off, they found that laying in a ditch after the rocket explodes. No power so no exploding. Wonder how long our luck will last. At least the vintage of missile is gone and I hope we learned somethings.

One of my brothers was cross trained in that area while station in turkey hill in 1957.

Ed

I was a member of the Titan team in Tucson when this happened. Yes, a very disturbing experience.

It is, BTW, a prime example of what can happen when someone does not follow "all of the rules". When working in the hole, ALL tools (no matter how small) are suppose to be on safety lanyards. The skin of the Titan was actually quit fragile. It did not take much to do damage.

As far as the missile being GONE....well, I certainly hope that we never find ourselves in a situation where we wish it was back.

Strategic Air Command (SAC), Where Peace is Our Professional. re: my avatar

SACCS - Strategic Air Command and Control Systems