Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Nuke?
By Johanna Billings
15 Jul 2009
At any given time, 900 members of the United States Air Force are sealed underground.
Their job: Man -- or (wo)man, as the case may be -- the controls for one of 450 nuclear missiles left in North Dakota.
Anywhere from 60 to 90 feet underground are control modules about the size of a small bedroom. These rooms are filled up with enough equipment that it feels more like being trapped in an underground closet than a place for a good night's sleep.
The modules have no windows and no doors, at least not in the conventional sense. The blast door, which measures about two feet in width, must be sealed for the entire 24-hour two-person shift. Each module is equipped with a toilet and a single bunk. One crew member can sleep while the other is awake.
During their 24 hours underground, two people monitor and decode incoming messages. Each one has a key -- its combination unknown to the other. These two keys can, in tandem, literally launch a nuclear missile. This is done only if the incoming message specifically instructs it.
If this sounds a little like the opening scene of the movie, "War Games," you've got the right idea. The modules look much like the set of the movie's opening scene. The match is not exact, but that's not necessarily an inaccuracy. Although all the modules are similar, no two are exactly alike.
Much of their crew shift time can actually be spent watching TV or reading as well as decoding messages and addressing security issues. A security issue can frequently turn out to be something as benign as a large rodent setting off the security sensor at the actual missile silo -- located off site from the control module.
In 1991, the Air Force abandoned at least some of the missiles in North Dakota. The North Dakota Historical Society acquired one, located in Cooperstown, and opened it to the public as a historic site July 13, 2009. Known as Oscar Zero, this site controlled 10 missiles nearby.
4 responses
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Michael Adams gave props (15 Jul 2009):
Cool series. The painting reminds me of the hidden paintings my brother finds on his ship and sends to me.
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Jesse Decker gave props (15 Jul 2009):
Great story.
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Cicely Graham gave props (17 Jul 2009):
Very good, and not a little scary!
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Michael Doyne gave props (21 Jul 2009):
Excellent. This is most informative and educational.
