Command and Control (111 page)

sheltering during attack, 143, 155–56, 274, 303–4

Probability of kill (PK), xxi, 162

Project 56, Genie safety investigation, 163–66

Project Brass Ring, 134

Project Caucasian, 135

Project Crescent, 331

Project ELF, 442

Project Greek Island bunker, 156

Project Paperclip, 135

Project Vista, 130, 131

Propaganda, Soviet, on U.S. nuclear weapons, 140, 175, 185, 187–89, 287, 444

Propellants.
See also
specific types

Aerozine-50 rocket fuel, 4

burn bot, 103–4

dangers to humans, 4–5, 25, 32, 104

hypergolic propellants, 4

leak, pressure check, 58

liquid oxygen (LOX), 222, 269

mixing and Titan launch, 4

neutralizing in hazard, 107

nitrogen tetroxide, 4–5

during recycle, 103–4

safety lock, 28

Propellants.
See also
specific types
(
cont.
)

solid fuel, 7, 137, 266

tank pressure, checking, 58

toxic cloud mapping, 59, 215

Propellant Tank Pressure Monitor Unit (PTPMU)

function of, xxi

Titan II tank pressure monitoring, 58, 65–67

Propellant Transfer System (PTS)

function of, xxi

oxidizer low light, 5–6

Propellant Transfer System (PTS) Team A.
See also
specific team members

evacuates Titan II site, 69–70

members of, xv, 5, 29

postaccident scapegoating of, 437–38

and Titan II accident, 56–58, 65–67, 69–70

Propellant Transfer System (PTS) Team B.
See also
specific team members

communication problems of, 216–17, 218

death of member, 430–31, 436–37

enter Titan II complex, 241–42

equipment of, 106–7, 211, 216, 241–42

injured crew, rescue of, 409–14

members of, xv–xvi, 106–7

postaccident scapegoating of, 438–40

at Titan II accident site, 236–37

Propellant Transfer System (PTS) teams

dangers of job, 32, 338

members, traits of, 32, 102, 105

oxidizer trailer leak (1978) repair, 62, 111–12

repair protocol for, 7

RFHCO gear, use of, 5–6

rules, violation by, 104, 116–18, 438

tasks of, xv

and Titan II accident.
See
Propellant Transfer System (PTS) Team A; Propellant Transfer System (PTS) Team B;
specific team members

training of, 5, 103–4, 338, 339, 346

Protective gear, Category I, 5–6.
See also
Rocket Fuel Handler's Clothing Outfit (RFHCO)

Pryor, David H.

Titan II accident, reaction to, 386–87, 430, 432

Titan II dangers, informants on, 337–38, 347

warning siren for communities amendment, 347, 385–86

Psychological factors

and accident risk, 192–94

in deterrence strategy, 124–25

military drug/alcohol use, 349–51

presidential nuclear attack decision, 359–60

psychological warfare strategy, 446

soldiers' reaction to blast experiment, 326–27

Purge fan, 58

Quarles, Donald A.

position of, xviii, 166, 223

safety concerns of, 171, 174

QUICKCOUNT, 353

R-16 missile, 269–70

Rabi, Isidor, 123

Radar fuzes, 135–36

Radford, Arthur W., 87

Radiation implosion, 128

Radiation sickness

as irreversible, 139

and Japanese, 54

Lucky Dragon
crew, 140

Rongelap island villagers, 140

Slotin, death of, 95

Radioactive fallout, 138–39

dangers to humans, 139

early and delayed, 138–39

Ramoneda, Paul, Sergeant, 169–70

Ramsay, Norman F., 36

Rathgeber, David, Lieutenant, 391

Rausch, Gene, 383

Raven Rock Mountain, bunker/shelter.
See
Site R

RDS-1 atomic bomb, 85–86

RDS-6 thermonuclear bomb, 132

Ready/safe switch, 246–47, 298, 320, 374

Reagan, Ronald

arms control efforts, 451–53

command-and-control modernization, 442–43

and disarmament movement, 445–46

Grenada invasion, 448

military buildup under, 433–35, 441–42, 471–72

presidential campaign, 14, 115

psychological warfare strategy, 446

Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars), 447, 451, 452

Recycled missiles

dangers during recycle, 103–4

Launch Complex 374-7 missile as, 32–33

Red Alert
(George), 189–90, 275, 300

Redstone Arsenal, 415

Redstone missile, 221, 225

Reedy, George, 176

Reentry vehicle (RV)

of Atlas, 226

function of, xxii, 226

Titan II explosion, 401, 425–26

Ref-co.
See
Rocket Fuel Handler's Clothing Outfit (RFHCO)

Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW), 470

Research ANd Development (RAND)

areas studied by, 120–21

cities bombed, study of, 121–22

establishment of, xxi, 120

nuclear weapons safety reports by, 121–22, 190–96, 264–65

QUICKCOUNT system, 353

Retrofitting old weapons, 333–34, 370–76, 386, 440, 444, 450, 453

Revere, Paul, 113

Revolt of the admirals, 87

Richards, Eugene H., Major, 246

Ridgway, Matthew B., General, 133

Roberts, Jimmy E., Technical Sergeant

Medal for Heroism to, 439–40

position of, xvi

rescue of injured by, 408–13

at Titan II accident site, 238, 404–6

Titan II explosion, 404

Robertson, Michael J., Colonel, 421

Rock, Kansas, Titan II accident.
See
Titan II Launch Complex 533-7 accident

Rocket Fuel Handler's Clothing Outfit (RFHCO)

construction of, xxi, 5–6

malfunction of, 341, 343, 346, 385

working without, by PTS teams, 104

Romig, James, Sergeant, 345

Rongelap island, 140

Rooney, Michael J., Captain, 315

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 44, 45

Rose, Frank, 152

Rossborough, David G., Technical Sergeant

position of, xvi

rescue of injured by, 401, 408

at Titan II accident site, 399–401

Rowen, Henry, 251, 280

Royal Air Force (RAF)

bases, U.S. atomic bombs at, 97–98, 125

Cold War mission of, xxi

strategic bombing preference of, 45, 205

Rubel, John H., 299–300

Rubin, Jerry, 16

Rudolph, Arthur, 182

Rusden, Michael, J., Lieutenant, 215

Rusk, Dean, 274, 296, 301

Russell, Bertrand, 82, 188–89, 293–94

Russia

false alarm (1995), 478

nuclear weapons of (2013), 477–78

Rutherford, James L. “Skip”

Titan II accident, reaction to, 386–87

Titan II dangers, informants on, 337–38, 347

Ryan, John Dale, General, 319–20

Sabotage, 191–92, 194–97, 260, 303, 355

Safety measures.
See
Accident prevention

Safety risks.
See
Accident risks; Accidents

Sagan, Carl, 445–46

Sagan, Scott D., 461–63

Sakharov, Andrei, 125

Sandaker, James R.

position of, xvi, 106

rescue of injured by, 405, 409–14, 440

Titan II explosion, 397, 401, 403

Sandia Laboratory, 100, 133–36, 160, 166, 167, 170–71, 181, 190–91, 246–47, 263, 313, 320

establishment of, 97

growth of, 136

hydrogen bomb development, 133–44

Mark 4 to 16 bombs production, 99–100

weapons safety efforts, 325–31.
See also
Peurifoy, Bob

work environment at, 136

SANGUINE, 442

Satellites, warning system, 269, 303

Saunders, Hubert A., 24–25

Scallorn, Ben G., Colonel

biographical information, 218–19, 227

position of, xvii

as site maintenance officer, 227

and Titan II response plan, 218, 235, 241

Schell, Jonathan, 445

Schelling, Thomas, 274–75

Schlesinger, James R., 358–61

Schneider, Gene, Titan II explosion, 401

Schreier, Theodore, Captain, 168

Scowcroft, Brent, 359

Sealed-pit weapons.
See also
Genie

safety concerns, 166–70, 172–73, 248, 312–13

Searcy, Arkansas, Titan II accident.
See
Titan II Launch Complex 374-4 accident

Secrecy

about nuclear accidents, 112–13, 185, 187

about nuclear weapons, necessity of, 78, 165, 198, 465–67

about Titan II accident, 63–64, 112–13, 236, 418–19, 424, 429–32, 436

“Accidents and Incidents Involving Nuclear Weapons” disclosure, 465

on Manhattan Project goal, 77–78

reclassified documents, 466

Security Police Net, 238, 240

Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), xxii, 152–53, 252

Serrano, Miguel, Lieutenant

evacuates Titan II site, 69–70

Titan II accident response by, 57

Titan II assignment, xv, 11, 18

Seven Days in May
(film), 304

Shelters, underground.
See
Bomb shelters/bunkers

Shelton, Eugene, Major, 245–46

Short, George, Captain

rescue of injured by, 408

Titan II explosion, 400, 401–2

Short, Lou, 393

Short-Range Attack Missiles (SRAMs)

accident, cause of, 422

capability of, xxii, 376–77

safety problems, 450, 453–55

Shoup, David, General, 291

Shrimp (solid-fuel device), 137–40

Shultz, George P., 452, 481

Silas Mason Company, 100

Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP), xxii

Decision Handbook (Black Book), 359–60

development and implementation of, 202–7

Kennedy/McNamara assessment of, 250–54, 280–82, 302–3

Nixon/Kissinger assessment of, 353–55, 361

and predelegation order, 207

presidential actions in, 359–63

revision of (1991), 457

targets of, 205–6

Site Able, 134, 369

Site Baker, 100, 126

Site Charlie, 100, 126

Site R, 155, 251–52, 273, 365–66, 368, 442

Six Day War (1967), 356

Slemon, C. Roy, Air Marshal, 253–54

Slotin, Louis, 416

first nuclear weapon assembly, 36–37

radiation sickness and death of, 95, 416

Smith, Dale O., Colonel, 83

Smith, R. Jeffrey, 455

Snapp, Calvin, Sergeant, 322

Snark, 220–21

Snyder, Ronald, Sergeant, 315

Sobolev, Arkady A., 188

Social Impact of Bomb Destruction, The
(Iklé), 121–22

Solid-fuel devices, 7, 137

Soviet Union.
See also
Cold War

Afghanistan invasion by, 12–13, 367, 444

atomic bomb, 85–86

attack from, U.S. detection systems.
See
Warning systems

Berlin blockade by, 84, 92, 278–87

bombers, number of (1960), 150

command and control by, 467–69

détente, 358, 364

end of, 458–59

espionage by, 85, 127, 135, 465–66

Gorbachev reforms, 451–53, 455

hydrogen bomb, 125–26, 132

increased nuclear production (1970s), 352

intercontinental ballistic missiles, 175–78, 269–70

leaders.
See
Andropov, Yuri; Gorbachev, Mikhail; Khrushchev, Nikita

missile gap, fiction of, 269–71, 284

nuclear accidents, 269–70, 452, 467

Perimeter system, 467–68

propaganda on U.S. weapons, 140, 175, 185, 187–89, 287, 444

and Reagan weapons buildup, 444, 446–49

Sputnik,
175–76

SS missiles, 351–52, 441

Tsar Bomba, 286

underground shelters of, 352

-U.S. partnership, postatomic bomb, 76–83

World War II, 76–77

Spaatz, Carl A., General, 75

Spann, Silas, Sergeant

blast door, faith in, 237–38

at Titan II accident site, 390

Titan II explosion, 397, 399–401

Spike, The
(de Borchgrave and Moss), 14

Split-knowledge code, 263–64

Spray, Stan

position of, xvii

weapons safety efforts, 328–30, 369–70, 374–75, 395

Sputnik

launch of, 175–76

U.S. defense buildup following, 176–79, 221–22

Spy satellites, 269

SS-9 missiles, 351–52

SS-20 missiles, 441

Stalin, Joseph, 42, 77, 125

Standardization, as SAC safety measure, 7, 93, 100, 209, 461

Standardization-evaluation team, 30

Stanton, Frank, 156

Steele, Bob, 387

Steffes, Eugene, Captain, 169–70

Steinbruner, John D., 443

Stevens, William L.

position of, xvii

weapons safety efforts, 326–28, 331, 373–75, 450

Stevenson, Adlai, 296

Stewart, Jimmy, 147–49

Stimson, Henry, 45, 76

Storage of weapons.
See
Nuclear weapons storage

Strategic Air Command
(film), 148–49

Strategic Air Command (SAC).
See also
Butler, George Lee, General; LeMay, Curtis E., General; Little Rock SAC command post; Omaha SAC command post

accident prevention.
See
Checklists; Standardization; Two-man policy

airborne alert, 179–81, 188, 190–91, 267, 319–20, 325

bomb storage sites close to, 100

coded switch combination, 371

command bunker of, 154–55, 252

deficiencies of (1949), 88–89, 92

Eisenhower-era power of, 132–33

end of, 458, 472

film about, 148–49

function of, xxii, 88