Titan II Legacy - Part 2: Activation

[@railgap]

Narrator glosses over the fact that those fuel handlers in 100 degree AZ heat were wearing heavy, air-tight rubber suits. Those guys were truly a breed apart.

[@williamsheppard3219]

And how toxic and deadly that fuel is

[@dad1442]

Was glad to be part of it, I was in the 355th SPS at DMAFB from ‘81 to ‘84 had a good time working with the missile crews at the sites we stayed at.

[@wilson4328]

Amen brother!

[@williamsheppard3219]

A few mistakes in film. The little rock wing was 308. The maintenance are not the same squadron as the launch crew but in a MIMS squadron although still same Wing. The crew did not really live all the time at site. They had a 24 hour shift.

[@jogar54]

I was a crew commander 390th SMW.

[@bryanmontgomery996]

Incredible work here. Thank you so much for these videos!

[@stormwulf117]

The Titan II in Arizona was filmed as the "Phoenix" in Star Trek: First Contact"

[@danielmarshall4587]

Love the narration used in the films of this period, thankyou so much for this up load.

[@FIREBRAND38]

Actually the "period" of this film is from 2019.

[@WarReport.]

Such a contrast to all those 60s flower children playing music making love compared to these missleers with their 600 page manuals and constant checks keeping things safe in an underground silo.

[@williamsheppard3219]

In 1969 the year of Woodstock I graduated high school, active duty in Air Force a month later. Than by time woodstock was held I was in tech school training a Missile Facilities Technician ( one of the 4 positions on a Titan 2 launch crew). Not exactly peace, love, flowers.

[@marvinschmitz3442]

For me as a young farm boy riding a tractor six miles from one of the sites near Mcconnell AFB I would get bored and then wander if the missle took of could I see it. This was in the sixties. So now I'm down in Florida thirty miles from the Cape. It answerd my question very well. Of course if I had seen it take off I doubt if I'd be here today.🤪

[@dodo1opps]

In 4 years at McConnell AFB as a DMCCC and MCCC, I only flew out to the site and back in a helicopter twice

[@SilverSergeant]

Same here. I was a Combat Crew Member for almost 10 years in the 308th. I remember flying out only a couple times...maybe 3.

[@mre9789]

Yes, I think our crew only flew out twice in four years. Once was because the roads were impassable due to snow and the crew we were relieving had been there for two shifts.

[@SilverSergeant]

Thanks....I enjoy your work...

[@50megatondiplomat28]

Missileer looks like a comfy job, actually. If they had a weight room/gym it would be perfect.

[@eduardowatkinz]

Been there, done that MCCC, 390th SMW, 571 SMS, 571-1 - 1977-1980

[@frankgibson7953]

MCCC, 390th SMW, 570th SMS, 0-5. 1980-1984. Rivet Cap.

[@kabalu]

did you see the UFO?

[@wilson4328]

390th Comm squadron, in support of both missile wings. 1980 to 1984.

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

Thank you both for sitting down in those holes in the ground.

[@dodo1opps]

DMCCC then MCCC at McConnell from '79 to '83

[@probablynotmyname8521]

Id be interested to know about the communication and power systems. For example how did the crews receive orders? What comms lines did they have? Similarly how did they handle power, surely they would have had their own power generation but what did that look like? How would they open the blast doors if the normal power lines were cut?

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

I'd highly recommend that you order Chuck Penson's book about the Titan II program. He goes into many of the small details like this in that book.

[@frankgibson7953]

All mission critical elements worked on DC power. There were backup batteries in case commercial power, or on site power generation failed. The silo door opened with hydraulics. There were backups to backups. Nothing was left to chance.

[@bobjones1131]

@@frankgibson7953 Video that I watched, showed them blasting open with explosives ?

[@williamsheppard3219]

The sites each had a large power generator that would automatically go on if regular electric power ( from electric company) went out. They were also started manually during lightning storms in case of lost of power. There were battery back up systems. Everything is running on dc power somewhere around 36 volts. Communication includes high frequency and low frequency radios, hard wire lines and everything between including a regular phone line. The DMCC on Titan 2 handled the communications. SAC always had a plane in the air with a communications center in case .

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

william Sheppard could they launch from the command plane like in the minuteman series?

[@MatHelm]

"Missileers" is almost as bad a name as Sheldon Cooper's C-Men... In fact the two could be mistaken as synonyms...

[@Rocketman88002]

@MatHelm, it's an Air Force tag for people that "push buttons" to send a bomb to a target versus flying a bomb to target in a bomber. Many of the first officers assigned to ICBM sites were bomber pilots thus the distinction.

[@MegaMastiffman]

They must have had 3 shifts running 24hrs a day Every single day....incredible

[@SilverSergeant]

Nope. The majority of the time, only 4 combat crewmembers were on site.

[@MegaMastiffman]

Missile Man so 2 awake or 3 awake 1 asleep?

[@SilverSergeant]

@@MegaMastiffman At least 2 awake at all times....

[@mick488]

It's crazy to think that in the first 10 years of my life the could've been and nuclear war at any time. The thing is we never done any practice procedures just incase they set flight

[@grrrexky]

In reality I bet they were bored out of their mind.

[@mcearl8073]

Vouter Alex I doubt it really. They kept them very busy from what I understand and each crew was only there for 24hrs or so at a time. Each time a crew changed they had to complete all the systems checks and all that stuff. I always assumed it was like a submarine where the crews go down in there and that’s where they stayed for a long time but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

[@derekpierce2280]

I've read interviews and posts from former crewmen; apparently they frequently wore sweatpants and slippers and pulled occasional pranks on each other

[@ephenj]

They were most likely not bored out of there minds during that time and deserve great respect for what they were responsible for.

[@justmeeagainn]

Daily briefing: Russia is still there. We’re still here. Any questions? Good.

[@williammuller2969]

I was in the USAF (1985-1988) stationed at Minot, AFB, ND. I was on the launch crews of the Minuteman III ICBM. Our unofficial definition of Strategic Air Command (SAC) Missile duty was: “23 hours of sheer boredom & 1 hour of sheer PANIC.” My alerts were generally about 24 hours, out of 260+ alerts, I was twice snowed in for 48 hours, the relieve crews we held at the base because of the weather conditions. Via ROTC, went in as a 2nd Lieutenant, promoter to 1st Lieutenant then finally Captain. After 9 months on alert, I was promoted to Crew Commander, (MCCC) before I was the Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander (DMCCC - the”back seat” as pilots would say…). First alert (DMCCC) June ‘85, first alert as a (MCCC) May ‘86, last alert May ‘88. I was friends with the gent’s who did the crew scheduling, and I ask them to change me from Bravo to Alpha flight (which was the longest drive in my squadron , 740th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS). My reason, continuity: that was where I pulled my first alert & almost all my alerts as a DMCCC, and it felt right to pull the last one there. When not reading & studying all the classified documents watching TV, reading SF books, listing to PDQ Bach tapes, I learned the C programming language , and studyed fo a AF class. there was always something going on each alert.

[@mikewazowski350]

Everything was fine until the 1980 explosion of a Titan II in Arkansas

[@railgap]

I knew an ex-LCO who was in the hole when that incident happened. He moved out of missiles and into missile warning (DSP) by 81, which is where I met him. It shook them all, left some dents in their psyches.

[@robertborchert932]

Indeed, I've read the account in Command and Control several times. Balls of steel, man! Respect, sir.

[@Turnidenwa]

Wasn't there also a titan silo in California?

[@ECS-Dad]

Three test silos at Vandenberg AFB.

[@MrBook123456]

good video

[@josephtaylor3857]

"Greetings Professor Falken. Would you like to play a game of chess?"

[@thetreblerebel]

Was Titan II a solid fuel missle or liquid? I know how dangerous liquid fueled missles were because of the accident in the early 80s in Arkansas

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

It was a liquid fueled missile using a fuel and oxidizer. Nasty stuff and it was very hazardous to use!

[@thetreblerebel]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch that's what I thought. Thanks, I appreciate it

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

@Southeastern777 How about ya just enjoy the free video ;)

[@dex99615]

Where are the rest of your videos???

[@sqeeky1]

1.8 billion. lol. They went so hard back in the day.

[@Electronzap]

Good video!

[@Weatherarorg]

The LRAFB was the 308th Strategic Missile Wing NOT th 380th. Please change the number.

[@jamesoxford8897]

ALIENS WARNING.....deactivation MISILES

[@skittlesbutwithchocolatein2274]

sad truth is that the nukes hold peace

[@ScottyDexter]

Where can I find that 3d model of the launch facility found at 3:12 ?

[@michaelohara5703]

Scott- if you can, travel to Tucson, AZ. There is a Titan II museum. You can actually tour a restored complex, complete with a missile. It’s an incredible museum & history of the Cold War. I was on a launch crew & stationed at the base in Tucson

[@MickNJ1979]

Did you say misleers come on I though they were called minute man

[@rattywoof5259]

The Minuteman was the name of another ICBM type.

[@satanofficial3902]

The heavens declare the glory of the Bomb, and the firmament showeth Its handiwork. Glory be to the Bomb, and to the Holy Fallout. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. May the Blessings of the Bomb Almighty, and the Fellowship of the Holy Fallout, descend upon us all. This day and forever more. Amen.

[@richhoule3462]

Wrong. 380th in NY had Atlas F missiles.

[@SilverSergeant]

That was a mistake. Should have been 308th

[@fasteddie4145]

308th SMW

[@doxielain2231]

Pointless weapons for pointless wars. What a waste of money and lives.

[@bobrickleson2087]

Oh shut up you buttfucking hippie

[@doxielain2231]

@@bobrickleson2087 You're a mature individual. Someone has a different opinion than you and you pull out the homophobic bigotry. We're not impressed. You undermine the very freedoms you supposedly hold dear.

[@SilverSergeant]

That "waste of money" is why you have the freedom to make stupid comments.

[@johndyson4109]

Deterance will not work indefinitely..

[@kabalu]

not safe

[@jimbot67nite14]

How many women were missileers??? Thought it was a guy thing. A Missle is the ultimate phallic symbol!!!!!!

[@murfrirhke4557]

Jimbot67 Nite, in my MFT days, there were none.

[@williamsheppard3219]

There were a few women towards the end of this missile system, but before that it was an all male thing. On the maintenace side the only woman was a civillian which was the maintenace commanders' secretary

[@markclark1654]

@@williamsheppard3219 Sorry, that’s completely wrong. Titan had female crew members in all 4 positions starting in 1978, lots of them, and they were in many maintenance positions and served in the wing command post as well. I was a senior Deputy at MAFB and LRAFB from 1984-1987. Major Mark Clark, USAFR (Ret)

[@mre9789]

We had a woman DMCC on our crew for a couple of years.

[@MrVasja46]

Psychopath toys!

[@tonybutcher4762]

All this technology and still got their arse kicked by peasants and farmers in 🇻🇳 Vietnam.

[@dwightstewart7181]

Okay, that's not true. We could have wiped out Vietnam in a matter of weeks, but were restrained by Congress, the UN, and similar. At some point, it had to end, so we withdrew. We were not defeated. In fact, we could have continued indefinitely, or escalated it dramatically, both solely at our discretion - as was our choice to leave.

[@tonybutcher4762]

Come on Dwight , I like your patriotism but the USAs score card since the end of WW2 has hardly been stellar. “ withdraw “ “Mission Accomplished “ lol.

[@dwightstewart7181]

@@tonybutcher4762 .. Well, I'll ask you. What were we supposed to do about the Vietnam war? The Democrats (JFK & LBJ) started it, but refused to support it during the Nixon years (politics). If the military wasn't allowed to win, were they supposed to just let our personnel continue to die there - thousands upon thousands? It had to end and Nixon did just that. That was not a military defeat ("arse kicked"), as you portrayed it.

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

The US did not lose the war in Vietnam. We withdrew after the North Vietnamese agreed to terms, due to operation Linebacker. We had a promise to South Vietnam that we would come back if the North started at them again. Because of the watergate scandal, and the governmental upheaval that followed, those in Congress, they are called democrats, did not honor that promise. Those who think we lost in Vietnam are full of crap.

[@tonybutcher4762]

InsideOutside UpsideDown USA still capitulated to Farmers and Peasants , As for the Democrats if you don’t like democracy 🇻🇳.

[@dwightstewart7181]

"The threat of nuclear war required the United States to keep peace through the means of superior firepower.." Bullshit. No, it didn't. Most countries worldwide co-exist quite peacefully without nuclear weapons. Their only fear is warmongering idiots starting such a war.

[@DerHeimatlose1]

I'm sorry but the Russians had and have stronger nuclear missiles

[@murfrirhke4557]

My friend, you know not of what you speak. Quit trolling with you’re gross display of stupidity.

[@DerHeimatlose1]

@@murfrirhke4557 The Titan II had the W53 warhead with a yield of about 8.9 Megatons. The Russians had ICBMs with warheads that had 20MT and more.

[@murfrirhke4557]

DerHeimatlose1, research deeper. Again, you know not of what you speak.

[@DerHeimatlose1]

@@murfrirhke4557 SS-18 Mod 3 yield 18-21 MT

[@doxielain2231]

The Russians had more of an emphasis on biological weapons, actually.