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Inside the Cold War A Cold Warrior’s Reflections Chris Adams Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama September 1999 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Adams, Chris, 1930– Inside the Cold War : a cold warrior’s reflections / Chris Adams. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Adams, Chris, 1930– . 2. United States. Air Force—Generals Biography. 3. Strategic forces—United States Biography. I. Title. UG626.2.A33A33 1999 358.4'0092—dc21 [B] 99 37305 CIP ISBN 978-1-58566-068-1 First Printing September 1999 Second Printing September 2004 Third Printing August 2005 Fourth Printing March 2008 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. Air University Press 131 West Shumacher Avenue Maxwell AFB AL 36112-5962 http://aupress.maxwell.af.mil Dedicated to the Cold Warriors I hesitate to wonder where our country and our freedoms would be today if it were not for the hard work, sacrifice, and commitment of our Cold War combat crews. The free world is indebted to them, and to those who came before them. Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FOREWORD ii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii 1 THE COLD WARRIORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strategic Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 2 THE LEADERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Curtis E. LeMay (1906–90) . . . . . . . Admiral Hyman G. Rickover (1900–86) . . . . . 17 17 22 3 THE WEAPON SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . The Bomber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Tanker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reconnaissance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile - ICBM The Cruise Missile . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine - SSBN SAC Alert Force Operations . . . . . . . . . Boomer Patrol Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 32 60 63 68 70 72 75 88 4 FUN, GAMES, AND SERIOUS BUSINESS Combat Crew Duty . . . . . . . . . . SAC Bombing Competition . . . . . . Spot Promotions . . . . . . . . . . . Combat Crew Proficiency . . . . . . . Operational Readiness Inspections . . Security Evaluations . . . . . . . . . Survival School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 . 93 . 94 . 96 . 97 . 98 . 99 . 101 v . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter Page Anecdotes . . . . . General LeMay . . . Admiral Rickover . . The B-36 . . . . . . SAC Missiles . . . . Nuclear Weapons . . Cold War Operations The Cold War . . . . They Also Served . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 103 106 107 109 111 113 117 118 5 BEYOND THE CALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 1 6 THE SOVIET COLD WARRIOR The Conscript . . . . . . . . The Noncommissioned Officer The Officer