When a nuclear warhead went missing from a missile at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 1964, nobody knew what would happen next. That day taught me more about crisis management than any textbook ever could.
Let me take you back to December 5th, 1964, Robert Hicks was a young airman, 20 years old, working as a nuclear weapons specialist. My team chief called with alarming words that changed everything: “We have a missile at Lima 2 with no RV on it.” RV meant re-entry vehicle the part carrying the thermonuclear warhead.
The First Moment Matters Most
When crisis hits, your initial response sets the tone for everything that follows. I grabbed a colleague and headed 75 miles north through snowy South Dakota roads. We didn’t panic. We didn’t call random people seeking advice. Instead, we focused on what we could control: getting to the site safely and prepared to assess the situation.
The moment we arrived; I saw military police vehicles with flashing lights blocking the road. Several teams were already there, but nobody understood what had actually happened. An electrical repair team had heard an explosion earlier and saw smoke. The warhead had somehow detached and fallen inside the silo.
Expertise Trumps Rank
Here’s what surprised me: nobody cared that I was a two-striper essentially the lowest rank in that situation. What mattered was knowledge. I’d spent months training on these systems. I understood the missile, the weapon, and I knew the risks.
When the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) chief asked me to go down into that 82-foot silo with him, I said yes. Not because of my rank, but because I had skills he needed. That’s a critical lesson in crisis management that many organizations miss. You need the right expertise in the room, regardless of titles and organizational charts.
Stay Calm Under Pressure
Descending into that silo meant facing genuine danger. The warhead was damaged. The missile structure might be compromised. We installed safety pins to prevent accidental ignition, examined the damage, and assessed what we could salvage. My hands stayed steady. My mind stayed focused.
Fear doesn’t disappear in crises. But you can’t let it drive your decisions. I was terrified. I was also trained, prepared, and surrounded by people who knew their jobs. That combination kept us moving forward.
Communication Saves Lives
The colonel commanding our operation was under enormous pressure. He had direct communication to Strategic Air Command headquarters. Every decision needed approval from people miles away who couldn’t see what we saw.
When I suggested using a cargo net and crane to extract the warhead, the colonel initially shut me down. I felt the sting of rejection. But here’s what I realized: he wasn’t being difficult. He was processing impossible information under impossible circumstances.
Later, he asked me to explain my plan in detail to headquarters SAC. I did. They approved it. The extraction worked perfectly.
Preparation Prevents Crisis Panic
Every nuclear weapons specialist undergoes intense training before handling these systems. That preparation meant I recognized the problem quickly. I knew the procedures. I understood the solutions. When the moment came, I didn’t have to learn; I had to execute.
In your organization, this means investing in training before you need it. It means building systems and protocols now, not during emergencies. It means knowing your team’s capabilities because you’ve tested them previously.
Your Team Is Your Greatest Asset
I couldn’t have done this alone. The EOD chief trusted me enough to let me guide him through unfamiliar equipment. My team chief believed in my capabilities. The colonel eventually listened to my recommendations. That network of trust, built through competence and honesty, made the difference. Trust is at the core of every task.
The Aftermath Matters Too
After we successfully recovered that warhead, nobody threw a huge celebration. We completed our jobs and moved forward. But people noticed. I received recognition, sure, but more importantly, I’d proven I could handle pressure. That credibility followed me throughout my career.
What This Means For You
Nuclear emergencies might seem far removed from your business challenges. But the principles apply everywhere. When crisis strikes whether it’s a product recall, a security breach, or a market collapse the organizations that handle it best share common traits.
They have prepared people in place. They communicate clearly with stakeholders. They let expertise guide decisions rather than hierarchy. They stay focused on solutions instead of assigning blame.
That December night in South Dakota, a young airman learned that crisis management isn’t about heroics. It’s about preparation, competence, calm decision-making, and trusting your team.
Those lessons never expire.
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