This cache is placed near one of our region's biggest "cold war"
history sites, an ICBM launch site that was once a key piece to
"nuclear deterrence". These missiles were manned by the 381st
Missile Wing base at McConnell AFB.
The 381st Strategic Missile Wing was organized at McConnell AFB,
Kansas on 1 March 1962. McConnell AFB spent a quarter century
supporting 18 Titan II missile silos of the 381st Strategic Missile
Wing that were planted in the surrounding region. The Air Force
accepted the final silo on January 31, 1963. With the arrival of
the Titan II missiles from the Martin plant near Denver, the 381st
Strategic Missile Wing focused on bringing the weapons to alert
status.
Operational readiness training for the missile crews took place
mostly at Vandenberg AFB, California. The unit received its first
Titan II ICBMs in January 1963. Its squadrons, the 532d Strategic
Missile Squadron (ICBM-Titan) and 533d SMS (ICBM-Titan), became
operational in December of the same year.
The wing was composed of two Strategic Missile Squadrons (the
532nd and the 533rd). These squadrons were each composed of nine
ballistic launch complexes, each housing a Titan II
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The Titan II being 105 feet
long and 10 feet in diameter. The launch complex was about 150 feet
deep and 50 feet in diameter including the twenty foot diameter
launch tube which comprised its center.
The Titans were fully configured for immediate launch in a
matter of two minutes. The launch sequence included a number of
test and initiation functions as well as a 20 second door opening
sequence. The Silo closure door weighed 780 tons and was locked
down with hydraulicly operated locks, and raised on hydraulic
jacks. The hydraulics also operated the radial motors that pulled
the door open with 1.5 inch diameter steel cables (4 of them).
Launch initiation was also accompanied with attenuation water which
flowed 9000 gallons per minute for sound suppression and protection
of the silo during the launch.
Launch crews were composed of four personnel. Two officers were
responsible for launch initiation, while two enlisted crewmembers
were responsible for equipment checkout, repair and readiness. All
four crewmembers were together responsible for communications, and
final responsibility for launch. With an average of eight alerts
(duty shifts at the site) per month, a crewmember achieved 200
alerts in about two years.
On October 2, 1981, Deputy Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci
ordered the inactivation of the Titan II weapon system. On August
8, 1986, the 381st Strategic Missile Wing became the second Titan
II wing to be deactivated. The 381st was deactivated after
providing twenty-plus years of strategic deterrence and winning
numerous awards, including the SAC missile combat competition
Blanchard Trophy in 1972, 1975, 1980, and 1983.
The cache you are looking for is a decon container. This cache
is small with only room for small trade items. You will need to
bring your own pen or pencil to sign the log. In addition, you
might want to copy down the code found inside the back cover of the
logbook. These codes(from this and the other seventeen caches)will
be required to determine the location of the final cache in the
series, TITAN II - THE FINAL TARGET! (GC10AQG)