American Experience: Command & Control

I found this especially interesting because my dad used to work on these underground missles when I was a kid. I had no idea what he was doing at his job until one evening my mom loaded up my brother and I and we headed out to dad's worksite because he forgot something that he had to have. And oh my gosh... we drove out to the middle of nowhere... and suddenly there was a mysterious glow that extended to the outer space... it seemed to me as a kid. It was freaky. And mom just gave us a brief explanation. She didn't go into detail. We were kids, we accepted that. Much later in life...like 30 years later... I brought it up and apparently it was "classified" at the time... so cool. If you live in Arkansas you will find this very interesting... It could have been the end of a section of Arkansas very easily. It's a great documentary.

I work at the Titan Missile Museum as a Docent. A lot of the footage was shot at the Titan Missile Museum since it is the sole surviving (complete) Titan II Missile facility in the world. It is a National Historic Landmark.The accident this video describes happened on September 18, 1980, at the Launch Complex 374-7 located just North of Damascus, Arkansas. It documents the maintenance mishap that caused a rupture in the first stage of the Titan II missile's Aerozine 50 fuel tank. This leak ultimately caused a massive explosion that totally destroyed the silo and the top-side facilities of the complex. The accident resulted in the death of David Livingston, a PTS technician, a day later.This video is based on the book published in 2013 by Eric Schlosser: Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety. The video accurately depicts the events that led up to and including the actual accident and its aftermath. It contains original footage at the launch complex as well as the reenactment filmed at the Titan Missile Museum located in Green Valley, AZ.For anyone that is interested in the Cold War and the complexities and dangers that accompanied it, this film is a good addition to your video library.

When I first saw this documentary January 2017 I couldn't believe how a dropped tool could pierce the metal casing of a nuclear warhead and open it up like a knife cutting flesh. I've watched it repeatedly and I still don't understand how it could happen. How thin was that metal? It just seems odd to me that something so small could result in a near nuclear disaster; that it could have potentially blown an entire state off the map and who knows how much radioactive material could have covered the continent. This one is riveting on the one hand, and very sad on the other as it's once again revealed how soldiers can be "throw away" people. It was an accident that turned out to be one among many. It's a roll of the dice when it comes to nuclear power, and it's questionable if the odds are in our favor.

The book "Command and Control" is a fascinating and thrilling story of many recently declassified "broken arrow" incidents involving the nuclear arsenal of the United States. I recommend the BOOK to anyone interested in this type of thing, or Cold War events in general.The DVD "Command and Control", while accurate and well done as far as it goes, is marketed as 'based on' the book, but in reality it covers only a small part, once incident only, that is in the book.So, as a well done documentary video of the Damascus Incident, this is a good movie. But if you expect it to be a movie of the book, you will probably be disappointed.

I grew up in one Arkansas community that would have been leveled had the warhead detonated. Went to college at another Arkansas community which would have met the same fate. But, even if you grew up in Tacoma or same damn place, this will scare the heck out of you.At the same time, it will make you realize that the fact that there's never been an accidental (not to mention deliberate) detonation of a nuclear weapon since WWII is just BEYOND lucky. I was quite amazed by how much footage from the incident exists, so the documentary is remarkably visual. And, the documentary makers were able to interview, on camera, a remarkable number of survivors and involved parties. Really, really very well done.

Great movie.

Very outstanding documentary of a USAF story. I served in the USAF for 20 years, and had heard talk of this incident when I was early in my career, but it was very refreshing to see a balanced retelling of this event.I rented this because I missed it on PBS. It provides a balanced view, cause, effect, and analysis of the events, AND has interviews from the players--all the way from the airmen to the SecDef! Of particular interest: the nuclear and rocket engineers who built the nuclear devices and the rockets. It was their perspective that lend particular credence to the failure.A very excellent case study on the SAC culture, analysis paralysis, and the trauma of potential nuclear detonation... which can still happen.

Article 15 or LOR for doing your job properly or dropping an 8 lb socket. In addition, you might lose your life. Sounds like a great recruiting tool.Many years have passed since this 1980 incident. Our country's Airmen are much smarter and our Air Force is much more capable than 37 years ago. So far, no nuclear mishaps.The documentary is interesting, but it comes from an era where things were not recorded as they are now. So, there is little footage of the actual event until the end. Not a problem. Just remember, we all might be lucky that we exist today and tomorrow.

Eine reale Geschichte die mich bestärken in der Meinung, dass die Atomwaffen in Büchl schnellstmöglich entsorgt werden sollten. Wenn man dazu noch das nuklearunglück von Palomares kennt....

Shows the massive power we have as a nation, with lack luster control over it with dedicated citizens putting their lives on the line under poor leadership.

Well done documentary drama! The shortcomings of the early weapons revealed