Missile Combat Crew Member Alert Loads: Inequities and Alternatives

University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1987 Missile combat crew member alert loads: inequities and alternatives Raymond C. Sikorra The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Sikorra, Raymond C., "Missile combat crew member alert loads: inequities and alternatives" (1987). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 8845. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/8845 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1976 This is an unpublished m a n u s c r i p t in w h i c h c o p y r i g h t SUBSISTS, Any f u r t h e r r e p r i n t i n g of its c o n t e n t s m u s t be APPROVED BY THE AUTHOR. Mansfield Library University of Montana Date : 1 9 8 7 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. MISSILE COMBAT CREW MEMBER ALERT LOADS -- INEQUITIES AND ALTERNATIVES By Raymond C. Sikorra B. A.f University of Wisconsin, 1979 Presented in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1987 Approved by: 1 _‘l _ _Ç_' J ' ■ Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, Graduate School _______ Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP39646 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction Is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will Indicate the deletion. UMI Oisasrtation Publislwig UMI EP39646 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright In the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work Is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code uest* ProQuest LLC. 789 East Elsenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION....................................'......... 1 II. RELATED RESEARCH.......................................... 3 III. A BACKGROUND TO STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND MISSILE DUTY 5 A. Minuteman Missiles at Malmstrom.................. 5 1. The Weapon Systems........................... 5 2. Weapon System Deployment....................... 6 B. The Missile Combat Crew Member.................. 10 C. The Mission........................................... 12 IV. THE PROBLEM....... ........................................ 14 A. Problem Identification.............................. 14 B. Problem Description.................................. 17 V. THE CONSTRAINTS/CRITERIA................................. 26 A. Political Constraints. ..................... 26 B. Economic Constraints................................ 27 C. Psychological Constraints........................... 28 D. Scheduling Constraints... .. ........................ 29 VI. ALTERNATIVES INTRODUCED AND WEIGHED.................... 33 A. Status Quo................. ........................... 36 B. Helicopter Dispatch.................................. 37 C. Mini - Base............................ .............. 40 D. Four Capsule Squadron................................ 43 E. 36 Hour Alerts/2 Crews, 12Hour Rotations......... 49 i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I l l F. 48 Hour Alerts/One Crew....... 49 G. Weighted Point Equalization......................... 54 F. Increased Manning/Decreased Alert Loads at "Far Sites"......................... 56 G. Discriminate Scheduling.............................. 58 VII. SURVEY ANALYSIS........................................... 63 A. The Missile Combat Crew Member Scheduling Survey. 63 B. Descriptive Statistics ................... 80 1. Current Alert Schedule Responses..... 83 2. System Alternative Responses.................. 87 3. Other Attitude Responses....................... 92 VIII. CONCLUSION....................... ......................... lOl IX. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH......... 105 FOOTNOTES.......... .............................................. 107 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................... IIO Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Missile Combat Crew Alert Distancesand Times.......... 18 2. Missile Combat Crew Alert Departure And Arrival Times... 20 3. Operations and Maintenance Costs PerHour For The Bell Model UHF-IN Helicopter............................... 37 4. Annual Personnel Savings Under The Four Capsule Approach.......... 45 5. Annual Vehicle Cost Savings Under The Four Capsule Squadron................................... 46 6. Annual Quantifiable Cost Savings Under The Four Capsule Squadron................................... 47 7. Annual Vehicle Cost Savings Under The 48 Hour Alert Plan............. 53 8. Sample Weighted Point Scale...... 55 9. Respondent Rank Structure.................................. 70 10. Respondent Position Structure................... 72 11. Respondent Squadron Structure.............................. 73 12. 10th SMS Flight Structure.................................. 74 13. 12th SMS Flight Structure.................................. 75 14. 490th SMS Flight Structure................................. 76 15. Respondent Time On Line Structure.... ............ 78 16. Respondent Marital Structure............................... 79 17. Data Base Subset Definitions............................... 81 18. Section II Responses (12th SMS/490thSMS) ................. 84 19. Section II Responses (A, B,C/D, E).......................... 85 i V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V 20- Section III Responses < 12th SMS/490th SMS)................ 88 21. Section III Responses (A, B, C/D, E ).......................... 89 22. Alternative Preference (12th SMS).......................... 93 23. Alternative Preference (490th SMS )...................... 94 24. Alternative Preference ( A, B, C )........................... 95 25. Alternative Preference (D, E)................................ 96 26. Alternative Preference (All Data).......................... 97 27. Section IV Responses (12th SMS/490th SMS)................ 9 8 28. Section IV Responses (A, B, C/D, E)............................. 9 9 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Minuteman Launch Control Facility....................... 7 2. Minuteman Deployment At Malmstrom................ ...... 9 3. Missile Combat Crew Round Trip Distances Travelled Each Alert.................. 15 4. Missile Combat Crew Arrival Times Back On Support Base. ........................ 21 5. Missile Combat Crew Driving Hours Per Month. ..... 22 6. Round Trip Mileage Per Site Per Year. ...... 23 7. Daily Round Trip Mileage Per Squadron.................. 25 8. Typical Missile Combat Crew Monthly Operations Schedule............................. 32 9. 24/48 Hour Alert Schedule Comparison.............. 50 10. MCCM Scheduling Survey................................ 64-68 vx Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to identify, describe, analyze and offer alternatives to the current missile alert load scheduling system at the 341st Strategic Missile Wing, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. The scheduling system, which is in use at the time of this writing, is seen to be the cause of a morale problem by missile combat crew members assigned to alert duties at this wing. The problem under question stems from the fact that the 341st covers a vast amount of area and there are presently inequities due to the disproportionate distances which are traveled by crew members assigned to the more distant sites. All crews depart the base at the same time daily for their 24-hour alert tour. Work centers vary in distance from the base and the associated driving times, one way, cover a broad range from 45 minutes to three hours. Considering the time required for alert changeover and round trip driving time, crews returning from alert can arrive home by 11:00 a.m. or as late as 3:00 p.m. Besides the obvious fatigue, there is a definite frustration involved for distant alert crews as they get home to find the majority of the business day gone 1 For the same credit of one alert tour, the crews assigned to more distant sites lose Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. much more free time. In fact» over a one month period the extra driving time amounts to about 24 hours - the equivalent of another alert. The need for this study

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