Inside Cheyenne Mountain–How America’s Nuclear Command and Control Center Worked

What was it like to be inside America’s most important wartime nuclear command-and-control center of the Cold War?

Ask an Air force Officer who was stationed there.

The Cold War Museum, in cooperation with Old Bust Head Brewing Company, invites you to attend a presentation by Col. Jeff Caton (USAF, Ret.) on

“War Games” for Real: A Look Inside Air, Missile, and Space Defense Within Cheyenne Mountain

At the height of the Cold War in the late 1950s, the idea of a hardened command and control center was conceptualized as a defense against long-range Soviet bombers. The Army Corps of Engineers supervised the excavation of Cheyenne Mountain and the construction of an operational center within the granite mountain. The Cheyenne Mountain facility became fully operational as the NORAD Combat Operations Center on Feb. 6, 1967.

Over the years, the installation came to house elements of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Air Force Space Command and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). Under what became known as the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center (CMOC), several centers supported the NORAD missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control and provided warning of ballistic missile or air attacks against North America. (Excerpt from official NORAD website.)

Our Presenter:

Colonel, USAF (retired) Jeff Caton served two years in the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center as deputy commander of the Space Operations Center’s Delta Crew and as chief of standardization for Center operations. He directly supported the primary mission of integrated tactical warning and attack assessment for NORAD as well as space situational awareness for U.S. Space Command. Although his time inside CMOC (1994-1996) was outside of the official Cold War’s end, the procedures and operations he implemented remained cast in the mold of U.S.-Russia tensions.

Caton served 28 years in the U.S. Air Force with duties that included space and missile operations, joint operations and planning, and acquisition engineering, test, and program management. He supported weapon systems development efforts for the B-52 and F/FB-111 aircraft, Advanced Cruise Missile, Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as a variety of satellite systems. His positions included group command for ballistic missile development, squadron command for space operations training, joint staff work at Headquarters U.S. Space Command Operations (J3) and Headquarters U.S. European Command Planning (J5), space and missile test and evaluation, and director of the Air Force’s foreign military sales portfolio. He successfully completed fellowships at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium and at the Airpower Research Institute. He has authored many professional publications and presentations including lectures in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and the Czech Republic. He currently serves on the editorial board of Parameters magazine.

This is the sixteenth in a series of presentations sponsored by the Museum featuring expert eyewitnesses to, and other authorities on, significant Cold War and related events and activities. Presentations occur at the brewery or at the Vint Hill Craft Winery, followed by special access to the Museum (next door) with a tour for event participants.

Date:  Sunday, November 4, 2018

(NOTE: FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PRESENTATION BUT CANNOT ATTEND BECAUSE THEY ARE AT A DISTANCE, HAVE A CONFLICT, ETC., THEY MAY BUY A TICKET VIA EVENTBRITE AND THEN ACCESS THE EVENT VIDEO ONLINE AFTER THE EVENT VIA A LINK THAT CWM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JASON HALL WILL SEND THEM. TO ARRANGE, EMAIL JASON AT JASON@COLDWAR.ORG.)

 Time:  1:00 PM. (Arrival at the brewery: 12:30-1:00 PM)

Cost:  $25, including the presentation; a $7 coupon toward a craft beer draft, Kombucha or other drink; a $10 contribution to the Cold War Museum; and special access to the Museum (next door) for event participants following the presentation. TICKETS AT THE DOOR, IF AVAILABLE, WILL BE $35.

TICKETS AND DETAILED INFORMATION:  eventbrite.com/e/inside-cheyenne-mountain-how-americas-nuclear-command-center-worked