Failure Not an Option

My 43 years with the Air Force-23 years on active duty, 20 years as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer-ended with my retirement in 2005. When you were young, you often asked about my job. Back then I couldn’t share details but now I can.Failure Not an Option: A Cold War Memoir from Nuclear Crisis to Senior Federal Law Enforcement Officer chronicles the life of Bob Hicks, whose journey began in Texas and led him to the most secure command centers in the world. This gripping true story reveals how extraordinary challenges and unwavering commitment shaped his career and personal motto: Failure is Not an Option.
Hicks entered the Air Force with only his Somerset High School diploma and a strong set of values. As a low-ranking airman, he faced a catastrophic crisis when a nuclear warhead was blown off a Minuteman ICBM at Ellsworth AFB. With thousands of lives at stake, Hicks devised and executed a recovery plan, earning trust and responsibility beyond his rank. His expertise led him to transport the damaged warhead over 70 miles to a support base-a defining incident that set the tone for his career.
Advancing rapidly, Hicks gained specialized training in bomb disposal and rendering safety techniques, joined the elite Strategic Air Command Maintenance Standardization and Evaluation team, and participated in classified missions in Vietnam-era Guam. He later transitioned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), where he broke new ground as a Chief Master Sergeant and Senior Federal Law Enforcement Officer.

Hicks led high-stakes investigations worldwide. He spent three years undercover with FBI agents to expose defense contractors supplying faulty civilian airline and military aircraft parts. Participated in successful investigations, and responded to terrorist threats in Germany, including the Ramstein bombing and the Dozier kidnapping. As a top civilian Special Agent in Charge, he oversaw fraud cases that recovered hundreds of millions from contractors working on the Titan missiles and B-2 Stealth Bomber. His final service included coordinating national security ground responses during 9/11.
This memoir offers a behind-the-scenes look at those who defended the nation from both internal and external criminal and counterintelligence threats. Hicks’s story demonstrates that courage and integrity outweigh any other qualifications, culminating in his induction into the OSI Hall of Fame.