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.

Bob Hicks, a native Texan, is a highly decorated veteran whose forty-year career spanned U.S. national security and federal law enforcement. Beginning his service as an enlisted Airman, Hicks rose to Chief Master Sergeant, with early assignments in Nuclear Weapons Maintenance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), serving in the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. He confronted a nuclear crisis as a young airman and transitioned into the civilian ranks of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), specializing in critical investigations.Promoted to Senior Federal Law Enforcement Officer (GS-15), Hicks served as Special Agent in Charge of OSI's largest field offices, overseeing investigations of defense contractors across the U.S. West Coast. He led large-scale operations, including three years as a deep undercover agent, combating international terrorism in Germany, and recovering hundreds of millions in U.S. funds lost to major defense contractor fraud. His commitment to service and integrity culminated in his induction into the OSI Hall of Fame in 2013.Now retired in Texas, Bob Hicks enjoys life with his wife, Janet, their four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, remaining active in the Fellowship Bible church in New Braunfels. Janet remains the center of his life 60 years after their blind date in Cincinnati. They call Cibolo, TX home, but Somerset will always be the foundation.