In the late 1980s, the Air Force called on Jacoby, an aeronautical engineer by training, to fix the mess. Put simply, it was a damn hard job. But the systems proved to be far from perfect. Information from air, missile and space surveillance outposts lands in a command center. A basic sketch of what's going on is displayed on electronic maps about the size of large screen TVs.
More detailed data appear on computer screens staffed around the clock.
Officers in the command center sometimes have a phone receiver on both ears because of limitations in the communications system. Each officer sits in front of four small screens, displaying different kinds of information. The missile officer works from five keyboards, which he uses every day because the five kinds of software aren't compatible. The command center's physical setup isn't ideal, either. The officer in charge can't see some of his colleagues.