Boyd was an air force lieutenant by the start of the Third World War. When the war started, Boyd and another officer were ordered to begin the nuclear launch sequence as part of a retaliatory strike against the USSR. 

However, Yuri intervened: when Boyd answered a call from the command hotline, he was mind-controlled and prevented his comrade from opening the missile silos. Holding his coworker at gunpoint, Boyd caused the missiles to detonate on the closed silo doors.