A Crisis for Deterrence

The Air Force recently announced that seventeen officers in charge of launching nuclear-armed missiles were relieved of their duties.  One of their commanders warned that “We’re discovering…rot in the crew force.” Even more ominously, he said: The nuclear missile community is “in a crisis right now.”

More senior Air Force leaders are playing down these stark warnings. Yet, we ignore such alarms – and the disciplinary action that prompted them – at our peril.

The danger is not that our nuclear missiles might be used without authorization.  Rather, it is that a Commander-in-Chief who routinely rails against nuclear weapons and promises to rid the world of them is undermining our deterrent and destroying the morale of those responsible for it. This ensures a “crisis” – and demands a return to more responsible national security policies.