Reinvigorating the Nuclear Enterprise

Fifteen years ago, finding itself strapped for resources and desperately needing to draw down after the Cold War, the Air Force accepted risk by decreasing the number of MAJCOMs and reducing the number of career fields it maintained. As part of this initiative, they assigned ICBM forces to Air Force Space Command and merged the ICBM and Space operations career fields. What has occurred since the reorganization has diluted a career field once deep with nuclear experience. What remains is an environment where the Air Forces best and brightest nuclear officers transfer to space mission areas at the earliest opportunity because they understand that their skill set is not valued and they will not be competitive for promotion or command. Numerous studies since the merger warned of the risks of a reduced focus on the nuclear career field and mission. Within the past two years, significant mishaps have occurred where nuclear personnel mishandled nuclear related materials. This resulted in a range of Department of Defense agencies directing independent studies to determine the root cause of the problems now plaguing the nuclear enterprise in hopes to regain public trust in the military's ability to maintain a safe, credible nuclear deterrent. While the independent reviews look at the entire nuclear enterprise, they