Alternate headline: “Come get us, we’re defenseless”
Via VOA News:
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says the U.S. nuclear force has systematic problems that could undermine the safety, security and effectiveness of elements of the force in the future, if not quickly addressed. The secretary made a stop in Minot Air Force Base, home to a third of America’s nuclear arsenal, to tour the facilities and meet with airmen protecting and maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons.
He says America’s nuclear enterprise is flooded with problems, including inadequate manning, infrastructure, equipment, accountability and declining morale.
“The internal and external reviews I ordered show that a consistent lack of investment and support for our nuclear forces over far too many years has left us with too little margin to cope with mounting stress,” said Hagel.