Cheating Allegations Spread to the Naval Reactors

February 5, 2014 | Edited by Lauren Mladenka and Geoff Wilson

Navy nuclear cheating - “In a new twist to a widening tale of ethical lapses in the military, the Navy is investigating cheating allegations against about one-fifth of its trainers at a school for naval nuclear power reactor operators,” reports Robert Burns for the AP. “The Navy said its implicated sailors are accused of having cheated on written tests they must pass to be certified as instructors at a nuclear propulsion school at Charleston, S.C. The Navy uses two nuclear reactors there to train sailors for duty aboard any of dozens of submarines and aircraft carriers around the world whose onboard reactors provide propulsion. They are not part of any weapons systems.” Full story here. http://abcn.ws/1kcqREB

Calls from Chuck - “Top U.S. military leaders are personally reaching out to missileers at the Montana base that has become ground zero for an Air Force probe into exam cheating,” Global Security Newswire reports. “Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday called six launch officers during their shifts at underground launch control centers, according to a Pentagon press story. Speaking on the phone calls for roughly an hour, the defense chief voiced his assurance that the launch officers were up to the task of carrying out the U.S. nuclear mission.”

--“Roughly half of the missileers at the Malmstrom Air Force Base have had their launch certifications taken away and been pulled off alert duty, after being implicated in an Air Force investigation into cheating on proficiency exams. Of the more than 90 launch officers currently implicated in the cheating scandal, 40 missileers were believed directly involved in the misconduct, which involved sharing exam answers by text message. Others allegedly tolerated or facilitated the incidents.” Get the full report here. http://bit.ly/1na6Hby

Iran compliance - “The nation’s top intelligence officer [James Clapper] said he believed that Iran was complying with terms of an interim agreement to freeze its nuclear program,” reports Kristina Wong in The Hill. Full story here. http://bit.ly/1jfruND

Tweet - @TP_Security: .@ChrisMurphyCT's @MoveOn petition promoting Iran diplomacy now has 54,000 signatures, up from 30k yesterday http://bit.ly/1bZIcbQ

Mission in decline - “The tension between Cold War-era nuclear weapons policy and their actual mission has become apparent in recent weeks. As of this writing, 92 missileers have been relieved of their duties because of drug abuse and cheating on their job proficiency exams. Officers in charge of the nuclear mission have been removed from their posts due to misconduct such as excessive drinking while representing the U.S. military and gambling with counterfeit money. These problems reflect a declining mission, a knowledge that nuclear weapons aren’t needed to defend the United States from today’s threats… As a country, we have options to reduce the salience of nuclear weapons and reduce their economic footprint. Our pocketbooks and our safety depend on making the right choices.” Read the full opinion piece from North Carolina State Representative Pricey Harrison, in the Charlotte Observer. http://bit.ly/LyqogR

The long wait - “It’s not stress, drugs or cheating on proficiency tests that’s the problem for about 550 Air Force officers who serve 24-hour shifts in capsules 60 feet underground. They’re waiting — as their predecessors have done for 50 years — to launch nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles,” writes Walter Pincus in The Washington Post. “The real cause of their difficulties is their ‘mission’: to be ready to turn keys and press buttons on a moment’s notice in response to an attack that no one really expects will ever come.”

--”The Cold War ended more than 20 years ago,” Pincus says. “Why do we still keep 90 Air Force officers in capsules 24 hours a day babysitting all 450 ICBMs ready to go when there is no immediate danger?” Read the full article here. http://wapo.st/1b1R1Y7

Syria CW letter - A new letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel from arms control experts and foreign policy luminaries, urges the State and Defense Departments to conduct the demilitarization of Syria’s chemical weapons in a timely manner, while also engaging with potentially impacted regional communities and pursuing, “full transparency, public outreach, and inclusive engagement of all [regional] stakeholders.”

--They believe that by “engaging potentially impacted communities in a timely and transparent way will not only strengthen the protection of public health and the environment, but it will help alleviate public concerns that could otherwise undermine this historic and important demilitarization mission.” Read the full letter here. http://bit.ly/1aZ6MPq

Stepping down - “The U.S. ambassador to Russia, who was the architect behind the Obama administration's ‘reset’ policy with the Kremlin, announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from his post,” writes Lukas Alpert in The Wall Street Journal. “I leave Russia with a strong feeling of satisfaction for how our administration handled these issues without compromising our interests or values," said Ambassador Michael McFaul. Read the full story here. http://on.wsj.com/1gMnTpW

Reconciliation - “North and South Korea held talks on Wednesday on resuming reunions for families separated by the Korean War -- an emotive issue that Pyongyang has been accused of exploiting as a bargaining chip,” reports AFP. “Agreement would be seen as a small sign of progress between the two rivals who, in recent years, have struggled to cooperate on even the most basic trust-building measures.” Full piece here. http://bit.ly/1lAAVcb

Events:

--"Reporting on Cheating, Burnout and Scandal in the U.S. Nuclear Force." Discussion with Robert Burns and Wendy Benjaminson, Associated Press. Feb. 5 at 2:00, Newseum, Knight TV Studio, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington. Webcast on the Newseum website. http://bit.ly/MRX7zj

--“At the Table: Perspectives on Iran Negotiations from Two Former U.S. Negotiators.” Discussion with Nicholas Burns and Robert Einhorn. Sponsored by the Partnership for a Secure America. Feb. 7 from 11:00-noon at 2118 Rayburn HOB. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1dah61g

--”U.S.-Russian Relations in the 21st Century.” Discussion with Angela Stent, Fiona Hill, and Peter Baker. Feb. 18 from 2:00-3:30 at Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/1bqFDTe