And We’re Worried About Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons?

By Mark Thompson | @MarkThompson_DC | July 11, 2011 | +

Robert Gates made a big deal out of the security of U.S. nuclear weapons, going so far as to fire the Air Force’s top two officials for one too many atomic fumbles. Apparently he left the Navy’s nuclear nightmares to successor Leon Panetta.

Check out this story from Navy Times:

A master-at-arms posted at a Navy nuclear warhead storehouse was found guilty June 23 of the repeated rape of a girl and handed a 45-year sentence after a four-day general court-martial at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Wash. MA1 Donald Jason Brown, 35, was found guilty of seven out of 14 charges that involved plying the girl with alcohol and raping, according to a base spokesman.

Kind of tough to square that with the language in the Navy’s Nuclear Weapon Personnel Reliability Program (PRP), which presumably vetted Brown:

The PRP is designed to assure only those personnel who have demonstrated the highest degree of individual reliability, trustworthiness, personal conduct, and integrity are permitted to perform duties associated with nuclear weapons. Those performing nuclear weapons duties will be continuously evaluated for adherence to PRP standards. This assurance is accomplished through careful screening and selection, education, continuous evaluation, and prompt removal of personnel from the PRP who no longer meet the high standards prescribed.

Related Topics: Military, Military Training, National Security, Navy, Nuclear Weapons, Pentagon, Troops

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