Cheating, Drugs, and the Nuclear Codes
Part of Heroes and Hiccups: True Stories about Nuclear Weapon Risks
Air Force scandals
In 2014, an Air Force investigation found 11 senior missileers—the people responsible for launching nuclear weapons—guilty of cocaine and ecstasy use.
While investigating, they also discovered that 34 officers had been cheating on their monthly certification exams. By the end of the investigations, 92 missileers were decertified.
More Resources
US nuke scandal: 34 officers accused of cheating | AP News and 92 Missileers Implicated in Cheating Scandal | Air & Space Forces Magazine
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Nukes on Screen: The Entertainment Industry’s Go-To Resource on Nuclear Weapons
NTI's Critical Mass Project supports the creative community to tell stories about nuclear risks in film and television.
When Yeltsin Reached for the Nuclear Briefcase