Fact Sheet

Cheating, Drugs, and the Nuclear Codes

Part of Heroes and Hiccups: True Stories about Nuclear Weapon Risks

Cheating, Drugs, and the Nuclear Codes

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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