Lessons From Vietnam: Should B-52 Squadrons Perform Both Nuclear and Conventional Missions? (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781288330904)

When nuclear weapons were accidently flown from Minot AFB to Barksdale AFB in August 2007, the B-52 community got a rude awakening. The decline in nuclear deterrence focus and discipline began many years prior, but this incident ignited a debate among crewmembers as to why they still perform a mission that seems secondary to current conventional obligations. Many wondered if the nuclear mission would dissolve and others thought it was time to separate the missions so each could have its due attention. By looking back at the Vietnam War when B-52s first began conventional bombing and exploring how the crews balanced the two missions, one can see that the transition between the two was not always seamless. Strategic Air Command had several objections to using B-52s in a conventional role with the main one being degradation of nuclear readiness.

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