A picture taken in 1971 shows a nuclear explosion in Mururoa atoll.
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
The timing of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s morale-boosting trip to a Wyoming nuclear missile base on Thursday proved a bit awkward, as it coincided with the report that two nuclear launch officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana are under investigation for allegations of drug possession. Both of the accused parties operate intercontinental ballistic missiles. Thankfully, the officers have lost their access to classified information and been barred from launch control duty while the Air Force investigates.
