The Secretaries of Defense, State, and Energy this week submitted to Congress the Bush Administration’s strategy for maintaining deterrence in the 21st century. The three Secretaries released a summary paper, saying a “detailed report” would follow with the data and methodology used to “determine our nuclear weapons force structure.” The goal, they said, is to maintain deterrence with a minimal number of nuclear weapons. The Bush Administration continues with its drive to reduce the number of operationally deployed strategic nuclear weapons from 6,000 in 2001 to around 2,000 by 2012 remains on track, but the Administration believes the US must retain nuclear weapons “for the foreseeable future” because of an “uncertain” security environment displaying “some trends [that] are not favorable.” To ensure the smaller nuclear force is credible—sustainable, safe, and reliable—without resorting to nuclear testing, the Administration asks Congress to support the Reliable Replacement Warhead program.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
