When the AP reported Giardina’s dismissal, my colleague Bob Burns noted: “The move is exceedingly rare and perhaps unprecedented in the history of U.S. Strategic Command, which is responsible for all American nuclear warfighting forces, including nuclear-armed submarines, bombers and land-based missiles.” Giardina’s security clearance was suspended, meaning he could not perform his duties at Strategic Command.
For those who may want to take these efforts as proof that our nuclear force remains ill disciplined and slipshod, I would argue the opposite. The system apparently worked. Character flaws or worrying behavioral trends were spotted and the men were stripped of command. That’s how it should work. Now if only this had happened on a regular basis during the Iraq and Afghan wars.