An Essential Role
“A credible and reliable nuclear deterrent is essential to our national security and it instills confidence in our allies and friends. And the Air Force has a continuing and essential role in this mission. Today thousands of America’s airmen ensure the readiness of this nuclear arsenal. They operate America’s missile fields and train to deliver weapons from nuclear-capable aircraft. They sustain the current nuclear weapon and delivery systems, ensuring the engineering integrity of all of [them.]”
—Air Force Secretary Michael Donley during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008.

Not Broken
“We had a good sit-down, face-to-face discussion. ... Without speaking for GAO, one of their senior folks sort of said, ‘Your system is not broken.’”
—Air Force Secretary Michael Donley on a recent meeting between USAF acquisition officials and Government Accountability Office representatives to discuss the service’s acquisition processes, during a CSIS presentation, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008.