WEBVTT

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(piano music)

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- [Narrator] The Cold War.

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The tense standoff between two emerging super powers

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in the aftermath of World War Two.

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The United States and the Soviet Union would spend

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the next forty years locked in an arms race,

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acquiring the most powerful weapons

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the world had ever known.

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Within a decade of World War Two, nuclear technology

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quickly advanced, providing the US Air Force with greater

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deterrence through newer,

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more lethal thermonuclear weapons.

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The proliferation of nuclear weapons continued

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until the Soviet Union began to collapse in the late 1980s.

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Through nuclear deterrence, the United States managed

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to prevent catastrophic world wide conflict for decades.

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Today, the US Air Force stands ready.

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With long range bombers and ICBMs, accounting for two

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of the three legs of the nuclear triad.

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At the heart of each weapon system, is our Air Force's

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most important element, Airmen.

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Who remain committed to maintaining a safe, secure

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and effective nuclear capability.

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These dedicated military and civilian personnel

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are constantly defending the nation and our allies.

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While providing the Commander in Chief with the ability

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to respond to strategic threats.

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On duty, every hour of every day.