WEBVTT

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Global Thunder is a US Stratcom

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directed exercise . Overall , the

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exercise is intended to ensure nuclear

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readiness across the entire spectrum of

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warfare . During these exercises ,

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these 24 7 ops , I mean , this is a

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high ops tempo fate of the nation and

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perhaps the world is on the line there .

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But during these exercises , places

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like the alert shack , those are the

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air crews home . So it's important ,

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they've got hot meals and same thing

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with the defender , send the

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maintainers out there on the flight

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lines , which really helps morale ,

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especially when it's a little bit

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chilly out . So any time we're talking

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about a nuclear scenario , it comes

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down to the seconds and every second

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millisecond matters . So the crews are

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at a heightened state of alert and the

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jets are at a heightened state of

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readiness so they can respond in a

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moment's notice if there's a threat to

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the installation or the aircraft . I

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mean , nothing says America from an air

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power perspective quite as much as a B

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52 especially when they're taken off in

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close order in a rapid response to a

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potential threat . So by exercising

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this , we are validating that we are

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already and poised to execute . Should

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the need arise ?