Executive Branch departments, agencies, etc., that have a role regarding the nation’s nuclear weapons
As it may be common to hear people talk of nuclear weapons andgovernment’s involvement, the complexity and shape of the protocols involved is immense. The government knows it is a risky and dangerous ground and hence employs certain tactics and smaller sub-organizations that aid in governing nuclear weaponry. The sub-organizations consist of agencies and executive branch departments.
The agencies primarily involved are; the departments of defense, energy, homeland, security, commerce and state. The processes of design, construction and overall maintenance is carried out by the National Security Association agency under the department of energy. Energy department was initially established in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. He was attempting to act in response to the energy crisis which prevailed at the time. The National Nuclear Security Administration oversees the Nations design of nuclear weapon facilities such as those in Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Savannah River. It also manages the nuclear laboratories, numerous processes of building prototype nuclear weapons and the processing of uranium and plutonium. Further processes of devising rules and codes of dealing with nuclear arms are also formulated in a bid to protect accidental and deliberate detonation.(Hansen, 1995)
The department of defense, federal agency also plays a significant role in the handling of nuclear weaponry. Its main responsibility is to manage how military units and the general armed forces handle and operate nuclear weapons. Unified commands are used as the primary tool in ensuring that the weapons are used as intended(Hansen, 1988). The department also oversees the allocation of nuclear weaponry to the various military units.
The department of Homeland Security in turn participates in the nuclear weapons circle by monitoring border cargo in customs and border protection. In this way, it filters out and avoids smuggling of nuclear weapons both in and out of the country. The department also goes and extra mile in participating in technological innovations that could aid in the detection of any chemical, biological and nuclear materials. The traffic that is the order of the day however presents a daunting task when it comes to the work carried out. Nevertheless, with the availability of the intelligence community, gathering and analysis of information on nuclear weapon activities in the foreign domain helps tighten security correspondingly.(Davis, 2010)
The department of state proceeds by playing vital roles in nuclear weapon management. Acting as the official diplomatic arm, it undertakes the responsibilities of negotiating on nuclear weaponry control agreements. Working closely with military officers and the department of defense at times, it superintends on negotiations and agreements that limit the use of certain nuclear weapons (Hansen, 1988).
The department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security follows closely by its involvement in licensing exports by companies which seek to export goods to foreign destinations (Hansen, 1988). Usually, such goods mostly consist of nuclear technologies used in military. The department therefore limits the exports by examining all applications by the companies to exports such sensitive items. Its effectiveness is aided by working closely with the departments of state and energy.
Lastly, the National Security council, governed by the presidential advisor for National Security Affairs participate in this arena by controlling the overall issue of nuclear weapons and how they are used(Hansen, 1988). All these departments work closely to design, construct and regulate the use of nuclear weapons.
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