In this episode of NucleCast, Adam interviews Ken Myers, the former director of DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency 2009-2016), about the agency's mission and history. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, he was the fourth and longest serving director of the agency. He oversaw an annual $3 billion budget and operated simultaneously as a defense agency, combat support agency, and a Combatant Command component safeguarding America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction. Under his leadership DTRA/SCC was awarded four Joint Meritorious Unit Awards and Ken was awarded the Secretary of Defense’s Exceptional Public Service Award.
In this episode, he discusses DTRA's role as a defense agency, combat support agency, and element of the U.S. Strategic Command. He also explores DTRA's involvement in various missions, including nonproliferation, countering weapons of mass destruction, and support for the warfighter. The conversation covers the evolution of DTRA's mission, the shift of the CWMD mission from STRATCOM to SOCOM, and the role of defense support agencies in supporting the combatant commands. Myers shares his insights on the need for continued technological advancement, bipartisan support for national security, and the importance of maintaining the credibility of the U.S. nuclear weapons stock.
