This official history was originally printed in very small numbers in 2002. "Defense's Nuclear Agency, 1947-1997" traces the development of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP), and its descendant government organizations, from its original founding in 1947 to 1997. After the disestablishment of the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) in 1947, AFSWP was formed to provide military training in nuclear weapons' operations. Over the years, its sequential descendant organizations have been the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) from 1959 to 1971, the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) from 1971 to 1996, and the Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, DSWA, the On-Site Inspection Agency, the Defense Technology Security Administration, and selected elements of the Office of Secretary of Defense were combined to form the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

The Defense Nuclear Agency presents a comprehensive and informative history of the development and testing of nuclear weapons after World War II, from the earliest atomic bombs through the devastating hydrogen thermonuclear devices that were the centerpiece of the Cold War. It provides unique insights into civilian and presidential decisions from Truman through Clinton. Contents: CHAPTER ONE - The Post-War Transition, 1946 to 1948 * CHAPTER TWO - The Military's Role in Nuclear Matters, 1949 to 1952 * CHAPTER THREE - The Sprint for Supremacy, 1952 to 1957 * CHAPTER FOUR - Some Second Thoughts, 1957 to 1963 * CHAPTER FIVE - A New Paradigm, 1963 to 1970 * CHAPTER SIX - Another Way, 1970 to 1980 * CHAPTER SEVEN - A Rebirth of Confidence, 1980 to 1988 * CHAPTER EIGHT Post-Cold War Era: New Missions, 1989 to 1997 Defense's Nuclear Agency, 1947-1997, traces the development of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP), and its descendant government organizations, from its original founding in 1947 to 1997. After the disestablishment of the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) in 1947, AFSWP was formed to provide military training in nuclear weapons' operations. Over the years, its sequential descendant organizations have been the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) from 1959 to 1971, the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) from 1971 to 1996, and the Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, DSWA, the On-Site Inspection Agency, the Defense Technology Security Administration, and selected elements of the Office of Secretary of Defense were combined to form the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The Prologue sets the stage for the national and international events leading up to the founding of AFSWP in 1947. The history of AFSWP and its descendant organizations is presented in eight narrative chapters that cover logical periods of evolution and development. These chapters are followed by appendices that provide further background on organizational transitions, including charters, chronology, and an agency time line. Chapters are arranged in chronological order and cover the evolution of the agency, as portrayed against the larger backdrop of military and political currents. Each chapter addresses external influences, internal program response, ancillary programs, and transitions. Issues that overlap chapters are revisited. Although it is difficult at times to separate the agency's mission from the larger Department of Defense (DoD) or the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the text is centrally focused upon the department's nuclear agency over five decades, 1947-1997. Technical issues and terms, so much a part of a technical defense agency, have been held to a minimum; an abbreviation/acronym list is provided in the appendix for reference.

Defense's Nuclear Agency, 1947-1997, traces the development of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP), and its descendant government organizations, from its original founding in 1947 to 1997. After the disestablishment of the Manhattan Engineering District (MED) in 1947, AFSWP was formed to provide military training in nuclear weapons' operations. Over the years its sequential descendant organizations have been the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) from 1959 to 1971, the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) from 1971 to 1996, and the Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, DSWA, the On-Site Inspection Agency, the Defense Technology Security Administration, and selected elements of the Office of Secretary of Defense were combined to form the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

The following report outlines the endeavors of the Defense Special Weapons Agency from 1947-1997, the first 50 years of service. Specifics include: (1) Initial charter, (2) Dawn of the atomic age, (3) Early years of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, (4) Discovery, (5) Strategic deterrence, (6) Strategic deterrence with nuclear parity, (7) Force modernization and the demise of the Warsaw Pact, (8) Post Cold War priorities, and (9) future challenges.

Right after World War II, the United States felt secure in its atomic monopoly. With the American "Pax Atomica" in place, the free world held an apparent strategic advantage over the Soviet bloc and saw itself as a bulwark against communist expansion. But America's atomic superiority in the early postwar years was more fiction than fact. From 1945 until 1950, the U.S. atomic arsenal was poorly coordinated, equipped and funded. The newly formed Atomic Energy Commission inherited from the Manhattan Engineer District a program suffering from poor organization, failing infrastructure and internal conflict. The military establishment and the Air Force's Strategic Air Command little knew what to do with this new weapon. The Air Force and the AEC failed to coordinate their efforts for a possible atomic air offensive and war plans were ill-conceived, reflecting unrealistic expectations of Air Force capabilities and possible political outcomes. This lack of preparedness serves as a case study in the tenuous nature of American civilian-military relationships. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES • This Book is Federal Government Book; it should not be under estimated by any Faculty or Individual. The book contains all roles of President, United States Congress, United States Judiciary, and United States Inner Executive Departments are: • United States Department of States; United States Department of Treasury, United States Department of Defense, United States Department of Justice, and United States Department of Homeland Security; and others Offices that have Rank of Cabinet-Level, and they are: Vice President of the United States Office; Executive Office of the President (White House); Office of Budget and Management; Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Environmental Protection Agency; United States Mission to United Nations; United States Council of Economic Advisors; United States Department of Army Forces; United States Department of Air Forces; United States Department of Naval Operations; United States Marine Corps/Commands; and United States of America’s short history, and United States Constitution. However, the above mentioned Departments have more than one thousand Agencies. Author: Pan