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SecAF briefed on AFTAC role in nuclear explosions

  • Published
  • By Susan A. Romano
  • AFTAC Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson visited the Department of Defense’s sole nuclear treaty monitoring center Feb. 8, 2018 to get a first-hand glimpse into the role the center plays in worldwide nuclear event detection.

The Air Force Technical Applications Center hosted Wilson while she was in town for AFTAC’s annual Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Symposium. AFTAC commander, Col. Steven M. Gorski, briefed Wilson on current operations and ongoing analysis of recent nuclear events in the Korean peninsula. A robust question-and-answer session ensued, which provided Wilson a greater understanding of precisely how AFTAC operates the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System and ensures signatory compliance to established global treaties.

After the briefing, Wilson toured the center’s operations floor, Clean Room and Innovation Lab, and met many Airmen who oversee the Air Force’s largest sensor network.

“I’ve been trying to get down here to see AFTAC for a long time,” Wilson said. “It was a pleasure to spend part of my day with these exceptional Airmen. I definitely could have spent several more hours here, especially in your Innovation Lab!”

This is the second time the sitting Air Force Secretary has visited the nuclear treaty monitoring center while in town for WiSE. In 2016, former Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James was the keynote speaker for the symposium and also received a timely mission briefing in the wake of a purported North Korean nuclear detonation.