Korea

 A story. I don't know why, but I suddenly thought about this this morning when they were talking about mutually assured destruction on the news:

When I was in Korea during my last overseas tour, I commanded a 750-man (yes, still all men in the 1980s) nuclear-capable 8-inch howitzer artillery battalion just south of the DMZ between North and South Korea. The keyword is nuclear. We stored nuclear-capable rounds on base, and I was permanently attached to a telephone that connected directly to the command authority (the President, but we only referred to "the command authority"). I wore that telephone night and day, and it was randomly tested about every hour or so. And every month, at an unpredictable time a live test was conducted. Codes would be exchanged, and I would alert my command. We would then commence building the rounds and prepare the battalion for deployment. Everything related to nuclear weapons requires two-man control, which is awkward to maintain during high-pressure operations. When ready, we would be directed to move out and occupy one of many redesignated classified positions. My battalion consisted of three 8-in howitzers (four guns per battery), one Multiple launch Rocket System battery (at that time a new, highly classified weapon), and one light air-mobile 105mm howitzer battery (six guns) along with all the support vehicles carrying amunition, fuel, mess (food and kitchens), computers, administration, tents, and an infantry platoon for security. We made one hell of a large signature (even though we were disbursed), consequently, a great target for enemy air. Anyway, once in the designated positions, the guns were laid, and munitions distributed, and the nuclear rounds built, we would so report and then...whew...we would be instructed to stand down and march order, sometimes to another fighting location and sometimes back to base. To accomplish this within a time limit with something close to perfection required amazing men, all doing exactly what they were trained to do, but in record time. It was always an exhilarating experience.