Nuke Russian Roulette: No. 2 US nuclear commander suspended amid gambling probe

UK Banned Press TV: The Naval Criminal Investigation Command has suspended the No. 2 officer at the US at the US military command in charge of all nuclear war-fighting forces, officials said Saturday.

Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, who heads US Strategic Command, suspended the deputy commander, Navy Vice Adm. Tim Giardina, from his duties more than three weeks ago but it was not publicly announced, according to the Associated Press.
The suspension of a high-ranking officer at US Strategic Command is highly unusual, AP said.
Giardina is still assigned to the command but is prohibited from performing duties related to nuclear weapons and other work requiring a security clearance, according to the command’s top spokeswoman, Navy Capt. Pamela Kunze.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, two senior US officials familiar with the investigation said it is related to gambling issues.

According to studies by the Department of Defense, between 5 percent and 9 percent of US military personnel have experienced a gambling-related problem in their lifetime, and about 2 percent fit the classification for pathological gambling problems.
That is higher than the national average of just under 1 percent, according to John Kindt, a University of Illinois business professor who has studied gambling in the military. 

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