AFNWC commander announces offical motto at anniversary celebration

  • Published
  • By Al Moyers
  • Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Historian
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Maj. Gen. Scott W. Jansson, commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, announced the organization's new motto at a reception in the Mountain View Club April 7.

Jansson announced that "Never Doubted Always Feared" is the official motto of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. He said the motto represents the unit's obligation to execute its mission. 

"It is our promise to the president that if called upon, our nation's most powerful weapon systems will meet that call," Jansson said.

He said the motto is a statement of the fundamental essence of deterrence--a potential adversary's fear of unacceptable consequence and the certainty of the Nation's ability to inflict those consequences.  

"We are stewards of a tremendous power for destruction or peace," he said. "Every action we take is guided towards fulfilling these promises to ensure the world always chooses peace."

"The Nucleus of America's Deterrent" has been used as the unit's slogan for the past several years.  While the slogan is still relevant, it didn't meet the strict guidelines for an official Air Force organizational motto to be registered as part of the Center's lasting lineage. 

The reception was to not only unveil the new motto, but also allow workers from the AFNWC, and guests from Kirtland Air Force Base and the Albuquerque community to celebrate the Center's 10th anniversary.

The AFNWC was activated at Kirtland Air Force Base on March 31, 2006, bringing together a number of Air Force Materiel Command activities. Over the past 10 years, other organizations within the Air Force nuclear enterprise have been added to the Center as it formed the Air Force's center of excellence for nuclear weapons system acquisition and sustainment.