Iconic design highlights schoolhouse, museum

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Nagle | A plaque which reads the dedication of an iconic Mk6 Atomic Bomb sits in front of the Defense Nuclear Weapons School at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Jan. 10, 2019. The school that has been in the same location for the last 72 years is home to providing Nuclear Enterprise and Radiological education and training to those who come through. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Nagle)  

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES

01.18.2019

Courtesy Story

377th Air Base Wing

The Cold War showpiece is just one of many iconic pieces that call the DNWS home.

The DNWS’s mission is to provide Nuclear Enterprise and Radiological education and training in support of Joint service, interagency organizations, and foreign partners worldwide. They do this through, not only their instructors, but their history-filled hallways.

“We wanted to remind people that we were here, so we put one of our icons out front,” said Col. Mark E. Bowen, DNWS commandant.

With help from members of the 58th Special Operations Wing’s Monster Garage, the Mk6’s iconic atomic bomb trainer was transformed into the new dedication piece.

Bowen wants to use this as a tool to bring attention to the schoolhouse and museum hosted inside, with the goal of helping dispel some of the nuclear phobia out there.

“Not all radiation is catastrophic, we deal with radiation all the time, we teach people this by holding open houses of our unclassified museum and educating them on helping them to protect themselves,” said Bowen.

During the open houses, DNWS invites anyone able to enter the base as well as the Atomic veterans and their families, giving them the opportunity to share our nuclear heritage at the unclassified level. When they are not open for the public, the museum is mostly viewed by those in the schoolhouse, learning of the history of the buildup and drawdowns, accidents and the ability to test theories from the past to the present.

“It’s important to see what we did in the past. We have current weapon designers come through [and] a lot of them may bring something up that has already been tried, and they can see that first hand,” said Bowen. “To learn from history is important. Our heritage--we are the only country to drop a nuclear weapon in war--at the same time we have been good stewards of not letting that happen again. Since the end of World War II, nuclear deterrence and counter proliferation has prevented world war and we do not want to lose sight of that.

The DNWS wants this new icon in front of the schoolhouse to help engage people who might not normally understand what they do and what’s inside.

“Having the museum increases the educational benefit to everyone who comes through here,” said Bowen. “To talk about it is one thing, but to see it is another.”

• Date Taken: 01.18.2019
• Date Posted: 01.18.2019 11:54
• Story ID: 307534
• Location: ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, US