General Glen T. Martin was Divisional Commander of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 1955-1958, and Deputy Director of Air Force Plans at the Pentagon from 1958-1962. In the interview he begins by recalling the atmosphere at SAC in the mid-1950s, describing it as likely the most effective command "in world history." He discusses particular aspects of the organization's work, including the special challenges facing pilots and the phenomenon of operating under the realization that war could break out with little warning. He recounts the change in targeting policy from a counter-force strategy in the late 1950s and early 1960s to one that elevated urban targets as a priority. He also describes the rationale behind SAC's large buildup of forces, which includes the need to plan for all possible contingencies in wartime, from maintenance problems to bad weather. He stands up for SAC's planning against criticisms by both the Navy and the Army, and defends the organization's intelligence reporting of a missile gap, though he acknowledges the possibility that "vested interests" may have played a role.
![Interview with Glen Martin, 1986 [1]](https://bpldcassets.blob.core.windows.net/derivatives/metadata/commonwealth-oai:8623kw30b/image_thumbnail_300.jpg)
![War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Glen Martin, 1986 [1]](https://bpldcassets.blob.core.windows.net/derivatives/metadata/commonwealth-oai:w3766h77d/image_thumbnail_300.jpg)
