Vice Admiral Timothy M. Giardina
In the beginning of September, Vice Admiral Timothy M. Giardina, was secretly suspended from his job as second in command of the United States Strategic Command or USSTRATCOM, as it is known. He is being investigated for attempting to pass counterfeit poker chips at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. USSTRATCOM is the military command responsible for US nuclear weapons. Giardina remains Stratcom’s deputy commander, but he is not carrying out the duties associated with the job. The suspension was kept secret until it was revealed by an article in the Omaha World-Herald. Yesterday, Iowa authorities decided not to prosecute Admiral Giardina — leaving his fate in the hands of military authorities.