Cold War Scenario: False Alarm or Real Danger?

[Purgatio]

I'm not losing my job (or worse) or seeing my country get nuked without the capacity to retaliate on the off-chance the warning system is wrong

That's you. You are not me.

What possible reason could you have to put your own career on the line on the off-chance the warning system happens to maybe be wrong (which your employers have entrusted you with the task of observing and responding to without question)

[Thermodolia]

Nope.

I'm not losing my job (or worse) or seeing my country get nuked without the capacity to retaliate on the off-chance the warning system is wrong

There’s no harm in having the missiles confirmed. Because even if they are real there’s no stopping them. It would take way less than 8 minutes to confirm it.

[The New California Republic]

That's you. You are not me.

What possible reason could you have to put your own career on the line on the off-chance the warning system happens to maybe be wrong (which your employers have entrusted you with the task of observing and responding to without question)

Read my responses and you will find out.

[Purgatio]

I'm not losing my job (or worse) or seeing my country get nuked without the capacity to retaliate on the off-chance the warning system is wrong

There’s no harm in having the missiles confirmed. Because even if they are real there’s no stopping them. It would take way less than 8 minutes to confirm it.

Confirmed? Confirmed through what, the point of the warning system is to detect and indicate whether or not missiles are headed straight for Soviet territory, from the US, and your one job is to observe the warning system and inform Soviet High Command if the reading is positive. So just do it. The decision whether or not to retaliate is Soviet High Command's, as a military officer you don't have the right to unilaterally countermand your superior's orders or just decide not to do your job and your duty because you 'feel' like the system 'might', 'possibly' be wrong

[Purgatio]

What possible reason could you have to put your own career on the line on the off-chance the warning system happens to maybe be wrong (which your employers have entrusted you with the task of observing and responding to without question)

Read my responses and you will find out.

A system being new isn't a reason to doubt its accuracy

[The New California Republic]

There’s no harm in having the missiles confirmed. Because even if they are real there’s no stopping them. It would take way less than 8 minutes to confirm it.

Confirmed? Confirmed through what, the point of the warning system is to detect and indicate whether or not missiles are headed straight for Soviet territory, from the US, and your one job is to observe the warning system and inform Soviet High Command if the reading is positive. So just do it. The decision whether or not to retaliate is Soviet High Command's, as a military officer you don't have the right to unilaterally countermand your superior's orders or just decide not to do your job and your duty because you 'feel' like the system 'might', 'possibly' be wrong

There are several different components to an EW system that confirms detections by the other components you know...

[The New California Republic]

Read my responses and you will find out.

A system being new isn't a reason to doubt its accuracy

Brand new systems, including military ones, have a tendency to have rollout glitches. This system was implemented mere days ago, so the odds of glitches are high.

[Purgatio]

Confirmed? Confirmed through what, the point of the warning system is to detect and indicate whether or not missiles are headed straight for Soviet territory, from the US, and your one job is to observe the warning system and inform Soviet High Command if the reading is positive. So just do it. The decision whether or not to retaliate is Soviet High Command's, as a military officer you don't have the right to unilaterally countermand your superior's orders or just decide not to do your job and your duty because you 'feel' like the system 'might', 'possibly' be wrong

There are several different components to an EW system that confirms detections by the other components you know...

You mentioned the Duga OTH radar, which Soviet High Command is probably going to check anyway. I don't see the value of reporting your doubts about the accuracy of the warning system's indication, your job is just to report positive readings and let Soviet High Command make their own decision, which will likely include confirming detections using these other components irregardless of what you say or recommend

[Purgatio]

A system being new isn't a reason to doubt its accuracy

Brand new systems, including military ones, have a tendency to have rollout glitches. This system was implemented mere days ago, so the odds of glitches are high.

Sure, so report the positive reading and let Soviet High Command decide at their own discretion how much weight to place on it

[The New California Republic]

There are several different components to an EW system that confirms detections by the other components you know...

You mentioned the Duga OTH radar, which Soviet High Command is probably going to check anyway. I don't see the value of reporting your doubts about the accuracy of the warning system's indication, your job is just to report positive readings and let Soviet High Command make their own decision, which will likely include confirming detections using these other components irregardless of what you say or recommend

An officer has a duty to report any potential malfunctions. That is all that I am doing...

[The New California Republic]

Brand new systems, including military ones, have a tendency to have rollout glitches. This system was implemented mere days ago, so the odds of glitches are high.

Sure, so report the positive reading and let Soviet High Command decide at their own discretion how much weight to place on it

But again I'd report that it could potentially be a glitch.

[Purgatio]

You mentioned the Duga OTH radar, which Soviet High Command is probably going to check anyway. I don't see the value of reporting your doubts about the accuracy of the warning system's indication, your job is just to report positive readings and let Soviet High Command make their own decision, which will likely include confirming detections using these other components irregardless of what you say or recommend

An officer has a duty to report any potential malfunctions. That is all that I am doing...

But you're not telling Soviet High Command anything they don't know. There's no evidence of a malfunction beyond a 'mere feeling' and suspicion based on the fact that the system is new (which Soviet High Command already knows) so I don't see the added value of advising Soviet High Command to distrust the positive reading unless you have external evidence of a glitch beyond conjecture or speculation

[The New California Republic]

An officer has a duty to report any potential malfunctions. That is all that I am doing...

But you're not telling Soviet High Command anything they don't know. There's no evidence of a malfunction beyond a 'mere feeling' and suspicion based on the fact that the system is new (which Soviet High Command already knows) so I don't see the added value of advising Soviet High Command to distrust the positive reading unless you have external evidence of a glitch beyond conjecture or speculation

If I had a feeling that it was a glitch then I need to attach that to my report. Not doing so would be negligent.

[Infected Mushroom]

Option 1

I would obey my orders, which are to report what I see on the radar

If they start a nuclear war, I am blameless

I was just following orders

You’d be dead

Is it not my job to report what I see on the radar?

I don’t think I did anything wrong

[The New California Republic]

You’d be dead

Is it not my job to report what I see on the radar?

I don’t think I did anything wrong

You wouldn't be able to think anything when the ground burst warhead carves your bunker out of the ground...

[Purgatio]

But you're not telling Soviet High Command anything they don't know. There's no evidence of a malfunction beyond a 'mere feeling' and suspicion based on the fact that the system is new (which Soviet High Command already knows) so I don't see the added value of advising Soviet High Command to distrust the positive reading unless you have external evidence of a glitch beyond conjecture or speculation

If I had a feeling that it was a glitch then I need to attach that to my report. Not doing so would be negligent.

It's a feeling. It's a feeling based on nothing. If I was asked to prosecute someone who I had a 'feeling' could be innocent, but had no proof of it, why should I inform my superiors of my 'feeling', how are they supposed to put any weight on a mere 'feeling' backed up by nothing else or extrinsic evidence. What's negligent is if there were actual extrinsic evidence suggesting the positive reading is wrong and not attaching that to the report, but not attaching a 'feeling' isn't. Your superiors don't need to know all your inner speculations.

[Purgatio]

Is it not my job to report what I see on the radar?

I don’t think I did anything wrong

You wouldn't be able to think anything when the ground burst warhead carves your bunker out of the ground...

It was still his job. Nothing wrong with doing your job.

[Novus America]

There’s no harm in having the missiles confirmed. Because even if they are real there’s no stopping them. It would take way less than 8 minutes to confirm it.

Confirmed? Confirmed through what, the point of the warning system is to detect and indicate whether or not missiles are headed straight for Soviet territory, from the US, and your one job is to observe the warning system and inform Soviet High Command if the reading is positive. So just do it. The decision whether or not to retaliate is Soviet High Command's, as a military officer you don't have the right to unilaterally countermand your superior's orders or just decide not to do your job and your duty because you 'feel' like the system 'might', 'possibly' be wrong

As a military office you job is also to think. There is a reason they assigned an officer to the post.
I seriously doubt the orders say “never offer any input as to the validity of the system’s readouts”.
After all if that was the objective why have an officer with a college education, or anyone there at all? Why not just have the machine send and automated alert to the command then?

You are not allowed to unilaterally go against your orders (in most cases), but you can and should go above and beyond just the bare minimum.
Unless the orders say you cannot offer any analysis (which would make no sense) you can and should do so.

[Purgatio]

Confirmed? Confirmed through what, the point of the warning system is to detect and indicate whether or not missiles are headed straight for Soviet territory, from the US, and your one job is to observe the warning system and inform Soviet High Command if the reading is positive. So just do it. The decision whether or not to retaliate is Soviet High Command's, as a military officer you don't have the right to unilaterally countermand your superior's orders or just decide not to do your job and your duty because you 'feel' like the system 'might', 'possibly' be wrong

As a military office you job is also to think. There is a reason they assigned an officer to the post.
I seriously doubt the orders say “never offer any input as to the validity of the system’s readouts”.
After all if that was the objective why have an officer with a college education, or anyone there at all? Why not just have the machine send and automated alert to the command then?

You are not allowed to unilaterally go against your orders (in most cases), but you can and should go above and beyond just the bare minimum.
Unless the orders say you cannot offer any analysis (which would make no sense) you can and should do so.

I agree, and if there is any evidence or facts which suggest the reading is wrong or inaccurate, you ought to attach that to your report, but so far the only arguments made so far (e.g. that the system is new, that there are other means of verifying the accuracy of the reading like the Duga OTH radar system) is information that Soviet High Command has anyway, there's no value in telling them to do these things or giving them information they already have. The only additional information is you have a 'feeling' that the system could be wrong....but that's all it is. A feeling. How much weight can you really give to that? Nothing. Going beyond the bare minimum is reporting facts that indicate the positive reading is wrong, not mere feelings or speculations.

[The New California Republic]

If I had a feeling that it was a glitch then I need to attach that to my report. Not doing so would be negligent.

It's a feeling. It's a feeling based on nothing. If I was asked to prosecute someone who I had a 'feeling' could be innocent, but had no proof of it, why should I inform my superiors of my 'feeling', how are they supposed to put any weight on a mere 'feeling' backed up by nothing else or extrinsic evidence. What's negligent is if there were actual extrinsic evidence suggesting the positive reading is wrong and not attaching that to the report, but not attaching a 'feeling' isn't. Your superiors don't need to know all your inner speculations.

I'd report it as a potential glitch based on the fact that an actual launch would involve more than the number given in the OP, I'm not just pulling that feeling from where the sun don't shine.

[The New California Republic]

You wouldn't be able to think anything when the ground burst warhead carves your bunker out of the ground...

It was still his job. Nothing wrong with doing your job.

Except his job made him dead.

[Purgatio]

It's a feeling. It's a feeling based on nothing. If I was asked to prosecute someone who I had a 'feeling' could be innocent, but had no proof of it, why should I inform my superiors of my 'feeling', how are they supposed to put any weight on a mere 'feeling' backed up by nothing else or extrinsic evidence. What's negligent is if there were actual extrinsic evidence suggesting the positive reading is wrong and not attaching that to the report, but not attaching a 'feeling' isn't. Your superiors don't need to know all your inner speculations.

I'd report it as a potential glitch based on the fact that an actual launch would involve more than the number given in the OP, I'm not just pulling that feeling from where the sun don't shine.

Which isn't information Soviet High Command won't have, when you make your report you can tell them how many missiles the warning system is reading and they'll take into account this factor regardless.

[Purgatio]

It was still his job. Nothing wrong with doing your job.

Except his job made him dead.

As far as he's concerned at the time the report is made, not making the report to Soviet High Command is the choice which could make him dead

[The New California Republic]

I'd report it as a potential glitch based on the fact that an actual launch would involve more than the number given in the OP, I'm not just pulling that feeling from where the sun don't shine.

Which isn't information Soviet High Command won't have, when you make your report you can tell them how many missiles the warning system is reading and they'll take into account this factor regardless.

So there's nothing wrong with me attaching a note to the report that it is in my opinion that the readings are wrong, is there?

[The New California Republic]

Except his job made him dead.

As far as he's concerned at the time the report is made, not making the report to Soviet High Command is the choice which could make him dead

Catch 22 then.