# What were you THINKING?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6338

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**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6338 "2026-02-09T21:44:04Z")

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I was reading the thread and spotted a post from @gnoitall that caused raised some significant issues for me.

> [@Super Bowl LX](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-lx/1027508/241):
>
> > [@Super Bowl LX](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-lx/1027508/214):
> >
> > Totally pedantic: B-1B bombers are not strategic.
> 
> Are not, **currently**. I can assure you, they were, once, part of the strategic fleet. And the B1-B redesign was for the sake of strategic operational viability; the switchover from high-altitude strike bomber to low-altitude penetration bomber, but both for the mission of putting nukes on Warsaw Pact targets.
> 
> My cite is probably still classified.

If I see someone who has or has had a clearance revealing classified information, this is a must report situation. People who have had clearances should not, even light heartedly, imply something they posted is classified. It can lead to uncomfortable meetings with investigators.

Fortunately, I was able to find a public government source, so the “still classified” brag was just that.

[U.S. Strategic Bombers | Congress.gov | Library of Congress](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12945)

> The U.S. Air Force deploys three strategic (or [heavy](https://1997-2001.state.gov/www/global/arms/starthtm/start/abadefin.html#36def)) bombers—the B-52, B-1B, and B-2—to carry bombs or air-to-surface missiles for conventional and nuclear missions. Bombers carry heavy ordnance loads across long distances, for long periods of time, to strike adversary targets of tactical and strategic importance.

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