US military apologizes for New Year joke about dropping bombs
02 January, 2019
US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) apologized Monday for a joke in ‘bad taste’ after tweeting it was ready to drop something "much bigger" than the traditional Times Square crystal ball at New Year.
In a message posted, and later deleted, on Twitter, the military force that controls the US nuclear arsenal released a video in which B-2 bombers drop bombs, with the message: "If ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger."
Amid the jaw-dropping and eye-raising on social media that followed, STRATCOM – whose slogan is "peace is our profession" – then tweeted an apology.
"Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologise. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies," it said.
A STRATCOM spokesman told NBC News the images on the video showed non-nuclear bombs.
About a million people are expected Monday in New York's Times Square, where revellers since 1907 ring in the New Year watching a giant ball slide slowly down a pole. -- AFP