Mission: The Defense Nuclear Weapons School provides Nuclear Enterprise and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction education and training in support of joint service and interagency organizations worldwide.

With its wealth of expertise and resources, U.S.E stands as the Department of Defense’s (DoD) leader in countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD)-related education and training. Through the Defense Nuclear Weapons School (DNWS), U.S.E prepares those in the military, federal, state, and local government agencies, and allied partners to face these threats by providing a unique multi-disciplinary curriculum focusing on various aspects of CWMD. The DNWS, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is U.S.E’s flagship training institution.

The DNWS, which traces its history back to the Manhattan Project, is a unique entity that provides current training in radiological and nuclear weapons, nuclear and radiological incident command and control, incident response, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) modeling for DoD and other federal, state, and local agencies. It offers courses in four instructional modes (in-residence, distance learning, mobile training team, and outreach) and provides professional certification in Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD)-related disciplines.

DNWS manages and operates the only classified Nuclear Weapons Instructional Museum (NWIM) in the DoD. A member of the American Alliance of Museums, the NWIM is an irreplaceable repository that traces the history and development of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile from its inception to the present. The NWIM contains displays of all stockpiled U.S. nuclear weapons and their associated components and delivery systems, as well as related training aids. Touring the NWIM display affords students and visitors a rare opportunity to view exhibits and discuss stockpile issues with experienced instructors.