The problem is that none of those people in the silos expect they'll ever be called upon to actually launch those missiles. Ever since the Soviet Union collapsed, they've been a weapon without a plausible mission.
This has two pernicious effects. First, it leads the people in the silos to think to themselves: if none of this really matters, why not cheat? It's all theater anyway, right? Why put your career prospects at risk over something that's pure theater?
And second, it means that the best and the brightest Air Force servicemembers, the ones who want to wear stars on their shoulders someday, don't want to serve in the silos to begin with. Promotions in the military flow from service in real wars, not imaginary ones. So the people who end up in the silos are the ones who can't get stationed somewhere (anywhere!) else -- and that's exactly the type of person who's going to be tempted to cheat to get ahead in the first place.
This has two pernicious effects. First, it leads the people in the silos to think to themselves: if none of this really matters, why not cheat? It's all theater anyway, right? Why put your career prospects at risk over something that's pure theater?
And second, it means that the best and the brightest Air Force servicemembers, the ones who want to wear stars on their shoulders someday, don't want to serve in the silos to begin with. Promotions in the military flow from service in real wars, not imaginary ones. So the people who end up in the silos are the ones who can't get stationed somewhere (anywhere!) else -- and that's exactly the type of person who's going to be tempted to cheat to get ahead in the first place.