 He discusses the ethics of commanding a warship, the capabilities of nuclear strike forces, daily life aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the Arctic Circle, and the nature of his ship's mission.Captain Thomas remarks that, despite the reduction in the land-based ICBM arsenal, there is still considerable power in the SLBMs and Tomahawks; his ship alone has more power than several missile silos combined.On December 21, without warning, Thomas, the captain of the U.S. Navy destroyer, USS "Nathan James" (DDG-80), receives authenticated orders to carry out a nuclear strike on the Soviet city of Orel and its nearby silos.