The role strategic air command played in Eisenhower's deterrence and massive retaliation?

the strategic air command was built up by Eisenhower and eventually led to the air force, complete with bombs. Because this was during the cold war period, it was meant as a deterrent from foreign (russian) attacks. The planes had the ability to carry nukes and pretty much wipe out anyone that attacked. however, overall, they did not help the massive retaliation because the price of using nukes was too heavy to bear for the relatively tiny crisis of the Soviets or the even smaller crisis of China (and it was quite pricy too.)