Misplace vital US technology – partic ularly nuclear technology – and plan on losing your job.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered that message in no uncertain terms this week with the abrupt and unprecedented – but richly deserved – dismissal of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.

A Gates-commissioned probe into how four nose-cone fuses for nuclear warheads were accidentally shipped to Taiwan determined that Wynne and Moseley had demonstrated a stunning lack of oversight.

No kidding: The Taiwanese were expecting helicopter batteries.

Worse, the screwup wasn’t even discovered until March of this year – 18 months after the fact.

Nor was this the sole instance of appalling Air Force carelessness: A year ago, a B-52 bomber flew around the country with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles on board – apparently unbeknownst to anyone.

These incidents sound like outtakes from “Fail-Safe” or “Dr. Strangelove unfortunately, they’re not.

Gates’ investigation determined that the errors reflected “a decline in the Air Force’s nuclear-mission focus and performance.”

Thus, Gates demanded Wynne’s and Moseley’s resignations – the first time a service’s top civilian and top military officer have been simultaneously relieved of command.

In a further step, Gates brought in one of his predecessors, James Schlesinger (who also served as secretary of Energy), to lead a task force to develop recommendations on upgrading Air Force security and control of nuclear weapons.

Gates’ steps send a clear signal throughout the armed services that there is something called accountability.

That’s an important lesson to convey – especially in wartime.

Hats off to Secretary Gates.