No, such knowledge is NEVER useless.
Here is the proper definition and context of the word 'protocol'...
the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions.
Whenever classified information is suspected to have been compromised, the technical aspects of handling such information, such as codes or transportation of, will be changed. But the official procedures and policies take much longer, if they are changed at all. We are not talking about the 'no first use' policy, but about the whys and hows of nuclear handling procedures in peace, war, and times of tension. Those policies and procedures are usually secrets and they must be.
Take the USAF for example.
In the old days, we had 'Strategic Air Command' (SAC) which is responsible for our nuclear forces. Today, we have the 'Global Strike Command' (GSC) in replacement of SAC. It is a major change in how we would wage a nuclear war, if it ever comes to that. Such a major change would require smaller changes such as which general officers would do what, report to whom, and execute what on when, etc...etc...The world would know we replaced SAC with GSC, but not those detailed policies and procedures.
So when we are looking at a couple thousands pages of official state documents, it is only the shallow minded who would dismiss this as 'useless'. This is a treasure trove of the first order.
