Air Force sidelines 17 ICBM launch officers; commander cites ‘rot’ within system

[Ichingcarpenter]

WASHINGTON — The Air Force stripped an unprecedented 17 officers of their authority to control — and, if necessary, launch — nuclear missiles after a string of unpublicized failings, including a remarkably dim review of their unit’s launch skills. The group’s deputy commander said it is suffering “rot” within its ranks.

“We are, in fact, in a crisis right now,” the commander, Lt. Col. Jay Folds, wrote in an internal email obtained by The Associated Press and confirmed by the Air Force.
The tip-off to trouble was a March inspection of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., which earned the equivalent of a “D” grade when tested on its mastery of Minuteman III missile launch operations. In other areas, the officers tested much better, but the group’s overall fitness was deemed so tenuous that senior officers at Minot decided, after probing further, that an immediate crackdown was called for.

The Air Force publicly called the inspection a “success.”






http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ap-exclusive-air-force-sidelines-17-icbm-launch-officers-commander-cites-rot-within-system/2013/05/08/7825d8e4-b7ae-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html?hpid=z2

[Puzzledtraveller]

1. To be replaced by....

This guy!

[backscatter712]

3. What could possibly go wrong?

[Puzzledtraveller]

6. War Games FB!

[byeya]

2. This can't be good can it? We throw $Billions and $Billions at these dangerous relics and

those with the cushy jobs of tending them can't or won't do their jobs. With the military's penchant for sweeping things under the rug, this must really be flagrant to make the news.
But then, the USA bombed itself 86 times from the 40s through the 50s, so let's just give a group shrug and go shopping.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. but the inspection was a “success.”

Minot Air Force Base...has had a lot of bad publicity over the last few years.
the real story ought to be interesting.

[haikugal]

5. Was that the base that lost the nukes during the Bush regime?

They were being transfered to Texas...maybe they were shipped live...I don't remember exactly. I think it was this base.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Yes it was

Six nuclear warheads mishandled and unaccounted for or improperly secured for approximately 36 hours



More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_United_States_Air_Force_nuclear_weapons_incident

[haikugal]

8. Thanks Iching!!

[Crowman1979]

9. Ah, who cares! At least they found Jayzus!

I make that reference since the USAF is all about christian fundamentalism these days and wonder if that was the reason those officers got away with such poor performance for that long.