Air Force missile launch crew fell asleep

[Tab]

Source: AP`

WASHINGTON - Three ballistic missile crew members in North Dakota fell asleep while holding classified launch code devices this month, triggering an investigation by military and National Security Agency experts, the Air Force said Thursday.

The probe found that the missile launch codes were outdated and remained secure at all times. But the July 12 incident comes on the heels of a series of missteps by the Air Force that had already put the service under intense scrutiny.

"This was just a procedural violation that we investigated," said Air Force Col. Dewey Ford, a spokesman at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. "We determined that there was no compromise."

The lapse, which involved a crew based at Minot Air Force Base, was serious enough, however, to prompt an investigation by the 91st Missile Wing, in conjunction with codes experts at the 20th Air Force, U.S. Strategic Command and the National Security Agency.

And it delivers another blow to the beleaguered Air Force.

Last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a sweeping shake-up of the Air Force leadership, blaming them for failing to fully address a series of nuclear-related mishaps.
...
He also linked the underlying causes of that slip-up to the August incident in which a B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown from Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

No one has been punished yet in the latest Minot incident involving sleeping crew members. A continuing review by Minot commanders will determine what, if any, actions will be taken against them.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080724/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/air_force_nuke_codes

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The Air Force has been getting some bad press lately.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

1. TO MUCH TIME PRAYING, NOT ENOUGH THINKING

ASHAMED OF OUR MILITARY OFFICER CORPS

[bdab1973]

14. Thanks for the support

- AF Officer

[TahitiNut]

20. It comes with the territory. Anyone wearing the uniform reflects on EVERYONE wearing the uniform.

That's, in fact, the very result of the emphasis on the UNIFORM instead of the individual. It is, therefore, the highest 'duty' of each person wearing that uniform to insist on AND enforce standards of behavior to which all can be proud. Failure to do so (in the specious tradition of the 'long gray line') reflects on each and every person in that uniform.

You cannot reasonably expect folks NOT wearing the uniform to respect those wearing it if those wearing it aren't successful in enforcing standards that warrant such respect.

ANY such uniformed force, in service to the public, bears such an obligation. The corrupt posture that 'good public relations' is some substitute for such standards is mere blame-shifting. ANYONE who wears a uniform with the expectation that they will benefit from the respect EARNED by others who preceded them can damned well accept the disdain as well.

[RantinRavin]

2. Okay General Berringer

Can we turn on the WOPR now ?

[DarthDem]

8. Mr. McKittricks - -

Your fancy new defense system sucks.

[dysfunctional press]

3. you mean they STILL haven't gotten the WOPR online...?

:shrug: must be a LOT of bugs to work out.

[RantinRavin]

4. I beat ya, I beat ya

:D :D :D

[dysfunctional press]

5. yeah...but i had visual effects

:P

[lonestarnot]

6. I would imagine that Minot is about as exciting as watching ants pile sand on their hole.

Maybe they should invest in something that keeps people alert, like cold water.

[Turbineguy]

7. Gee Stainsy...

I wish we had one of those Doomsday Machines....

[struggle4progress]

9. Missile crew falls asleep with nuclear code device: air force (AFP)

... The breach occurred July 12 at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the scene of two other recent high profile lapses involving nuclear weapons or nuclear-related components, according to the spokesman ...

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the unprecedented step last month of firing both the air force chief of staff and the service's civilian secretary for failing to get a grip on a 10-year erosion of standards in the nuclear forces.

Last year, nuclear-armed cruise missiles were inadvertently loaded onto a B-52 bomber at Minot and flown to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

In March, the air force discovered it had mistakenly shipped nose cone assemblies with fuses to trigger nuclear weapons to Taiwan in 2006 ...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iDdETys0PC4BmcVrx6kD7GTcgGHw

[struggle4progress]

10. Napping Air Force Crew Broke Security Rules (WaPo)

... An investigation by the 91st Missile Wing into the July 12 incident did not find that the crew compromised any classified information. The Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group, had previously said it had unconfirmed reports that an airman had improperly taken launch codes from the facility, prompting a lockdown at the Minot base ...

n May, an Air Force unit at Minot, the 5th Bomb Wing, was given an "unacceptable" grade in security of nuclear weapons, according to the review by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. In another category, management and administration, it received a grade of "marginal," based on deficiencies in recording changes that affected the operational status of nuclear cruise missiles and gravity bombs.

Last summer, a B-52 at Minot was loaded with six air-launched cruise missiles and flown to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana without the pilots, air or ground crews knowing they contained nuclear warheads.

By Derek Kravitz | July 24, 2008; 8:02 PM ET National Security
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/07/a_crew_of_three_air.html

[Supersedeas]

23. maybe the AF officer corp should have control over to enlisted personnel

Navy submarine crews did not have these kind of security gaffes.

[struggle4progress]

11. U.S. missile crew falls asleep with launch codes (reuters)

... Commanders of the Air Force's 91st Missile Wing at Minot will decide whether to discipline the missile crew ...
http://uk.reuters.com/article/burningIssues/idUKN2449053720080725

[Mnemosyne]

12. Needs more knr! n/t

[Loudmxr]

13. The AF just ain't the same since George Carlin left

I love Col. Dewey BS reponse. Procedural violation. HA!!! procedural sleeping.!!! :boring:

[ColbertWatcher]

15. They weren't asleep, they were praying! n/t

[unhappycamper]

16. Minot airmen fell asleep with classified nuke hardware

Source: Army Times

Minot airmen fell asleep with classified nuke hardware
By Michael Hoffman and Kent Miller - Staff writers
Posted : Thursday Jul 24, 2008 22:11:55 EDT

Three missile officers with the 91st Space Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., fell asleep July 12 while holding a classified “code component” — a hardware device containing the codes needed to activate the control system for Minot’s intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The device, kept in a locked case, installs the codes that allow the missile launch control center to command the ICBMs in the missile silos. One piece of hardware is installed and the old one is removed, somewhat akin to changing hard drives in a computer.

Four officers had completed the process of changing the codes for the system underground in the launch control center and had returned topside to the large living center, which looks much like a ranch house inside and includes six bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining area, gym and a security control center for security forces airmen, according to Air Force officials.

While waiting for permission to bring the device back to base, the three officers with the code component in their possession fell asleep. The fourth officer was not present.

Read more: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/airforce_nuclear_072408w/

[flashl]

17. "nuclear surety" concerns existed for years, hope airmen are not taking the fall for 'concerns'

thats been reported but not addressed.

[dysfunctional press]

18. looks like it's time to turn on the wopr...

[Crowman1979]

19. Another reason to reduce our nuclear arsenal.

As well as world destruction and chimp having access to the button are reasons to ending this nuclear cock display. What a waste of time, having to live underneath the ground for several months. Go fly a plane!

[daleo]

21. It's the ultimate power nap

The 100 megaton snooze.

[mbperrin]

22. Good. Can't hurt anyone while asleep......

Hmmm...wonder if we could talk the whole corporate structure into taking a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng nap?