Another Air Force nuclear unit fails inspection

Source: CNN

For the fifth time this year, a U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons unit failed an inspection, this time because of failure to document its handling of nuclear missiles and other critical issues, Air Force officials said.

A "nuclear surety inspection" and "unit compliance inspection" was conducted this month on the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming by an Air Force inspector general. There was no risk to the unit's Minuteman III nuclear missiles, Air Force officials said. The unit has 90 days to correct the problems and pass another inspection.

In the wake of recent problems, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top Air Force officials have indicated a zero tolerance for failing inspections, but no punishments are expected in this case, officials said.

The inspection report found the maintenance unit failed to document tests conducted on missiles correctly, including tests on safety devices. The inspector general told the unit the failures indicated either a "lack of competence" or "disregard for procedures," according to a source who has seen the report. Additionally, failures included having some personnel on duty without proper medical clearance and failure to inspect radiation detectors.

Other units that failed inspections this year included two bomb wings and two missile units.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/18/air.force.nukes/index.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1754227

:headbang:
rocknation

talking about nuclear weapons?

this is too important to fall through the cracks.

All the military's effort and attention is being directed at keeping the Army semi-functional in the face of massive overstretching, and everything else takes a back seat.

...One of the things the review found was that both loaded and unloaded cruise missiles were being stored together in the same bunker, because they had fallen far behind schedule in decommissioning the unloaded missiles. No money or resources were available for something as seemingly minor as tearing apart stripped-down missiles.

Remember how horrible that was in 2000 when George W. Bush claimed (without any evidence, but he claimed it nevertheless) that the Clinton administration had just ruined the armed forces? Boy, was there outrage then! But since then, the outrage has been carefully marshalled and hoarded, ready to be unleashed once again on January 21 when Obama takes command. It will be like the Bush years never happened.

Although I have to say I find it curious that despite failing these inspections, the Air Force can tell us that there is "no risk" to the nuclear missiles. Then are the inspections useless since failing them doesn't put us at greater risk? What's the point?