Missile crew falls asleep with nuclear code device: air force

AFP ^ | July 24, 2008 | AFP

[Fundamentally Fair]

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Members of a US Air Force nuclear missile crew face disciplinary action for going to sleep while in possession of an invalidated nuclear launch code component, the air force disclosed Thursday.

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.

An investigation into the violation of procedures "concluded that no compromise of the classified material occurred," the air force said in a statement.

[Fundamentally Fair]

Minot and the USAF again.

[Fundamentally Fair]

I know there are folks here who will never respect the USAF and just figure this is part of a history of lax discipline. I don't think it is. I signed up 27 years ago and spent my first 9 years in SAC and this stuff wasn't tolerated.

As recently as 2003-2004, I thought we had the finest group of young officers and NCOs that I had ever seen.

Something has gone terribly wrong since that time.

[CindyDawg]

In your time problems were probably taken care of internally. Now they have the media looking over their shoulder.

[CindyDawg]

In your time problems were probably taken care of internally. Now they have the media looking over their shoulder.

[BGHater]

WTH has happened to the USAF crews lately? Are they overworked? What gives?

[GreyFriar]

Why not? Minot!

[Yorlik803]

I bet the ghost of Curtis LeMay is going to hand someone a can of “ Womp-a-Ass”

[JRandomFreeper]

And a senior NCO could thump dumb-farks that do stupid stuff. They aren't allowed to do that these days. Thumping (body learning/learning by physical means) is not allowed.

They have to win hearts and minds.

/johnny

[theDentist]

I’m surprised the commanding officers at the base, and specifically in charge of that ordinance, haven’t been transferred to an AntArctic station by now.

[omega4179]

This should have remained classified.

[allmendream]

Proud USAF veteran PING.

If I had fallen asleep on radar scope I would have never bagged that plane with 275 kilos of coke from our remote radar base in Jamaica!

The penalty for falling asleep on duty used to be pretty severe. Hope these guys get whats coming to them.

[JRandomFreeper]

But, on a positive note, General Lemay, K6EZV, is about up to rotations required to fire off an engine.

But where-ever he is, he's spinning.

/johnny

[MediaMole]

It seems like the nuclear strike component of the USAF has become a backwater. They seem to have the mentality of, “We’re never going to use these things, so we don’t have to care.”

[Moonman62]

Nuclear devices make me feel all warm and fuzzy, so I understand.

[BurbankKarl]

Skyking Skyking, Do Not Answer....

z-z-z-z-z-z

[AndyJackson]

I am going to say that from my reading of this article, the attention it is getting is way out of proportion to the problem. This is not like loading live nukes on a plane without knowing it and shipping them to another base to sit on the ground unguarded. Sure it is an infraction, but one in a chain of things. You discipline the folks involved so they learn, but you don't ruin careers over this one.

One of the problems these days is that way way way too many minor things are getting all blown out of proportion by the press. It was a long long way from what these guys did to nuclear weapons on the loose. Send them to training, extra duty - the military used to know how to handle minor stuff like this.

[llevrok]

I’m surprised the commanding officers at the base, and specifically in charge of that ordinance, haven’t been transferred to an AntArctic station by now.

That would be an improvement after Minot!

[kalee]

ping

[RightWhale]

while in possession of an invalidated nuclear launch code component

Invalidated? KP for a month.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

I thought all crews were constantly practicing attack and launch scenerios, 24/7.

Where do the Minot crews stand in the Air Force buttonmen competition?