Former Target Store Manager To Oversee Nation's Nuclear Security

Mother Jones ^ | Feb. 6, 2013 | Dana Liebelson

[Outraged Infidel]

Retired Air Force Colonel Steve Asher also ran a missile base that later flunked key security tests.

Ever since last summer, when a 82-year-old nun broke into the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the National Nuclear Security Administration has scrambled to improve its leadership and beef up security at America's nuke facilities.

Now it appears the agency has found the man for the job: The weekly trade publication Nuclear Weapons & Materials Monitor reported last week that the NNSA has named as its acting head of nuclear security Steve Asher, a retired Air Force colonel who less than four years ago was working as a "team leader" at a Target store in Spokane, Washington. Prior to that, he commanded a missile base in Montana that flunked a nuclear security test within five months of his departure.

[Buckeye McFrog]

So he mustered out of the service, found a crappy job market waiting for him, and had enough pride to work at Target as a stopgap rather than going on the dole. He’s got my respect.

This story gives me the hankering to watch that hideous 90’s flick about the Target janitor locked in the store all night. Features a very compelling 20 year old Jennifer Connolly.

[Cheerio]

RIGHT ON PLAN.

NORTH: The Obama administration plan to disarm America

Obama's 2007 Promise to Disarm and De-Nuke America

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Stories written like this piss me off - I agree with your assessment - they are taking a job after retirement and making fun of it and discounting his service prior to that. I never believe headlines from anyone, even Fox anymore.

[TennesseeGirl]

This guy sounds better to me than the former VP of TVA in charge of the nuclear plants. He was only funneling money to Iran, ostensibly to increase his return on his retirement dividends because Iran's investments paid out better. Which begs the question, what, besides money could Bajestani have funneled to Iran? Let's see. An Iranian-American (dual citizenship). TVA places him in one of the highest level positions in charge of nuclear power plants with access to ALL the engineering records. This guy wants to feather his nest. Could the confidential engineering documents for those nuclear plants made their way to Iran for a couple more dollars to Masoud Bajestani? True, he would conceivably be sharing information on 1970s technology, but he could, more importantly, be sharing the weaknesses in our major power plants. Making us sitting ducks.

Where is the media on this? By the way, this information came out only because of his divorce records. Sigh. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/feb/03/tva-manager-fired-for-lying/. The feds arrested him when he landed in ATL from Dubai last Sunday. Two years after this information was made known. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/feb/05/former-head-of-watts-bar-project-arrested/

[RJS1950]

When nukes were under the control of Strategic Air Command and their stringent standards there were very few security incidents and none like this. When SAC went away and they put missiles and bombers under what was Tactical Air Command, the standards quickly fell off and it wasn’t too long after I retired that incidents began to occur. Most of those who are now in command positions either never served under SAC nuclear surety requirements or they served one tour as a crew dog. SAC pounded all of us, operations and staff, on a daily basis and God help you if you failed any nuclear surety test or broke any of the rules. Those days are gone, unfortunately for all of us.

[USAF80]

You probably remember the time one SAC base failed its inspection and the base commander had them on 12 hour shifts with no days off for over six months.

Nowadays that would be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

[RJS1950]

I remember some SAC wings that failed IG or SMES evals. I know that the wing commander/host base commanders in those days would inflict painful retraining requirements for those types of failures. We never considered it to be cruel, it was SAC and we were dealing with nuclear weapons, no room for error. I remember one failure at FE Warren AFB and the fallout from that episode struck the fear of God into the rest of us at other missile bases.

[oh8eleven]

Ever since last summer, when a 82-year-old nun broke into the Y-12 nuclear weapons complex in Oak Ridge
I still can't get over that. You'd think that after Pearl Harbor, 9/11, the Marine's getting blown up in Beirut, etc., those in charge would take their responsibilities seriously.
Some day a terrorist is gonna do some REAL damage to this country.