Posted on 10/20/2007 6:05:07 AM PDT by Racehorse
Airmen not following the proper procedures that they were trained in, along with a lack of leadership and supervision, caused the incident in late August where nuclear weapons were loaded on a B-52 bomber at Minot Air Force Base and were flown to Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, said Maj. Gen. Richard Newton, assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements.
“Their lack of attention in detail is where the failure occurred,” Newton said at a news conference at the Pentagon Friday.
. . .
He said the incident began with the failure of airmen to conduct a required examination before the weapons were loaded on the B-52.
. . .
He said Air Combat Command officials made the decision to relieve from duty three colonels – Minot AFB’s Bomb Wing commander and Maintenance Group commander, and the Operation Group commander at Barksdale. Barksdale’s Operation Group commander was Col. Todd Westhauser.
Newton declined to go into details about others involved in the incident and any actions against them, but he said it was fewer than 100 people.
. . .
“This was an unacceptable error,” Newton said. He said the B-52 involved was from Barksdale. He said a lack of attention to detail and personnel not following checklist procedures caused the incident.
(Excerpt) Read more at minotdailynews.com ...
Saw your page, Thanks for your service.
Man, with all the usual semper fi stuff on FR, we sure do have a good standing of Ex-Air Force here as shown on this thread.
Wilum
I believe I said thanks to you when we met on the very first thread on this. But if didn’t, here’s to your service.
Went to the black shack in Lowry myself and ended up with the 307th TFS at Torrejon, Spain but served most of the time TDY, including 18 months worth of 30 day TDY’s at Incerlik, Turkey where the work of this subject was done.
Rest of the time in Wheelus Lybia before Khadafi took over, England (only was there once where we were able to leave the base), and Germany.
Spent the 7-day war in Incerlik; was interesting.
Came home to my loving country in 1970 to find out the criminal I realy was.
Wilum
Something like 70 personnel are in line for some kind of demotion. However, this did not happen. The count of first five then six is suspicious. One dial-yield nuke is loose out there somewhere.
I never said 9/6!!! Turn back happened before 9/6...I do not know when it happened.
Whew! Good, thanks, the misunderstanding has had me worried.
I had posted it was NOT recent. Sorry, guess you didn’t see it.
“Lightly painted three of them florescent orange and the others florescent red and then let them go in the WSA.”
Seems there is nothing new under the sun!
I spent my MMIII time at Grand Forks and a team of sky cops at A-0 (the furthest LCF) got bored on their three day tour so they captured as many gophers as they could and painted them flourescent colors.
It so happened the Wing Commander made his quarterly visit and noticed the colorful rodents running around topside! He got a good laugh but told the sky cops to cease and desist.
I know the mnx troops used MEK because they could pour it on top of the ice in the tubes and then just walk around the launch tube tossing matches into each one thus melting all of them at once.
This incident hits home somewhat since Minot was my first duty assignment. I wasn't a munitions troop, but my job required me to visit the WSA and BAA a couple of times a week. One thing I remember back then in the world of SAC, the SP's (as they were called back then) didn't fool around! I was lucky enough not to screw up and find my self face down in a foot of snow on a -20 degree day with an M-16 pointed at my head, but unfortunately for them, I knew a few friends that went through that ordeal.
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