Free Republic

The Air Force on Thursday blamed administrative problems for the decision to remove an Air Force squadron overseeing an underground nuclear weapons cache, detailing another instance of questionable oversight even after the military took steps to correct similar issues. Ron Fry, spokesman for the Air Force Materiel Command, said the problems were related to a failed inspection. But a nuclear expert suggested it appears the problems ran deeper, based on the Air Force's decision to reassign five non-commissioned officers. The Air Force on Jan. 27 decertified the 898th Munitions Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, which maintains an estimated 2,000...

The Air Force has decertified a unit responsible for maintaining an estimated 2,000 nuclear warheads at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, but top military officials won't discuss specifics of the decision. Decertification means members of the 898th Munitions Squadron cannot perform their usual duties with nuclear weapons. Air Force officials declined to specify what that means. Air Force officials also declined to disclose what concerns prompted the action, but Ron Fry, a spokesman for the Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, said Wednesday the move wasn't prompted by any risk to the public....

There have been discussions on FR about an LATimes report that the US might make use specialized bunker buster weapons which employ a nuclear payload to vaporize even the hardest bunkers. The lefties and ANSWER types have been wetting themselves all morning about the report. Vote here. Vote however you want, but of course there is no need to vote more than once.