DaJudge
October 18th, 2007, 12:14 PM
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Tough Punishment Expected for Warhead Errors
Officers May Lose Commands After Nuclear Missiles Were Flown on Bomber
By Thomas E. Ricks and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers and Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 18, 2007; A09
The Air Force has decided to relieve at least five of its officers of command
and is considering filing criminal charges in connection with the Aug. 29
"Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-armed cruise missiles were mistakenly
flown from North Dakota (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/North+Dakota?tid=informline) to Louisiana (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Louisiana?tid=informline), two senior Air Force officials said
yesterday.
Although senior Defense Department (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/U.S.+Department+of+Defense?tid=informline) officials have not been fully briefed on
the results of an Air Force probe of the incident, the sources said that at
least one colonel is expected to lose his position and that several enlisted
personnel will also be punished as part disciplinary actions that could be
among the toughest meted out by the Air Force in years.
The measures are expected to be formally announced tomorrow along with
the detailed findings of an internal, six-week investigation into how a B-52 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Boeing+B-52+Stratofortress?tid=informline)
bomber crew mistakenly flew from one military air base to another with six
nuclear warheads strapped to its wings. Air Force veterans have described
the Aug. 29 incident as the one of the worst breaches in U.S. nuclear
weapons security in decades.
A senior Air Force official familiar with the investigation said officers will be
relieved at both installations involved in the incident: Minot Air Force Base (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Minot+Air+Force+Base?tid=informline),
N.D., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La. A colonel commanding one of the Air
Force wings is likely to be the highest-ranking officer to be relieved, the
official said.
In addition, the official said, letters of reprimand will be issued to several
enlisted service members. The personnel actions may be followed by
criminal charges against one or more people, but that course of action is
still being discussed at the highest levels of the Air Force, he added. The
most likely such charge, he said, would be either dereliction of duty or
willful disobedience of an order.
The anticipated personnel and disciplinary actions would be the most severe
ever brought in the Air Force in connection with the handling of nuclear
weapons, one of the officials said. The intention is to send the message
that "the Air Force is getting back to the roots of accountability," the other
official said. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the
investigation remains active.
The August event triggered a rare "Bent Spear" nuclear incident alert that
was sent to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Robert+Gates?tid=informline) and President Bush (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/George+W.+Bush?tid=informline).
Although some details are not yet publicly known, officials familiar with the
investigation say the problem originated at Minot (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Minot?tid=informline) when a pylon carrying six
nuclear-armed cruise missiles was mistaken for one carrying unarmed
missiles. Minot had been in the midst of shipping unarmed cruise missiles to
Barksdale for decommissioning.
That initial mistake was followed by many other failures, ultimately allowing
six nuclear warheads to slip outside the Air Force's normal safeguards for
more than 36 hours. The warheads were airborne for more than three hours
and sat for long periods on runways at both air bases without a special
guard. Air Force officials say there was little risk that the warheads could
have been detonated, but the lapses could theoretically have led to
warheads being stolen or damaged in a way that could have disseminated
toxic nuclear materials.
One official noted yesterday that the service is determined to handle the
case better than it did a 1994 incident in which two Air Force F-15C pilots
shot down two Army UH-60 Black Hawk (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/UH-60+Black+Hawk+Helicopter?tid=informline) helicopters that were in northern
Iraq (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Iraq?tid=informline)'s "no-fly" zone, killing 26. Few disciplinary actions resulted then, an
outcome that some generals said should not be repeated.
Gen. John D.W. Corley, who on Oct. 2 became chief of the Air Combat
Command, traveled to Washington this week to discuss his planned actions
with senior Air Force officials. Gates is scheduled to be briefed on the Air
Force moves tomorrow.
Officials cautioned, however, that an announcement could be delayed
because of continuing discussions among top officials over whether the
disciplinary action should go even higher up the command chain, perhaps to
include some generals.
Both the 5th Bomb Wing, which is based at Minot, and the 2nd Bomb Wing,
based at Barksdale, are part of the 8th Air Force, which is also based at
Barksdale. The 5th Wing has been commanded since June of this year by
Col. Bruce Emig, according to an Air Force Web site. The 2nd Wing is led by
Col. Robert Wheeler, who took command in July. They are the Air Force's
only two B-52 units.
The 8th Air Force, historically the service's main bomber force, is overseen
by Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., a veteran B-52 pilot.
? 2007 The Washington Post Company
Tough Punishment Expected for Warhead Errors
Officers May Lose Commands After Nuclear Missiles Were Flown on Bomber
By Thomas E. Ricks and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers and Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, October 18, 2007; A09
The Air Force has decided to relieve at least five of its officers of command
and is considering filing criminal charges in connection with the Aug. 29
"Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-armed cruise missiles were mistakenly
flown from North Dakota (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/North+Dakota?tid=informline) to Louisiana (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Louisiana?tid=informline), two senior Air Force officials said
yesterday.
Although senior Defense Department (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/U.S.+Department+of+Defense?tid=informline) officials have not been fully briefed on
the results of an Air Force probe of the incident, the sources said that at
least one colonel is expected to lose his position and that several enlisted
personnel will also be punished as part disciplinary actions that could be
among the toughest meted out by the Air Force in years.
The measures are expected to be formally announced tomorrow along with
the detailed findings of an internal, six-week investigation into how a B-52 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Boeing+B-52+Stratofortress?tid=informline)
bomber crew mistakenly flew from one military air base to another with six
nuclear warheads strapped to its wings. Air Force veterans have described
the Aug. 29 incident as the one of the worst breaches in U.S. nuclear
weapons security in decades.
A senior Air Force official familiar with the investigation said officers will be
relieved at both installations involved in the incident: Minot Air Force Base (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Minot+Air+Force+Base?tid=informline),
N.D., and Barksdale Air Force Base, La. A colonel commanding one of the Air
Force wings is likely to be the highest-ranking officer to be relieved, the
official said.
In addition, the official said, letters of reprimand will be issued to several
enlisted service members. The personnel actions may be followed by
criminal charges against one or more people, but that course of action is
still being discussed at the highest levels of the Air Force, he added. The
most likely such charge, he said, would be either dereliction of duty or
willful disobedience of an order.
The anticipated personnel and disciplinary actions would be the most severe
ever brought in the Air Force in connection with the handling of nuclear
weapons, one of the officials said. The intention is to send the message
that "the Air Force is getting back to the roots of accountability," the other
official said. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the
investigation remains active.
The August event triggered a rare "Bent Spear" nuclear incident alert that
was sent to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Robert+Gates?tid=informline) and President Bush (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/George+W.+Bush?tid=informline).
Although some details are not yet publicly known, officials familiar with the
investigation say the problem originated at Minot (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Minot?tid=informline) when a pylon carrying six
nuclear-armed cruise missiles was mistaken for one carrying unarmed
missiles. Minot had been in the midst of shipping unarmed cruise missiles to
Barksdale for decommissioning.
That initial mistake was followed by many other failures, ultimately allowing
six nuclear warheads to slip outside the Air Force's normal safeguards for
more than 36 hours. The warheads were airborne for more than three hours
and sat for long periods on runways at both air bases without a special
guard. Air Force officials say there was little risk that the warheads could
have been detonated, but the lapses could theoretically have led to
warheads being stolen or damaged in a way that could have disseminated
toxic nuclear materials.
One official noted yesterday that the service is determined to handle the
case better than it did a 1994 incident in which two Air Force F-15C pilots
shot down two Army UH-60 Black Hawk (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/UH-60+Black+Hawk+Helicopter?tid=informline) helicopters that were in northern
Iraq (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Iraq?tid=informline)'s "no-fly" zone, killing 26. Few disciplinary actions resulted then, an
outcome that some generals said should not be repeated.
Gen. John D.W. Corley, who on Oct. 2 became chief of the Air Combat
Command, traveled to Washington this week to discuss his planned actions
with senior Air Force officials. Gates is scheduled to be briefed on the Air
Force moves tomorrow.
Officials cautioned, however, that an announcement could be delayed
because of continuing discussions among top officials over whether the
disciplinary action should go even higher up the command chain, perhaps to
include some generals.
Both the 5th Bomb Wing, which is based at Minot, and the 2nd Bomb Wing,
based at Barksdale, are part of the 8th Air Force, which is also based at
Barksdale. The 5th Wing has been commanded since June of this year by
Col. Bruce Emig, according to an Air Force Web site. The 2nd Wing is led by
Col. Robert Wheeler, who took command in July. They are the Air Force's
only two B-52 units.
The 8th Air Force, historically the service's main bomber force, is overseen
by Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., a veteran B-52 pilot.
? 2007 The Washington Post Company