Nuclear Ops...or Ooops?

[DWCAce 19]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070906/ap_on_...bomber_warheads

[+Julhelm 266]

Boo-f***ing-hoo.

 

Back in the good ol' days SAC used to have tons of B-36's and B-52's flying 24/7 packed to the gills with nukes.

[FastCargo 412]

Back in the good ol' days SAC used to have tons of B-36's and B-52's flying 24/7 packed to the gills with nukes.

 

You do realize that the problem isn't the fact that the B-52 flew with nukes...it's the fact that no one figured that out until AFTER it landed.

 

FastCargo

[+Dave 2,322]

As FC can attest to. The loss of positive control is a big deal. Oh I CANT WAIT for the 14 Sept stand down/ass chewing day in ACC.

[DWCAce 19]

I bet LeMay's coffin is heating up... take cover...

[+Dave 2,322]

Lemay was a god!

[+bobrock 15]

More info: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/09/...warhead_070905/

 

I guess someone's chair is getting pretty hot.

[+Julhelm 266]

You do realize that the problem isn't the fact that the B-52 flew with nukes...it's the fact that no one figured that out until AFTER it landed.

 

FastCargo

So? It isn't fair to condemn the whole program because of a single slip-up.

[FastCargo 412]

So? It isn't fair to condemn the whole program because of a single slip-up.

 

No, it isn't fair. But you can't dismiss it out of hand either.

 

Folks, as people who have worked with nukes will tell you, positive control is EVERYTHING! It is a Big F*****g Deal everytime a nuke is moved, and the paperwork is miles long.

 

An example: During an exercise (mind you, just an exercise), once the aircraft had weapons loaded, the area around it became a 'no lone zone', ie no one was ever suppposed to be alone inside that area. It was guarded by a single SF person. Unfortunately, one of the guys guarding fell asleep.

 

He wasn't chewed out by his supervisor.

 

He didn't get a letter of reprimand.

 

He didn't get an Article 15 (administrative punishment).

 

He was court marshalled! For an exercise.

 

That is how serious we take positive control.

 

 

 

FastCargo

[+Gocad 26]

More info: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/09/...warhead_070905/

 

I guess someone's chair is getting pretty hot.

 

From the article:

It was originally reported that five nuclear warheads were transported, but officers who tipped Military Times to the incident who have asked to remain anonymous since they are not authorized to discuss the incident, have since updated that number to six.

 

I guess somebody should look up what 'not authorized' means.

[+Typhoid 231]

From the article:

It was originally reported that five nuclear warheads were transported, but officers who tipped Military Times to the incident who have asked to remain anonymous since they are not authorized to discuss the incident, have since updated that number to six.

 

I guess somebody should look up what 'not authorized' means.

 

yea. "not authorized" means to shut up!

 

lots of people are going to get roasted on this one.

 

as FC points out, not knowing you lost some is just incomprehensible. Its massive decertification and courts-martial coming down the road after the investigations are done. heads are rolling.

Edited September 6, 2007 by Typhoid

[TX3RN0BILL 3]

Well, I must admit that the U.S. was the last country I'd expect such an incident from... Although in Russia I bet if it happened people wouldn't be court-martialed, they would "commit suicide", I bet... And the world would never know 'cause I bet something like that would never be publicized in any media...

[FalconC45 162]

I was glued to the TV waiting for TV News saying "USAF have a "broken arrow" (ie missing nukes.). Glad they weren't missing...

 

Falcon

[Nesher 628]

read about it...

i was suprised to hear that B-52's are still in service, thought they were out already :|

 

from what i understand, the problem was that the nukes were armed during the flight, that's the big ohh ohh

[FalconC45 162]

read about it...

i was suprised to hear that B-52's are still in service, thought they were out already :|

 

from what i understand, the problem was that the nukes were armed during the flight, that's the big ohh ohh

 

B-52H's are still in service.

 

Falcon

[+Typhoid 231]

read about it...

i was suprised to hear that B-52's are still in service, thought they were out already :|

 

from what i understand, the problem was that the nukes were armed during the flight, that's the big ohh ohh

 

they were not armed. They were unaccounted for and accidently loaded when they should not have been, and no one caught the mistake until the plane landed and the ground crew noticed that the missiles included nuke warheads. THAT is what the excitement is all about.

[Nesher 628]

roger that Falcon and Typhoi, thanks :)

[arf16 0]

From the 2nd artccle posted:

It’s not like they had nuclear ACMs and conventional ACMs right next to each other and they just happened to load one with a nuclear warhead

 

One really has to wonder how they f*** this up so badly

[Mike463 0]

All those involved in this fiasco should be discharged ASAP, from the team chiefs, missile maintenance, munitions controllers, loaders, conventional, nukes, to QA, wing safety, SP shift commander, etc, etc.

 

The doctrine is pretty clear-

 

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/doctrine/usaf/index.html

 

 

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/doctrine/usaf/91011100.pdf

 

Safety checks, anyone?

 

Yours, Mike

 

46370, '80-'95

[JediMaster 451]

Well, another issue that may later come to light is that some of the personnel WERE aware and reported it and were ignored. If so, I would think those lower echelon people would be excused while the ones in charge will suffer even more.

[+bobrock 15]

Well, it looks like some head has fallen

 

"The widespread disregard for nuclear weapons safety standards by airmen at Minot and Barksdale Air Force bases led to the unprecedented “Bent Spear” incident in which six nuclear warheads were mistakenly loaded onto a B-52 and flown from North Dakota to Louisiana on Aug. 29-30, Air Force officials said Friday after an intensive six-week investigation.

 

The Air Force relieved the 5th Munitions Squadron commander at Minot immediately after the incident. On Friday, it announced that three more commanders have been sacked. They are:

 

** Col. Bruce Emig, wing commander, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base;

 

** Col. Cynthia M. Lundell, commander, 5th Maintenance Group, Minot Air Force Base; and

 

** Col. Todd C. Westhauser, commander, 2nd Operations Group, Barksdale Air Force Base."

 

 

latest on AF Times

[+Typhoid 231]

Well, it looks like some head has fallen

 

"The widespread disregard for nuclear weapons safety standards by airmen at Minot and Barksdale Air Force bases led to the unprecedented “Bent Spear” incident in which six nuclear warheads were mistakenly loaded onto a B-52 and flown from North Dakota to Louisiana on Aug. 29-30, Air Force officials said Friday after an intensive six-week investigation.

 

The Air Force relieved the 5th Munitions Squadron commander at Minot immediately after the incident. On Friday, it announced that three more commanders have been sacked. They are:

 

** Col. Bruce Emig, wing commander, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base;

 

** Col. Cynthia M. Lundell, commander, 5th Maintenance Group, Minot Air Force Base; and

 

** Col. Todd C. Westhauser, commander, 2nd Operations Group, Barksdale Air Force Base."

latest on AF Times

 

its just beginning......

 

falling stars coming soon

[tank03 1]

its just beginning......

 

falling stars coming soon

 

Yeah, this is a MAJOR screw-up. I can't wait to see who else gets swept up in this.

[+Typhoid 231]

Yeah, this is a MAJOR screw-up. I can't wait to see who else gets swept up in this.

 

saw a comment that over 70 have been disciplined, removed, fired, etc. Courts-martial (many) pending. The number of stars that fall could resemble a meteor shower before this is done........

[JediMaster 451]

The wing cmdr was only an O-6?? For a nuke wing? That seems unusual, unless he was an O-7 select.