Air Force To Fire Officers For Nuke Gaffe

(CBS/AP)  Four Air Force officers are being relieved of duty after losing track of six nuclear-armed cruise missiles, which were flown on a B-52 bomber across the United States without anyone knowing it, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

In addition, more than 60 Air Force personnel have had their nuclear security clearances lifted, adds Martin.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen are to be briefed Friday on the Air Force probe into the incident.

Gates said Thursday that officials want to reduce the chances of another such incident "to the lowest level humanly possible." But it "would be silly" to promise it won't happen again, he said at a press conference with Mullen.

Asked if they could assure the American public the nation's nuclear stockpile is secure, Mullen said he wanted to see the report first.

"I look forward to understanding ... what happened here ... to really make a judgment about where we are and what we have to do," he said. "But certainly being at a point where we can assure everybody that we have control of these weapons ... is where we absolutely have to be."

Two Defense Department officials said earlier Thursday that the Air Force investigation found long-established procedures for handling the munitions were not followed and one official said it recommends that five or more officers be relieved of their duties.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record. They also said senior Air Force officials were still reviewing parts of the report, though it was unclear whether any changes were planned.

The Air Force said last month that one munitions squadron commander was fired shortly after the Aug. 30 flight in question and that ground crews and others involved had been temporarily decertified for handling weapons.

It was supposed to have been a routine transfer of cruise missiles carrying dummy warheads from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., adds Martin. But six of them had nuclear warheads, 60 times the explosive power of the bomb that leveled Hiroshima.

The officials declined to say what procedures were not followed. But the mishandling in August would have required not one mistake, but a series of lapses by a number of people in order for armed weapons to be inadvertently taken out of a storage bunker, mounted on the B-52, misidentified on a flight manifest and flown across the country for three hours without anyone noticing.

The plane also sat on a runway for hours with the missiles after arriving in Louisiana before the breach was known, meaning a total of 36 hours passed before the missiles were properly secured, officials have said.

The Air Combat Command ordered a command-wide stand-down - instituted base by base and completed Sept. 14 - to set aside time for personnel to review procedures, officials said.

The incident was so serious that it required President Bush and Gates to be quickly informed.

The Air Force said there was never any danger to the public because the weapons are designed with multiple safety features that ensure the warheads do not detonate accidentally.

But officials also have asserted over the years that such a mistake could not happen because there were numerous procedures in place to ensure the safe handling of nuclear weapons.

An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Edward Thomas, declined to confirm Thursday morning what punishments were planned or to give any details of the probe's findings, saying Gates had not gotten the full report and those to be disciplined were not to be notified until later Thursday.

Three other defense officials said the Air Force planned to announce its investigation results and the punishments at a Pentagon press conference Friday. But two of them said that could be delayed if, for instance, Gates wants further information after he is briefed or more senior officials in the Air Force, who were still discussing the report, disagree with the decision.

The anticipated disciplinary actions would be the most severe ever brought in the Air Force in connection with the handling of nuclear weapons, The Washington Post said in Thursday editions, quoting an unidentified official who said that was aimed at sending a message about accountability.

The weapons involved were the Advanced Cruise Missile, a "stealth" weapon developed in the 1980s with the ability to evade detection by Soviet radars. The Air Force said in March that it had decided to retire the Advanced Cruise Missile fleet soon, and they said after the breach that the missiles were being flown to Barksdale for decommissioning but were supposed to be unarmed ones.

Three weeks into the Air Force investigation, Gates also asked for an outside inquiry to determine whether the incident indicates a larger security problem on the transfer of weapons. Official said his request for the inquiry, which is still under way, did not reflect any dissatisfaction with how the Air Force was conducting its investigation.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Thursday that President Bush "appreciates the fact that Secretary Gates (had moved quickly) to find out what went wrong, make sure it doesn't happen again, and hold people to account if anyone did something wrong."

[Krazcarl]

tsjm32...I get so tired of of 20 year retirement crybabys work in a factory for for 45 years I have no pity everyone knows the military before they go in if not 4 years should enlighten them if not their crybabys. Want pity I graduated in 75 there were no wars they just sat on their but and bilked the government because it was easier than working now there is a war going on and there trying to look good they were lazy and to stupid to get a decent job now they try try to play great citizen no they were lazy that''s why I was going to join.

[tsjm32]

i hear you Vet_SK and you are right. i to have seen many good people get out or retiresoon after 20 because they are just tired of it. people dont realize how much B/S we haft to put up with day in and day out. we had a gut the higher ups put in for NCO of the year one year and the next year when he retired they didnt even give him a decoration and thats pretty sad but i see stuff like that all the time. its not so much how hard and good you work but who likes you. and just incase nobody knows when the news says armed they mean the bomb had a NUK warhead NOT armed as in ready to go off because it takes so much to arm a nuk that not one person can do it alone

[funkiwiteboy]

They found em!!!
Thank Ya Jesus. AMEN

[Krazcarl]

I like democracy we have the best country on the planet yes have weaknesses in leadership at present but he was elected not appointed the only people to blame is ourselves. I come from a long line of vets starting at the revolution. If you don''t like our goverment go somewhere else and see how rosey it is. To be honest I see no way to improve it better leadership for a start but in it''s structure nothing. I choose to stay the citezens could take the time to better informed thats the only problem I see. If you don''t love her leave.

[Con Mohrat]

While in the USAF in England, we heard of the incident at Sculthorpe in the 60''s. Just before that, airmen at Charleston, SC hotrodding around the corner near us with nukes let one roll off the cart, on two occasions and we had to evacuate and "keep walking" far away. Other incidents were B52 collisions with nukes off the Spanish Coast in ''64. I wonder how many of these are classified secret. While in the AF I found out most of the classifications were not to keep info from Soviets but from the American voters. There must be a host of nuclear incidents, but now I know the use of classifications keeps it all away from us. Read the news on Iraq. Whenever Congress needs some info to do their work, it winds up classified, although it may have recently been public knowledge.

[navyretired2]

"There will be No punishment, just like with the "Gung Ho" idiots responsible for several friendly fire incidents in both Iraq wars and Afghanistan. They quietly look after their own.

Oh! Boy, do we need a good clear out and a change of direction.

Posted by drinuk at 05:16 AM : Oct 19, 2007"

Wrong. Punishments will be handed down, you can bet your @$$ on that. Will the "right" people be punished however? SOMEBODY allowed this to happen. These types of "accidents" don''t just happen out of the blue...we''re talking nuclear arms! The amount of procedures that would have had to have been disregarded for this to accidently happen is probably staggering. Nope, somebody knew/authorized it, had to have.

[jraf766]

Your right vet sk, Im getting out, after tours of Iraq, not because a I cant take the action no more, because Im exhausted and my body is breaking down with all that s h i t civilians made and I have to wear, while they are getting fat and saying poor *** who has to walk miles with that equipment.

They should pay my medical bills not the Army for not enough study whats the max time to wear it before it starts damaging your back!

[jraf766]

Listen whenever you put something sensitive, whatever, its proper procedures to put guards on it, it is never left alone period.

Daily inventory also, it should of never got in mid air. I think it was a civilian that is responsible, or a plot to frame officers they didnt want anymore.

Something is missing from the big picture, why were they taken out in the first place, who was guarding it? The guards should be fired too. I dont think it was the officers. I dont know what to think actually, Im glad it didnt detonate.

[drinuk]

There will be No punishment, just like with the "Gung Ho" idiots responsible for several friendly fire incidents in both Iraq wars and Afghanistan. They quietly look after their own.

Oh! Boy, do we need a good clear out and a change of direction.

[vet_sk]

When they are talking about someone getting fired, they are referring to the position they hold, like Commander of a nuclear airwing.

And the incompetence of the Bush administration is reaching far down into the military. How is this happening: lack of old guard in the military. Out military is so over stretched, the experienced are "getting out."

I know this will grate you war lovers...but I spent 362 days over there last year, and people are getting worn out, most are in disbolief.