Minot AFB Passes Nuclear Security Test

The 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota passed a recent security test of its nuclear operations, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, May 30).

The wing has been found capable of executing “its nuclear mission in a safe, secure and reliable manner,” the Air Force said Friday.  It did not provide specifics of the test.

“Without getting into details, our guys did very, very well,” said Col. Joel Westa, Minot commander.

The wing failed a security test in May.  In that event, one security forces airman was found using his cell phone to play video games while on guard duty in a restricted zone, according to the Air Force Times.  Another service member was “unaware of her duties and responsibilities” during the test, the newspaper reported.

The test was another nuclear-related embarrassment at Minot.  The previous commander, Col. Bruce Emig, lost his job after base personnel in August 2007 accidentally placed six nuclear-tipped missiles on a B-52 bomber that then flew to an Air Force base in Louisiana.

“We’ve been through the fire,” Westa said.  “It’s been almost a year to the day since the incident and we’ve been steadily improving and we will continue to improve” (James MacPherson, Associated Press I/in-forum.com, Aug. 16).

Meanwhile, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California last week test-launched an unarmed Minuteman 3 ICBM, the service announced.

The missile was launched at 1:01 a.m. Wednesday.  It sent three re-entry vehicles more than 4,000 nautical miles to target sites in the Pacific Ocean (U.S. Air Force release, Aug. 14).

Elsewhere, the service on Friday officially deactivated the 564th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, AP reported.

The Air Force removed the base’s 50 Minuteman 3 missiles because their communication system was different from the nine remaining Minuteman squadrons (see GSN, Aug. 4).  That leaves 450 of the nuclear-armed, silo-based missiles.

“This is truly a great Air Force day,” said Malmstrom commander Col. Michael Fortney.  “It’s a day when squad members say goodbye to colleagues who will scatter around the country, but also a day to be proud and reflect on what they’ve accomplished” (Associated Press II, Aug. 16).

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