Minot airmen working to pass new inspections

Airmen secure a cruise missile to a B-52 Stratofortress pylon during an alert generation exercise at Minot Air Force Base in 2006.


Minot airmen working to pass new inspections
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 5, 2007 21:18:34 EST

The unit and airmen at the center of the nuclear weapons debacle in August could get recertified to handle the weapons as soon as mid-February, the wing’s new commander said Monday.

Col. Joel Westa, who took command of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., on Nov. 1, said airmen at the base are conducting extra training and working weekends to prepare for a series of upcoming inspections that could allow the wing to resume its nuclear mission.

Westa said the inspections will include visits by a Blue Ribbon panel of Air Force officials to review weapons-handling procedures on base; a unit compliance inspection; and, most importantly, a nuclear surety inspection in January.

Nuclear surety inspections are required every 18 months for units that handle nuclear weapons; but units such as Minot that have been decertified have to undergo a more intensive initial nuclear surety inspection, according to Air Force regulations.

“The toughest inspections in the world are coming here over the next three months, there’s no doubt about that,” Westa said.

All of the inspections should be completed by mid-February, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/11/airforce_minot_nuclear_071105W/

it totally impossable any mistake was made in a multiple key security system

http://www.nineeleven.co.uk/board/viewtopic.php?p=94574


http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff11012007.html

would now be okay to load nukes onto those planes?