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The Air Force stripped an unprecedented 17 officers of their authority to control - and, if necessary, launch - nuclear missiles after a string of unpublicized failings, including a remarkably dim review of their unit's launch skills...
...The tip-off to trouble was a March inspection of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., which earned the equivalent of a "D" grade when tested on its mastery of Minuteman III missile launch operations.
Folds also complained about unwarranted questioning of orders from superior officers by launch crews and failure to address superiors with the proper respect.
"We are breaking you down, and we will build from the ground up," Folds added. He later wrote, "It takes real leaders to lead through a crisis and we are, in fact, in a crisis right now."
Originally posted by ikonoklast
It seems strange for 17 officers in charge of nuclear ICBMs (and launching them) would suddenly be relieved.
In addition to the 17, possible disciplinary action is pending against one other officer at Minot who investigators found had purposefully broken a missile safety rule in an unspecified act that could have compromised the secret codes that enable the launching of missiles, which stand on high alert in underground silos in the nation's midsection. Officials said there was no compromise of missile safety or security.
That comment reminds me of Stanislav Petrov who got an award in February 2013 for not being too eager to start a nuclear war in 1983, and while he was praised at first because what he thought was a false alarm actually WAS a false alarm, he was eventually sidelined, and presumably replaced by someone a little more eager to start a nuclear war:
Originally posted by alfa1
The obvious conspiracy theory is that they had to be removed, so that "The Powers" could insert their more compliant pawns into those roles.
The removed officers were clearly not going to push the button as willingly as the new officers.
Stanislav Petrov....was reassigned to a less sensitive post...
For his actions in averting a potential nuclear war in 1983, Petrov was awarded the Dresden Preis 2013 (Dresden Prize) in Dresden, Germany, on February 17, 2013.
Originally posted by JayinAR
reply to post by Maxmars
Easy. You control the flow of information and simply lie. Haha
ETA: If it detonates in America, the scientists will 'discover' the nuke was developed in Iran or North Korea.