Nuclear inspection for Minot begins today

[unhappycamper]

Nuclear inspection for Minot begins today
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 16, 2008 7:00:41 EDT

Hundreds of inspectors will descend on Minot Air Force Base, N.D., on Friday for the 5th Bomb Wing’s nuclear surety inspection, which its commander predicted will be “the most scrutinized inspection in the history of time.”

“We are going to have inspectors inspecting inspectors,” said Maj. Elizabeth Ortiz, a Minot spokeswoman.

It’s the 5th Bomb Wing’s first NSI since airmen mistakenly loaded six nuclear warheads onto a B-52 Stratofortress and flew them to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., last August.

The inspection is scheduled to last two weeks. Air Combat Command inspectors recertified the 5th Bomb Wing to handle nuclear munitions in March after the wing passed its initial nuclear surety inspection.

After a six-week investigation into the incident, Maj. Gen. Richard Newton, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, said an “erosion of adherence to weapons-handling standards” led to five major procedural errors at Minot. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne called it an “unacceptable mistake.”


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/05/airforce_minot_inspection_051508w/