WASHINGTON, Nov 4: The Air Force has fired two more nuclear commanders and disciplined a third, fresh evidence of leadership lapses in a nuclear missile corps that has suffered several recent setbacks, including the firing last year of its top commander.
The most senior officer to be relieved of command was Col Carl Jones, the No 2 commander of the 90th Missile Wing at FE Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, in charge of 150 of the Air Force’s 450 Minuteman 3 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles.
He was dismissed yesterday “for a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership abilities” and has been reassigned as a special assistant to the wing commander.
The actions yesterday were confirmed to The Associated Press in response to an AP enquiry about an internal Air Force investigation of two commanders at the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, which also is responsible for 150 Minuteman 3 missiles.
It is unusual for disciplinary action to be taken against commanders at two of the Air Force’s three nuclear missile bases on the same day.
Officials said the timing was a coincidence. It extends a pattern of leadership failures in the ICBM force over the past year.
Last March nine officers were fired at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the third of the three nuclear missile bases, in response to an exam-cheating scandal there.
Last year, Maj Gen Michael Carey, commander of the entire ICBM force, was fired after an investigation into a drinking binge and other misconduct while he was in Russia as head of a visiting US government delegation.
The nuclear missile force, whose work is arguably the most sensitive in the military, has been beset with problems in discipline, training, leadership and morale, prompting Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel in February to order an independent review.
The results of that review are expected to be announced in coming weeks.
In response to an AP enquiry yesterday, Lt Col John Sheets, spokesman for Air Force Global Strike Command, which is in charge of the Air Force Minuteman 3 force as well as its nuclear bomber fleet, said that as a result of the Minot investigation a missile squadron commander, Lt Col Jimmy “Keith” Brown, was relieved of command yesterday “because of a loss of confidence in Brown’s ability to lead his squadron.”
Sheets said the investigation “substantiated that Brown engaged in unlawful discrimination or harassment.” He added that the probe found that Brown “made statements to subordinates that created a perception within his squadron that pregnancy would negatively affect a woman’s career.”
There are three missile squadrons at each of the three nuclear missile wings. Each squadron is responsible for 50 missiles operated by officers in five underground launch control centres. (AGENCIES)
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