Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
New York Post
June 7, 2008
Misplace vital US technology - particularly nuclear technology - and plan on losing your job.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered that message in no uncertain terms this week with the abrupt and unprecedented - but richly deserved - dismissal of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.
A Gates-commissioned probe into how four nose-cone fuses for nuclear warheads were accidentally shipped to Taiwan determined that Wynne and Moseley had demonstrated a stunning lack of oversight.
No kidding: The Taiwanese were expecting helicopter batteries.
Worse, the screwup wasn't even discovered until March of this year - 18 months after the fact.
Nor was this the sole instance of appalling Air Force carelessness: A year ago, a B-52 bomber flew around the country with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles on board - apparently unbeknownst to anyone.
These incidents sound like outtakes from "Fail-Safe" or "Dr. Strangelove unfortunately, they're not.
Gates' investigation determined that the errors reflected "a decline in the Air Force's nuclear-mission focus and performance."
Thus, Gates demanded Wynne's and Moseley's resignations - the first time a service's top civilian and top military officer have been simultaneously relieved of command.
In a further step, Gates brought in one of his predecessors, James Schlesinger (who also served as secretary of Energy), to lead a task force to develop recommendations on upgrading Air Force security and control of nuclear weapons.
Gates' steps send a clear signal throughout the armed services that there is something called accountability.
That's an important lesson to convey - especially in wartime.
Hats off to Secretary Gates.
June 7, 2008
Misplace vital US technology - particularly nuclear technology - and plan on losing your job.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered that message in no uncertain terms this week with the abrupt and unprecedented - but richly deserved - dismissal of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.
A Gates-commissioned probe into how four nose-cone fuses for nuclear warheads were accidentally shipped to Taiwan determined that Wynne and Moseley had demonstrated a stunning lack of oversight.
No kidding: The Taiwanese were expecting helicopter batteries.
Worse, the screwup wasn't even discovered until March of this year - 18 months after the fact.
Nor was this the sole instance of appalling Air Force carelessness: A year ago, a B-52 bomber flew around the country with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles on board - apparently unbeknownst to anyone.
These incidents sound like outtakes from "Fail-Safe" or "Dr. Strangelove unfortunately, they're not.
Gates' investigation determined that the errors reflected "a decline in the Air Force's nuclear-mission focus and performance."
Thus, Gates demanded Wynne's and Moseley's resignations - the first time a service's top civilian and top military officer have been simultaneously relieved of command.
In a further step, Gates brought in one of his predecessors, James Schlesinger (who also served as secretary of Energy), to lead a task force to develop recommendations on upgrading Air Force security and control of nuclear weapons.
Gates' steps send a clear signal throughout the armed services that there is something called accountability.
That's an important lesson to convey - especially in wartime.
Hats off to Secretary Gates.