Number Implicated In Air Force Nuke Missile Cheating Probe Has Doubled

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

By ROBERT BURNS | ASSOCIATED PRESS | 15 minutes ago in Politics

WASHINGTON (AP) — The cheating scandal inside the Air Force's nuclear missile corps is expanding, with the number of service members implicated by investigators now roughly double the 34 reported just a week ago, officials said Tuesday.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the additional 30-plus airmen suspected of being involved in cheating on proficiency tests are alleged to have participated in the cheating directly or were involved indirectly.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the information by name while the investigation is ongoing.

The Air Force announced on Jan. 15 that while it was investigating possible criminal drug use by some airmen, it discovered that one missile officer at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., had shared test questions with 16 other officers. It said another 17 admitted to knowing about this cheating but did not report it.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/4510d25bb09d4d24b77b5eb43b6e46df/apnewsbreak-number-implicated-in-air-force-nuke-missile-cheating-probe-has-doubled.html

[pscot]

1. How did they cheat?

I understand a drug bust. were they cheating on drug tests?

[Mnemosyne]

2. Proficiency tests. nt

[pscot]

3. Is pay based on the tests?

If so, I get it.

[Mnemosyne]

6. No clue on pay, I only know our safety depends on these cheats. nt

[pscot]

9. because they might blow us up

if they aren''t proficient?

[Mnemosyne]

10. Nukes and lack of proficiency should concern all. nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. But these are MONTHLY tests.

What idiot came up with that requirement? These are highly trained people, with years of knowledge and experience. Why do they need MOTHLY tests?

[frwrfpos]

12. these are evidently highly trained cheaters who are in charge of nukes

this is a major scandal and very very serious.

[Mnemosyne]

13. If they are so highly trained, why would the tests be that difficult that anyone had to cheat? nt

[24601]

14. Pay is not linked directly. Military base pay is determined by grade/rank and years of service.

Housing allowances are determined by grade and marital status. Specialty pay is added based on qualification and or specific duties or location. For example, an Air Force Flight Surgeon serving in Afghanistan would receive base pay for his/her rank, for example a Major with 15 years service, medical pay as a doctor, flight status, and hazardous duty pay based on being in a combat zone. If married, also family separation allowance, as well as housing allowance if his/her family are not in government housing.

As Air Force career fields go, missile officers aren't very high in the pecking order or special pay departments. It's long boring shifts sitting in a silo complex waiting for orders you pray never come. But it takes precise compliance with the checklists and launch officers are in the Personnel Reliability Program (or PRP) which allows very little deviation. A launch officer with the flu on will be removed from operational duty until off meds.

The pay linkage is that those with marginal performance do not compete well for promotion, especially as forces are reduced. And while pilots can go fly for Delta, there isn't a commercial nuclear launch equivalent hiring up qualified launch officers.

Is it a big deal? Yeah, anything indicating an individual can't be trusted to not lie, cheat, steal can't be trusted with one of the launch keys.

[sarge43]

15. Don't pass and the Personnel Reliablity (PRP) certification is pulled

PRP certifies qualification to deal with nukes. Can't performed assigned duties: paint rocks, push paper, pick nose while waiting for a reclassification board which puts chump into a worse job or hands him walking papers. Even if chump stays in, given the red in fang and claw promotion system, he's screwed. If there's any special duty pay, that's the least of his worries. His promo file goes on the loser pile.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. THAT's what I want..

an Air Force filled with incompetent cheaters.

[Mnemosyne]

8. It is beyond disturbing, isn't it? Opened themselves to blackmail besides.

[DURHAM D]

4. Texting the test answers

[AtheistCrusader]

5. Well, you can bet someone's getting a blanket party for ruining it for everyone.

[fasttense]

16. I think these officers are despicable

and to be handling nukes on top of it is just scary.

That said, anytime someone demands a test that will determine a person's future there will be cheating. Expect it. The more at stake on the results of the test, the more cheating is going on. Test are designed and given to prevent as much cheating as possible but it happens anyway. People are smart like that. They figure out new and innovated ways to cheat. So, take all test results with a serious grain of salt. Other people are NOT doing as well as you might think.