James Says ‘Systemic Problems’ Plague Air Force Nuke Missileers; ‘Climate Of Undue Fear’

[unhappycamper]

http://breakingdefense.com/2014/01/james-says-systemic-problems-plague-air-force-nuke-misileers-climate-of-undue-fear/



James Says ‘Systemic Problems’ Plague Air Force Nuke Missileers; ‘Climate Of Undue Fear’
By Colin Clark
on January 30, 2014 at 4:26 PM

PENTAGON: Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spent most of last week talking with the officers and enlisted men who control and protect America’s nuclear missiles. She told reporters today she believes the service’s nuclear missile force — hit by drugs, a cheating scandal that now embroils 92 officers, and several other recent mishaps — is beset by a culture of “undue fear.” Officers cheated on a nuclear proficiency test because they believed getting a score below 100 would ruin their chances for promotion. She said the command climate at Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force Base was clearly part of the problem, though she was careful not to single out any particular commander.

Very tellingly, James admitted that the troops don’t really hear much from senior commanders or the civilian leadership of the Pentagon about the nuclear mission. This has been an increasing problem as the relevancy of the nuclear force seems less obvious to many in the public and in the military. The days when movies glorified the mission of the bomber and missile crews standing watch against the threat of the Soviet Union are long gone. “I also heard that although we, as senior leaders, talk about the importance of the mission that the team in the field doesn’t always see that talk backed up by concrete action,” James said during her press conference. The missileers and the enlisted men who maintain and protect the missiles and their warheads also complained to her about micro-management by commanders.

Malmstrom has only 190 missileers, so the scandal has led to the decertification of more than half the force, requiring the Air Force to increase the number of alert shifts the two-man crews spend in the missile silos and to shift personnel from other sites.

The general in charge of the Air Force’s nuclear missiles and bombers, Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, told us the remaining missileers now are standing 10 alerts each month, up from eight, and they are bringing personnel from the 20th Air Force to help with training and running the simulations personnel must go through.