A B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads and flown for more than three hours across several states in an incident that , prompted an Air Force investigation and the firing of one commander. “Nothing like this has ever been reported before and we have been assured for decades that it was impossible,” said Markey, D-Mass., co-chair of the House task force on nonproliferation.
The plane was carrying Advanced Cruise Missiles from Minot Air Force Base, N.D, to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a Defense Department policy not to confirm information on nuclear weapons.
Contained within the pages of the Committee Report 22 of 108 – House Report 113-102 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2014 are references to two incidents involving the “improper and unauthorized handling by Air Force personnel of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon components.”
Here is exactly what the report said:
“Following the Minot and Taiwan incidents involving the improper and unauthorized handling by Air Force personnel of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon components, and the termination by then-Defense Secretary Gates of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Air Force, former Secretary of Energy and Defense James Schlesinger undertook a comprehensive two-phase report on Nuclear Weapons Management in the Armed Forces.
See article: Air Force officials out over mishandling of nuclear weapons http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2008/06/05/40045/air-force-officials-out-over-mishandling.html
See video: Mishandling nukes, Minot Air Force base incident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3hW5FB1DKY
“In announcing the Phase I findings, Secretary Schlesinger stated that, “Over the years . . . what has been the long-time practice during the Cold War and subsequent years of developing the theory and doctrine of deterrence has more or less disappeared not only from the Air Force schools, more generally from military schools . . . the doctrine of deterrence has, to a large extent, been forgotten.’
The committee has reviewed internal professional military education reviews of the status of improvements to instruction in the `doctrine of deterrence.’ The committee notes that the services, particularly the Navy, have determined that there are ongoing challenges and weaknesses in instruction in this subject matter. The committee also notes that challenges remain in educating airmen on their role in safeguarding national security. Educating the warfighters who execute the daily mission of nuclear deterrence remains a critical element to ensuring the level of excellence required for the mission.
The committee encourages the services and the Joint Staff to keep the same level of focus on this subject matter that was brought to bear by then-Secretary Gates in 2008” (source: House Report 113-102 – NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014 – Congressional record: http://thomas.loc.gov).