The U.S. Air Force on Monday fired six officers, including two commanders, for failing to carry out their missions at a major nuclear base in North Dakota.
8th Air Force Commander Major General Andrew Guevara has dismissed an officer from his position at Minot Air Force Base “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to perform his assigned duties,” according to a news release.
Guevara has dismissed the commanders of the 5th Mission Support Group and the 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron from their leadership positions. The leaders of his four subordinates were also let go by Minot officials.
“These human actions were necessary to maintain the very high standards we demand of the forces entrusted with supporting our country’s nuclear mission,” Guevara said.
The Air Force Global Strike Command declined to provide the names of the dismissed officers or details of the reasons leading to their dismissal.
The commander and his men were reportedly released after the unit failed inspections to test whether the base’s nuclear weapons stockpile was safe and secure at all times. Two defense officials told CNN.
The Mission Support Group manages base facilities, infrastructure, and troops, while the Logistics Readiness Company plans deployments and manages the supply chain.
Minot Base houses both ballistic missile silos and strategic bombers, making it an important component of the US nuclear supply.
“The Eighth Command will continue to protect global combat power and conduct round-the-clock strategic deterrence operations in a safe, secure and effective manner,” Guevara said. “Our mission is the cornerstone of our nation’s defense and we remain committed to its failure-free mission success.”
