The 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., received a satisfactory—a passing rating—during a recent nuclear operational readiness inspection. An inspector general team from Air Force Global Strike Command visited the North Dakota base from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 to evaluate the wing, reported the Minot Daily News. “The IG team evaluated numerous scenarios, special interest items, and conducted a formal critique across the 5th Bomb Wing,” Capt. Genieve David, a Minot spokeswoman, told the newspaper. Back in August, the 5th BW received a satisfactory rating—the highest possible mark—in a nuclear surety inspection, which gauged the wing’s ability to execute its nuclear mission. Minot’s 91st Missile Wing also excelled in its NSI in September.
The defense intelligence community has tried three times in the past decade to build a “common intelligence picture”—a single data stream providing the information that commanders need to make decisions about the battlefield. The first two attempts failed. But officials say things are different today.