Good to Go

Air Combat Command on Friday (Aug. 15) declared that the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D. had passed its last hurdle by completing a “successful re-inspection” from Aug. 10-15, of its ability to conduct its nuclear mission. The wing has been under a cloud since the Bent Spear event of last summer. The re-inspection followed a May nuclear surety inspection of the unit that found some discrepancies, which command officials later characterized as minor but noted that “anything less than full compliance is unacceptable.” To get ready for this latest inspection, wing personnel took corrective actions for those discrepancies and conducted “a robust series of wing exercises, focusing on security procedures,” according to the ACC statement. The review team comprised 35 inspectors from ACC and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency plus observers from US Strategic Command and the Air Force Inspection Agency. In the ACC statement, Brig. Gen. Joseph Reynes Jr., ACC inspector general, said: “Minot went through a very tough re-inspection over the past few days. I can tell you the 5th Bomb Wing performed in an exceptional manner during this re-inspection.”