The air
men of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., last week successfully passed the wing’s first no-notice Nuclear Surety Inspection. The 10-day inspection covered 14 major graded areas, including operations, maintenance, security, and support. Last summer, the bomb wing had to undergo a re-test following an earlier NSI that found some minor discrepancies; the unit passed the re-test with no problem. Air Force officials have noted that NSI evaluations have gotten tougher following the nuclear missteps, one of which involved the 5th BW, that led to a revamping of the Air Force’s nuclear enterprise. Of the latest inspection, Col. Joel Westa, 5th BW commander, said, “I’m a fan of no-notice inspections.” Westa praised his unit, saying, “By earning the highest grade possible after having the most rigorous and intensive inspection ever, with no preparation, we have shown the world the tremendous improvements we have made.” (Minot report by Laurie Arellano)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.