Inspection earns a D and 17 Minute Man missile launch officers need "additional training".
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While it might be fun to bash the AF, this raises a more important question:
Why do we still have these units at all?
Can anyone imagine an instance where we would actually launch a ICBM? Even if Pyongyang somehow managed to destroy Seoul would we retaliate inkind? (And if so, would it really come from S.D. and not some sub off the coast?)
Taking this discussion in another direction...
I suspect that some of the lesser committed folks who are assigned to these units may be wondering what is the point.
Unfortunately, they have bought into the thinking that these are minor roles and have forgotten that there are no minor roles, just minor actors.
Is this currently a primary focus of our military engagements? No.
There is a perception that you cannot get ahead as a missileer, perhaps true, perhaps not. If you believe it, though it is self-fufilling.
From the report, I would guess that that thinking has become a bit of the problem.
They have forgotten that they are there to serve. It may be a small role that doesn't get the attention of the press, but without a large nuclear force, the North Koreas and Irans of the world might get the idea that they could actually compete with us - something even scarier than spending a career guarding a silo. Right now they are just developing nukes to be relevant and maximize the cost of invasion (in their own minds, if nothing else). There isn't a hallucinogen powerful enough to make them believe (despite Kim's rhetoric) that they could actually survive a US nuke retaliatory attack (which would probably happen if they chose to attempt more than 1 launch - the first launch resulting in an assault that makes shock and awe look like a warmup).
And while the idea of launching from a sub sounds quite strategic (can be done close-in so as not to alarm other countries), we are loathe to give up the position of our subs, so I'm guessing that we would probably use a B52 (another less-than-popular AF assignment in some eyes).
I'm glad to see someone come in and rattle some cages. You wonder if they need to do that in a few more areas (like the guys who hired that recently arrested Lt Col) to get the point across that folks need to straighten up and fly right.