I lived, breathed, worked, and paid a physical price (well, you pay the price, in the form of my 70% disability rating) working with nukes in the Army. It was a zero-defects environment, where you got fired for passing a tool over a warhead, vice under or around it. Or for failing to stop in the middle of an assembly operation and explain to the evaluator why you were using a cross-tip screwdriver instead of a slot-tip, because the technical specs hadn't caught up on paper with a materials change in the manufacturing process - automatic career-ending bolo.
The Army doesn't have nukes any more (yay!), only the Air Force and Navy do - and the Air Force has clearly lost the bubble on that stuff over the last few years. One of the things I gripe about in this space is how come we don't see more General Officer heads on spikes when major failures (and this is across the services) occur? Except for zipper and acquisition issues, you don't often see General Officers administratively beheaded "pour le encouragement les autres."
Secretary Gates just conducted some public beheadings of careers.
Pour le encouragement les autres.
Reminds me of one of my favorite short stories, A Fight With A Cannon, by Victor Hugo.
This passage in particular:
The Army doesn't have nukes any more (yay!), only the Air Force and Navy do - and the Air Force has clearly lost the bubble on that stuff over the last few years. One of the things I gripe about in this space is how come we don't see more General Officer heads on spikes when major failures (and this is across the services) occur? Except for zipper and acquisition issues, you don't often see General Officers administratively beheaded "pour le encouragement les autres."
Secretary Gates just conducted some public beheadings of careers.
Pour le encouragement les autres.
Reminds me of one of my favorite short stories, A Fight With A Cannon, by Victor Hugo.
This passage in particular:
Indeed - La Vendée has 15 heads. And as long as it wasn't a witchhunt, that's a good thing."General, there is the man."
The gunner remained standing, with downcast eyes, in military attitude.
The Count de Boisberthelot continued:
"General, in consideration of what this man has done, do you not think there is something due him from his commander?"
"I think so," said the old man.
"Please give your orders," replied Boisberthelot.
"It is for you to give them, you are the captain."
"But you are the general," replied Boisberthelot.
The old man looked at the gunner.
"Come forward," he said.
The gunner approached.
The old man turned toward the Count de Boisberthelot, took off the cross of Saint-Louis from the captain's coat and fastened it on the gunner's jacket.
"Hurrah!" cried the sailors.
The mariners presented arms.
And the old passenger, pointing to the dazzled gunner, added:
"Now, have this man shot."
Dismay succeeded the cheering.
Then in the midst of the death-like stillness, the old man raised his voice and said:
"Carelessness has compromised this vessel. At this very hour it is perhaps lost. To be at sea is to be in front of the enemy. A ship making a voyage is an army waging war. The tempest is concealed, but it is at hand. The whole sea is an ambuscade. Death is the penalty of any misdemeanor committed in the face of the enemy. No fault is reparable. Courage should be rewarded, and negligence punished."
These words fell one after another, slowly, solemnly, in a sort of inexorable meter, like the blows of an ax upon an oak.
And the man, looking at the soldiers, added:
"Let it be done."
The man on whose jacket hung the shining cross of Saint-Louis bowed his head.
At a signal from Count de Boisberthelot, two sailors went below and came back bringing the hammock-shroud; the chaplain, who since they sailed had been at prayer in the officers' quarters, accompanied the two sailors; a sergeant detached twelve marines from the line and arranged them in two files, six by six; the gunner, without uttering a word, placed himself between the two files. The chaplain, crucifix in hand, advanced and stood beside him, "March," said the sergeant. The platoon marched with slow steps to the bow of the vessel. The two sailors, carrying the shroud, followed. A gloomy silence fell over the vessel. A hurricane howled in the distance.
A few moments later, a light flashed, a report sounded through the darkness, then all was still, and the sound of a body falling into the sea was heard.
The old passenger, still leaning against the mainmast, had crossed his arms, and was buried in thought.
Boisberthelot pointed to him with the forefinger of his left hand, and said to La Vieuville in a low voice:
"La Vendée has a head."
Air Force Disciplines 15 Senior Officers in Nuclear Nose Cone Fiasco
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2008 – The Air Force has disciplined 15 senior officers, including six generals, in connection with the errant shipping of nuclear missile nose cones to Taiwan in 2006, officials announced today.
The service took administrative actions against two lieutenant generals, two major generals, two brigadier generals and nine colonels, Acting Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said. He and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz made the announcements at a Pentagon news conference.
In March 2008, the Air Force revealed that the U.S. military had regained control of four nuclear nose cone assemblies, which did not contain nuclear material, for a Minuteman missile mistakenly sent to Taiwan in 2006. After a review of the error, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked for the resignations of then-Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne and then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.
“It has been an Air Force priority that airmen at all levels hold themselves to the highest standards of performance and that all airmen, therefore, remain accountable for their areas of responsibilities and the successful execution of their assigned missions,” Donley said.
The acting secretary said no mission in the Air Force is more important than the service’s central role in maintaining America’s nuclear deterrent. The punishments he and Schwartz made grew out of recommendations from a report submitted by Navy Adm. Kirkwood Donald, the chief of the Navy’s office of nuclear propulsion.
“These actions are administrative in nature but can carry with them substantial consequences for the careers of these officers, including their potential to command, to be promoted or to retire in their current grade,” Donley said. “We recognize the years of dedicated service that these officers have given, but we cannot ignore the breaches of trust that have occurred on their watch.”
Schwartz echoed the acting secretary in his comments about accountability. “The standards to which we must adhere are high, and that is for very good reason,” the chief of staff said. “We are entrusted with the defense of the nation. In no area is that imperative greater than in the stewardship of our nation’s nuclear enterprise. The very nature of the mission demands adherence to the highest standards of precision and reliability.
“Today we are taking action in response to a breakdown in adherence to those standards,” he continued. “These officers are good people with otherwise distinguished careers spent in faithful service to the nation. They are not accused of intentional wrongdoing, but they did not do enough to carry out their leadership responsibilities for nuclear oversight. For that, they must be held accountable.”
The officers involved received letters of reprimand, admonishment or counseling. The most serious is a letter of reprimand.
Lt. Gen. Kevin J. Sullivan received a letter of reprimand for not adequately addressing logistics policy deficiencies and for failing to correct previously identified systemic issues in Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM, logistics. He also was cited for not exercising effective command oversight to recognize and correct deficiencies in ICBM depot maintenance and materiel control at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Utah. Sullivan has requested retirement.
Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel received a letter of admonishment for not effectively exercising responsibility for ICBM system sustainment matters and for not effectively correcting deficiencies in engineering support of ICBM components while serving as commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space. Hamel had previously requested retirement.
Maj. Gen. Roger W. Burg received a letter of admonishment for not exercising effective command oversight of ICBM sustainment-related activities. He also did not identify and correct deficiencies in shipping and receiving sensitive components at ICBM bases in his current position as commander of 20th Air Force. Donley and Schwartz have determined that Burg is needed to restore effective stewardship of the ICBM force, and he will remain in command to continue corrective actions he has initiated.
Maj. Gen. Kathleen D. Close received a letter of admonishment for not exercising effective command oversight of depot maintenance, engineering activities and materiel control of sensitive components. She was cited for not recognizing weaknesses in the sensitive component supply chain, and for not correcting materiel control and maintenance deficiencies at Ogden Air Logistics Center. Donley and Schwartz determined that Close is needed to restore Air Force stewardship of the ICBM force, and she will remain in command to continue corrective actions she has initiated.
Brig. Gen. Francis M. Bruno was admonished for not exercising proper oversight to identify and correct weaknesses in logistics management and maintenance support for ICBM components, and for not taking adequate action to correct previously identified deficiencies at air logistics centers in his position as logistics director for Air Force Materiel Command. Bruno previously requested retirement.
Brig. Gen. Arthur B. Cameron III was admonished for not identifying and correcting deficiencies in depot maintenance operations involving sensitive components, for not ensuring proper materiel control of sensitive components when in the custody of maintenance personnel and for not taking adequate action to correct previously identified discrepancies in materiel control and maintenance while he served as a maintenance wing commander.
Five of the colonels received letters of reprimand, three letters of admonishment and one a letter of counseling.
“All who serve in uniform understand our obligation to the mission, to personal accountability and to order and discipline in our organizations,” Schwartz said. “We will sustain our high standards, because the nature of our work depends on it. And our client, the American people, expect it.”
Ft. Sill to Heilbronn
Heilbronn to Ft. Sill
repeat,
repeat,
repeat.
That ain't even a scalp for the lodgepole -- it's the equivalent of a "Bad Dog" note in your field file that gets yanked after 14 days...
V/R
Grumpy
V5
No.4 - nope, Pinder Barracks, the other side of Nueremberg, in 1st Armored DIVARTY. Along with fellow traveler/commenter fdcol - we were both in the 1-22 FA together, although Frank being enlisted scum, and me bein' a high-minded real live ossifer, we didn't hang out much...
Ha, I used to take radars to Herzo from Ferris barracks in Erlangen, from 76-79....
Got pics of what's left of Pinder in 2005 (nothing but the front gate and the pizza place outside), the rest is condos now; Also got pics of Ferris and Ansbach and Katterbach and other places.... Wasn't a lot left, it was almost like the folks moved and turned off the porch light. And Rotenburg was almost devoid of Americans. Was very sad in a way. And been through Zirndorf LOTS of times, both in late 70s and from 82-85, when I was at Katterbach.
Small world, eh?
Harsh? Yeah. But what's been done is the equivalent of shooting Count de Boisberthelot instead of the gunner in Hugo's short story.
Zirndorf - After you went through there, Sanger - Playmobil, which had a factory in Zirndorf and built a bigger one on the back part of the kaserne property after it close - built a "fun park" there, so where we used to pull motor stables and gnosh "Davy Crocketts" in the snack bar is a theme park.
I suppose you can't argue with that as a bad reuse of a not-really-famous piece of WWII and the Cold War.
To be honest, I genuinely dislike the sophomoric frat-boy behaviors of many of the AF pilot-types I've encountered--I mean really, call signs when not on the radio--that's kid stuff; flight suits even if they haven't been in a plane for a decade, fake-looking brown leather jackets for pilots that many non-pilots are actually jealous of; and everyone on a first name basis.... For all that though, it doesn't really matter to me if the senior officers get tagged. I understand about leaders setting culture rules, but officers come and go--it's up to the NCOs to keep things on track from one leader-change to the next, especially in the AF, where the NCOs are far more into rules & regs than most Army NCOs typically were...
Z'at make sense?
And as for Zirndorf, I think that's great, actually. In fact, the building I used to live in in Erlangen is now part of the university, and in Katterbach, it was 1ID instead of 1AD, which was the oddest thing of all I think...
I've quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2008/09/re-good-to-know.html