US Air Force fires 6 officers at nuclear base

 The US Air Force just fired six officers - including two commanders and four of their subordinates - from a key nuclear base in North Dakota.

A B-52H Stratofortress on the runway at Minot Air Base - Photo: US Air Force

The Air Force Times newspaper  on February 28 reported that officers were fired at Minot Air Base, but there was no clear explanation. 

According to a statement released by the US Air Force Global Strike Command , Colonel Gregory Mayer, the leader of the 5th Mission Support Group, and Major Jonathan Welch, the 5th Logistics Force Commander, and four others. The subordinate (whose name was not disclosed) was fired. 

The US Air Force fired these men due to "losing confidence" in their ability to complete their assigned missions.

"This layoff is necessary in order to maintain the very high standards we demand of those units tasked with supporting our nation's nuclear mission," said Major General Andrew Gebara , who in charge of the US Air Force's nuclear units , explained.

The US Air Force did not specify what led to the six officers being fired or the disciplinary action they would face.

In the case of Colonel Gregory Mayer, he led Mission Support Group 5 for eight months after arriving at Minot base last June. Prior to that, he held leadership roles in the civil engineering community during his nearly 25-year career. 

At the Minot base, Mayer oversees 1,900 troops from six squadrons and $4.3 billion in military assets.

Minot is the only US Air Force base where the two legs of the nuclear trio are located, consisting of 28 B-52H Stratofortress bombers (in the air) and 165 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (on land). The other leg of the nuclear trio is an Ohio-class (undersea) ballistic missile submarine.

The above information was announced in the context of the US-Russia relations having just witnessed a further deterioration, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the cessation of the New START treaty with the US - the only remaining nuclear arms control treaty. between the US and Russia.