Ousted Minot commander won’t retire

[CommunityEditor]

The 91st Missile Wing commander at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., was fired Wednesday after Air Force Space Command leaders “lost confidence in his ability to command.”

Maj. Gen. Roger Burg, commander of the 20th Air Force, flew to Minot to remove Col. Christopher Ayres from command. Burg also fired Col. Lyman Faith, 91st Maintenance Group commander, and Lt. Col. Andrew Healy, 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron commander.

The firings followed an investigative report released Oct. 9 that found a bug caused a 91st Missile Wing truck carrying rocket engine parts for intercontinental ballistic missiles to overturn outside Minot on Aug. 31. The “large insect” landed on the driver’s back, and the truck tipped over as the driver tried to remove the insect, according to the report.

The crash follows multiple accidents, incidents of misconduct, and a failed nuclear surety inspection at the 91st Missile Wing under Ayres’ command, which led to his removal, Air Force Space Command spokeswoman Capt. Lindsey Hahn said. He was not relieved for any misconduct or wrongdoing, she said.

“He was not fired solely because of the accident in August,” Hahn said. “His removal from command was a combination of multiple factors.”

It was the second payload transport to overturn under Ayres’ watch. One carrying an ICBM rocket booster crashed in July 2008. Faith and Healy’s commands oversee the transport of ICBM components to the missile fields. However, the Air Force didn’t provide an official reason Air Force Space Command relieved the two commanders.

The 91st Missile Wing did experience other problems. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency failed the wing for security errors during its nuclear surety inspection. Air Force Space Command passed the wing for the same inspection, but Gen. Robert Kehler, head of Air Force Space Command, later said he still considered it a failure. The wing passed its next inspection in July.

In July 2008, three officers in the 91st fell asleep while in possession of classified components containing superceded missile launch codes for Minuteman III ICBMs. The two lieutenants and one captain received Article 15s.

An airman in the 91st also left a safe open in the summer of 2008 for an entire night. The safe contained missile operation procedures. Officials found nothing was removed.

Col. Ferdinand Stoss, 90th Missile Wing vice commander at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., will assume command of the 91st. Maj. Laurie Arellano, Minot’s spokeswoman, didn’t know who would take over for Faith and Healy.

Ayres will work at Air Force Space Command headquarters where he will “provide his expertise in the upcoming transfer of the ICBM mission to Global Strike Command,” Hahn said.

“We must uphold the highest standards within the nuclear enterprise,” said Gen. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command. “We must have complete confidence in our leadership as we continue the revitalization of the nuclear enterprise.”

The Air Force did not make Ayres available for comment.


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...iring_101409w/

[Petevan]

I had the honor and privilege to work for Col Faith at his previous assignment of Peterson. He was one of the most respected and dedicated Commanders I have even had the pleasure to serve with. I would suspect he and the others are being used as scapegoats for a general "I will do things my way, screw the AFI's" attitude in AFSPC. He did not deserve this type of action given the caliber of man he is.

MSgt Hans “Pete” Van Driel (Ret)

[DogPile12]

This is why the bug firings make sense, in a strict military way, I guess. Here's an ancient military proverb:

For the want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost

For want of a horse the rider was lost

For want of a rider the message was lost

For want of a message the battle was lost

For want of a battle the Kingdom was lost

All for the want of a nail

[BISSBOSS]

My concern is that the Air Force will not address the underlying problem and act to rectify it... Namely a lack of personnel, monetary support and dedication to providing training for those involved in the Nuclear Enterprise.

IMHO - There simply are not enough people, dollars or support to train and produce the kind of product the USAF is looking for right now.

Only time will tell how committed the USAF leadership is to this endeavor.

-BB-

[takthekak]

I have been at Minot for 10 years total. There is no problem here, Basically it's just that
Shit happens.

[BISSBOSS]

Originally Posted by takthekak

I have been at Minot for 10 years total. There is no problem here, Basically it's just that
Shit happens.

Two truck crashes
Sleeping missle crew
Airman leaves a safe open overnight
Tanked NSI

Kind of a long list of coincidences to be just "shit happening"...

-BB-

[BRUWIN]

Originally Posted by takthekak

I have been at Minot for 10 years total. There is no problem here, Basically it's just that
Shit happens.

Your statement is not exactly a ringing endorsment for further extending your TOS at Minot.

[DogPile12]

Originally Posted by BRUWIN

Your statement is not exactly a ringing endorsment for further extending your TOS at Minot.

I can see him munching a tuna sandwich while sitting on a rack of nuclear tipped cruise missiles...
Just a little bit too comfortable up there in ND, me thinks.

[CommunityEditor]

Col. Christopher Ayres, the former 91st Missile Wing commander at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., who was fired on Oct. 14, will accept an assignment to Air Force Space Command headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Col., and not retire.

The 24-year missile officer was fired after 20th Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Roger Burg “lost confidence in his ability to command.” Burg also fired two maintenance commanders formerly under Ayres’ command — Col. Lyman Faith, 91st Maintenance Group commander, and Lt. Col. Andrew Healy, 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron commander.

The firings followed the Oct. 9 release of an investigative report that blamed a bug for an Aug. 31 crash involving a truck carrying rocket engine parts for intercontinental ballistic missiles. The driver of the truck was trying to get a “large insect” off his back when the truck overturned.

“We must uphold the highest standards within the nuclear enterprise,” said Gen. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command, which oversees the missile wing. “We must have complete confidence in our leadership.”

It was the second time a payload transporter crashed on Ayres’ watch. Faith and Healy were in charge of commands that oversee the transport of ICBM components to the missile fields.

Ayres was not relieved of command for any misconduct or wrongdoing, said Capt. Lindsey Hahn, spokeswoman for Space Command.

“He was not fired solely because of the accident in August,” Hahn said. “His removal from command was a combination of multiple factors.”


Article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/20...ayres_101909w/

[takthekak]

Originally Posted by BISSBOSS

Two truck crashes
Sleeping missle crew
Airman leaves a safe open overnight
Tanked NSI

Kind of a long list of coincidences to be just "shit happening"...

-BB-

Well then, perhaps they should fire everyone in both Wings up here. Every base
has things happen, we are just under the microscope. Lastly, I have not been here 10 straight
years, ithere was a Joint assignment for 3 1/2 years in between and then I have also been in both
Wings here...I think the fact that the "old Wing CC" is taking an assignment at HQs, proves my point.