Yet another Minot CC bites the dust . . .

[B52Av8tor]

Barring an actual detonation on the flightline, there won't be any more firings in the next year or two for the following reasons

1) The heat and blow back from this decision is taking 8AF by surprise. They're now stuck trying to defend what everyone, both inside and outside the community, knows is a bad decision.

2) It was a preemptive move. Irrespective of the results come the next inspection, Gen Carpenter has a new team in place and can always say his team hasn't had the time to make the necessary changes.

3) I suspect the IG Team is being asked some uncomfortable questions as well. 5BW passed a full up NSI in May, and the 69BS passed a Staff Assistance Visit (SAV) just a few weeks prior to the failed inspection. How is it that at Minot, the same people, using the same processes, being led by the same commanders become magically incompetent when a different IG team shows up? Either there was a massive change in personnel at 5BW, 5BW spontaneously decided to change all their procedures right before a major inspection, the previous SAV and IG teams just ignored/missed problems big enough to take down a Wing or, perhaps, inspection criteriea are inconsistent and unclear? Because of the flaws being revealed in the inspection process, the next inspection team is going to come in with kid gloves and give the 5BW a pass.

Some other random thoughts floating through the community.

- Westa was fired two years to the day he assumed command after the last Wing CC was relieved. Happy Anniversary. Couldn't they have just had a change of command rather than a firing?

- The OSS Commander was only in command a few months and in that time made it through an NSI and a SAV. Barring total incompetence, sounds like a hidden agenda at work.

- What about all the good Westa did? He was sent on a thankless suicide mission to bring the 5BW back from the brink following the August 07 firings. He apparently did something right by passing the NSI in May, brought morale back up, and this is the thanks he gets?

- 2BW put an aircraft in the water and killed 5 people last summer. Who was fired for that? Hints of a double standard?

Like I said earlier, everyone at Minot and throughout the community knows this was a bad decision and no amount of PA press releases or canned speeches by Generals about 'perfection being the standard' will change that. Hopefully the martyrdom of these commanders will be the impetuous to cause some serious reassessment of the requirements placed on dual tasked wings and the inspection process as a whole.

[BRAVO10000]

Originally Posted by B52Av8tor

Hopefully the martyrdom of these commanders will be the impetus to cause some serious reassessment of the requirements placed on dual tasked wings and the inspection process as a whole.

+1. Not trying to hijack the thread, but we (the AF as a whole) have found it difficult to meet inspection requirements since the introduction of the AFI. I can't remember the last inspection of any kind that I have been a part of that didn't include some intense debate over the interpretation of guidance. I can't speak at all to the handling of nukes, but I do hope that the assessments are being conducted fairly and without an undue amount of contention over the findings.

[takthekak]

First, there have been some very good threads on this post. For a dual wing
base who does it's "deployed" mission 24/7 and AEFs every year, I would say
we ARE doing what we need to do. The priority is to pass an inspection and
debate between Wing and NAF?... all the while the mission presses on and
the wars wage. I am more upset at what these firings portray to our adversaries.
I would have perferred some quite assumptions of commands for 2 fine career
colonels who BOTH passed their NSI's after leading their WIngs back from disaster.

[fufu]

Minot alumni here 99-05.

We passed every inspection while I was there. We(flightline) began deploying full time in 02 to Diego Garcia, followed quickly by a deployment to RAF Fairford in 03 to kick off the war. I've never felt a bigger sense of pride and motivation than I did during those months at RAF Fairford. What we did every day was put bombs on target and put 50+ year old aircraft in the air at a ridiculous pace. Quick turning a B-52 isn't easy...lol

It is sad to see that one mistake, albeit a large one has blackened the eye of Minot. There are good people stationed there that work very hard to accomplish the mission. Crap like this didn't happen back then when we didn't have a PT program and prior to force shaping.....I firmly believe the time crunch placed on many bases due to lack of appropriate manning is a direct reflection of some of the firings we see.

[B52Av8tor]

""While the shortcomings in recent inspections did not translate to an inability to accomplish the mission, they did show a departure from the standards of perfection that we demand in the nuclear enterprise," said Gen. William M. Fraser III, head of Air Combat Command. "Our leaders must set and enforce the standards across all of our mission areas. The nation expects and deserves nothing less."

Ironic in that I'm pretty sure 2BW failed an NSI when Fraser was it's Commander.

[Texpat]

^ Ouch. Well-spotted, if true.

[takthekak]

Originally Posted by B52Av8tor

""While the shortcomings in recent inspections did not translate to an inability to accomplish the mission, they did show a departure from the standards of perfection that we demand in the nuclear enterprise," said Gen. William M. Fraser III, head of Air Combat Command. "Our leaders must set and enforce the standards across all of our mission areas. The nation expects and deserves nothing less."

Ironic in that I'm pretty sure 2BW failed an NSI when Fraser was it's Commander.

Accountability
"Leaders lead by example and set the tone. Above all, they do not countenance selective enforcement of standards. I know of no more ruinous path ... than selective enforcement of rules and standards. Excellent leaders have very high standards and they enforce them without fear or favor."
- Gen. W.L. Creech, former commander of Tactical Air Command

[BRAVO10000]

Originally Posted by takthekak

Accountability
"Leaders lead by example and set the tone. Above all, they do not countenance selective enforcement of standards. I know of no more ruinous path ... than selective enforcement of rules and standards. Excellent leaders have very high standards and they enforce them without fear or favor."
- Gen. W.L. Creech, former commander of Tactical Air Command

And the rest of that quote was "Now, with that said...go forth and paint my bases two-tone brown"...

Old timers will remember this bit...

[takthekak]

Originally Posted by BRAVO10000

And the rest of that quote was "Now, with that said...go forth and paint my bases two-tone brown"...

Old timers will remember this bit...

With satellites and google earth, are we really concealing anything
on base anymore? Time to lossen up the color pallet...I am tired of
everything being yellow, brown, etc....

[BRAVO10000]

Originally Posted by takthekak

With satellites and google earth, are we really concealing anything
on base anymore? Time to lossen up the color pallet...I am tired of
everything being yellow, brown, etc....

Color? I mean we were painting ROCKS...curbs, the backs of the stop signs, you name it. Creech brown was everywhere!