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Nuclear Missile Launch Code Guards Found Dozing on the Job
Chances are you've seen some documentary or movie about nuclear war in which missile silos were represented as being kept in impregnable, well-guarded bunkers. Said fictional silos were also protected by secret codes that were frequently refreshed and (we all hope) never needed in the case of a nuclear attack. Well, as it turns out, that's not so much the case in real life, as the Air Force this week announced that a nuclear silo was found to be staffed only by sleeping guards, who would have been incapable of stopping, or even noticing, someone sneaking in and stealing the launch codes.
Thankfully, though (depending on how you look at it) there was no threat to begin with. As it turns out, the launch codes the dozing crew had were out-dated, meaning if the crew had attempted to launch their missile, they wouldn't have been successful in the first place.
As always, two wrongs don't make a right, but sometimes they're better than just one. [Source: AP, via The Inquirer]
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Comments
20
Subscribe to commentsTommyJul 25th 2008 11:12PM
Just more evidence of the trend toward a gentler more permissive military.
And what happens to them? Fire them? Naaa wont happen. Broken system.
TG
retro77Jul 25th 2008 5:22PM
It was only 3 out of the 4 guards where sleeping.
SerenaJul 26th 2008 2:38PM
Oh yeah, real responsible guys.
mikeJul 26th 2008 3:20PM
WHAT HAPPENED TO DONT ASK DONT TELL......
hey blue boy give me a light ehhhh....ick
Roland BoyceJul 26th 2008 3:35PM
First and foremost sleeping while on duty is a court martial offense. They should all be in the brig right now. Secondly what the hell good would out dated launch codes do us in a real situation where launch was required. That's totally unacceptable for national defense. Sounds like something OBAMA would do.
DustyJul 26th 2008 7:47PM
Except Obama is not the one in charge. Now just WHO IS in CHARGE? Oh yes, George Walker Bush. The one that is keeping America "safer", Guess having them guard outdated code is keeping America safer from attacking itself. Given that Bush is in charge, that sounds more likely than an attack from an outside source.
KatJul 26th 2008 4:23PM
Hey, Roloand... Obama isn't in office yet... This is BUSH's boys baby!
WolfsterJul 26th 2008 4:55PM
Roland, you twit. It was GW Bush who was derelict in his service, who left his detail repeatedly and refuses to this day to tell where he went, who partied and shirked and smirked while others died. Learn to tell the diff between your a$$ and an a$$hole sleeping on duty.
NOBAMA08Jul 26th 2008 5:16PM
At least "BUSH" & "MCAIN" served our country while OSAMA(OBAMA) was knealing on his prayer rug I'm sure or maybe adjusting his TOWEL on his head getting advise from a GOD that does NOT even exist.haha
tomgajJul 26th 2008 5:07PM
Too bad the author didn't read all the reports on the incident or at least do a little fact checking:
- The incident occurred in a missile alert facility (MAF), not the launch capsule.
- The MAF itself is a secure and guarded area monitored and entry controlled by armed guards (not by the crew members).
- The component itself was secured in a lockbox inside the secure area.
- The four oficers involved was an off-duty crew that did not have the ability to access or launch missiles.
- At least one crew member did the right thing and remained awake.
These guys are definitely in trouble for failing to follow correct procedures to properly secure classified material, but the problem that occurred is not what this article portrays it to be.
But then, I suppose, one should never let the facts get in the way of a sensational story...
ACHILLASJul 26th 2008 5:11PM
YEAH, YEAH! I DON'T BELIEVE IT, IT IS ANOTHER TRICK THAT THEY ARE USING TO GET US TO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED CONTROL OF IRAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE PUSHING FOR A NEW WORLD ORDER! AND IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL! PLEASE! NO BODY IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS WOULD BE SNOOZING IF THEY HAD THE CODES AND KEYS TO NUCLEAR WARHEADS! NA! LIKE I SAID IT'S CONTROL THAT THE ILLUMINATI WANTS THEY HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, THEY WANT CONTROL AND THEY WANT THE WORLD TO BOW DOWN TO THEM FOR SECURITY AND HUMAN NEEDS. SOUND'S CRAZZY! WELL, THEY ARE BEHIND THE NEW WORLD ORDER! READ ABOUT IT! AND BELIEVE.
NOBAMA08Jul 26th 2008 5:19PM
NOBAMA served ONLY himself & NOT the U.S.A.
kenJul 26th 2008 5:28PM
Too bad these folks were negligent. The Air Force will deal with them if liable. Should they be officers- careers over. If NCO's busted and find another job in civilian life. Sounds as though this story is overblown though.
RETIRED 777 CAPTJul 26th 2008 5:27PM
AHHHHH, THE GOOD OLD DAYS. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN THE NAVY, AND THEY GAVE A KID A WHISTLE, AND TOLD TO STAND AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. IF A PLANE CAME IN TO LAND WITH HIS WHEELS STILL RETARCTED, HE WAS TO BLOW THE WHISTLE.
WHEN ONE DID COME IN WITH THE WHEELS STILL IN THE WELLS, HE JUST WATCHED IT LAND WHEELS UP. (E-2B, OCEANA VA. 1974) THEY TRIED TO COURT MARSHAL THE KID, UNTIL THE FACTS ABOUT THE WHISTLE CAME OUT. CAN YOU SAY "UNDER THE RUG?" TIME CHANGES, BUT NOTHING ELSE.
BobJul 26th 2008 6:11PM
Tim Stevens really doesn't know what he's talking about. It seems true that he just wants a story to make a name for himself without really knowing how things work. As a missileer, I know this incident happened during what's known as a code change. The old codes taken from the launch control center (LCC) would do no damage to anything since they were obsolete. The codes were stored in a code handling container with 2 locks on it and the container was in a room on a missile alert facility (MAF). The MAF is guarded by people with guns... good luck to anyone trying to get access. There is no way anyone could get access to those obsolete codes. With that said... the crew members were wrong to fall asleep but with one crew member awake... the others would be woken instantly if something went wrong on the MAF which it didn't. BTW... the crew members are officers.
DonJul 26th 2008 6:27PM
I didn't know they hired Mexicans
John CasyJul 26th 2008 7:49PM
Bush is a screw up so what can you expect from these guards.
And I bet those launch codes were good....
Can't beleive the goverment..
JayJul 26th 2008 7:52PM
Forget the sleeping guards. If their codes wouldn't work anyway, why do we have them sitting there?
MEJul 26th 2008 8:01PM
Y R U GUYS MAKING THIS ABOUT OBAMA AND MCCAIN AND BUSH? THIS IS ABOUT SOME GUYS TAKING A NAP, SO CHILL. IT WON'T KILL YA, I BET MY LIFE U'LL SAY IT WILL, BUT IT WON'T. PEOPLE WHO THINK THIS AN OUTRAGE OR THEY SHOULD GO TO JAIL OR WAHT NOT: HAVEN'T YOU EVER LET DOWN A RESPONSIBILITY? HOW ABOUT NEXT YOU WANNA TAKE A NAP WE PUT A STORY WITH THE HEADLINE: (WO)MAN TAKES NAP, ARRESTED IMMEDIATLY
E. L. MitchellSep 6th 2008 4:05PM
NO ONE can get into the launch control center to launch a missile until the crew (2) on duty opens theimpregnable blast door from inside. Guys upstairs with outdated codes are no big deal. The only thing compromised (if someone had stolen the locked box) would be the format and construction of the code documents which is already known by anyone having previously served on a launch crew (bomber or missile). Total disinformation -- sleep well tonight!!