It was the Associated Press headline heard around the world, “AIR FORCE NUCLEAR UNIT FAILS KEY SECURITY TEST” and in military terms, it brought discredit to the United States Air Force.

The opening paragraph of the story added more salt to the wound:

An Air Force unit that operates one-third of the nation’s land-based nuclear missiles has failed a safety and security inspection, marking the second major setback this year for a force charged with the military’s most sensitive mission, the general in charge of the nuclear air force told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

It wasn’t until the third paragraph of the AP story that “Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana” was even mentioned. With that mention, Malmstrom and its 341st Missile Wing just became the weakest link in the nuclear triad. That honor will last until the next base fails a nuclear surety test.   Continue reading →