Air Force cites HAFB generals in nuke snafus
Text 
HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- Three Air Force generals with recent ties to Hill Air Force Base are among 17 military officers disciplined over the mistaken shipment of nuclear weapons components to Taiwan, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
They are:
* Lt. Gen. Kevin J. Sullivan, deputy chief of staff for logistics. He served as commander of Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill from July 2003 to June 2007. He received a letter of reprimand and is retiring effective Oct. 1.
* Maj. Gen. Kathleen D. Close, commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center since June 2007. She received a letter of admonishment and will stay in her current position.
* Brig. Gen. Arthur B. Cameron III, former commander of the 309th Maintenance Wing at Hill. He received a letter of admonishment. He had already been reassigned to a position at the Pentagon.
Military officials discovered in March that four electric fuses used to trigger nuclear missiles had been mistakenly shipped from Hill to Taiwan in 2006. The disclosure followed a 2007 incident in which six nuclear warheads were accidentally flown across the country strapped to the bottom of a B-52 bomber.
Saying he could not ignore the "breaches of trust that occurred on their watch," Acting Air Force Secretary Michael Donley laid out what in some cases were career-ending punishments for six Air Force generals and nine colonels. Two Army one-star generals have also been disciplined.
Sullivan was reprimanded for not correcting previously identified systemic issues involving the Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile force. Hill provides logistics management of the Minuteman III ICBMs. The fuses that were mistakenly shipped came from those ICBM nose cones and were stored in a non-classified area at Hill, which led to the mistake, officials said earlier.
Ogden resident Vickie McCall was president of the Utah Defense Alliance when Sullivan was stationed at Hill and said his fate was unfair.
"I would say Kevin is above reproach," she said. "I think they have lost an outstanding general officer. I would rather have the Air Force focus on policy changes to correct a problem rather than just fire generals."
Close assumed command of the ALC 10 months after the fuses were shipped. She was admonished for not recognizing systemic weaknesses in supply chain management of sensitive components, and for not taking adequate action to correct previously identified materiel control and maintenance deficiencies in her current position.
Cameron received a letter of admonishment for not identifying and correcting deficiencies in depot maintenance operations involving sensitive components and also for not correcting previously identified deficiencies. He had already been reassigned to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, at the Pentagon. As commander of the 309th, he oversaw the unit of airmen working on the ICBMs.
Speaking to reporters during a Pentagon press briefing, Donley said that in taking into consideration the future needs of the Air Force, Close and a second major general have been asked to stay in their jobs.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said the two officers have unique skills and knowledge critical for the nuclear mission. However, he added, "They certainly are on notice that there is no room for error here and that, should they abuse this trust, it won't take but about a millisecond to react."
Close was at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio attending the Air Force Material Commands commander's conference, but issued a statement to the Standard-Examiner.
"I take full responsibility for the deficiency issues uncovered within the 309th Maintenance Wing and accept the decision of Acting Secretary Donley and Gen. Schwartz," she said.
"I am fully committed to leading the center and actively working with the Air Force Materiel Command commander and other Air Force senior leaders in their efforts to strengthen and maintain positive control of nuclear weapons-related components."
All 17 officers received disciplinary letters, but they varied in seriousness from reprimands, which are the most severe, to letters of admonishment, memorandums of concern and letters of counsel, which are less serious.
Retired Maj. Gen. Pat Condon, commander of the Ogden ALC from 1994-97, said a letter of reprimand itself would not impose termination, but the length of time the reprimand stays on an individual's record could prompt an officer to retire.
"It's obviously not a good thing," he said. "It can affect your assignment potential and your promotion potential -- but if it's temporary, those implications can go away."
The electric fuses that were sent to Taiwan were shipped from Hill's Defense Logistics Agency, a tenant unit at the base made up mostly of civilian employees.
Condon said neither Sullivan nor Close likely had direct supervision over the group, but personnel within their chain of command probably did.
"The commander wouldn't have oversight, responsibility, or accountability over the tenant unit," he said. "But if Air Force personnel, part of the commander's organization, were involved, then the commander would be held accountable."
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said he continues to have "great confidence" in the leadership at Hill.
"We are fortunate that Gen. Close will remain at Hill," he said. "She is the best person going forward to help implement procedural changes to the nuclear mission there."
Sen. Orrin Hatch expressed similar sentiments.
"I have full confidence in Gen. Close and in the rest of the Hill Air Force Base team," he said. "They continue to do an extraordinary job. It's important to remember that Gen. Close was not even in command when this incident took place."
Hatch said Close's predecessor, Sullivan, "also is an outstanding officer. Though he was in command at the time of the incident, the facility where it occurred was outside of his chain of command. Therefore, I expressed reservations to Acting Secretary Donley and General Schwartz about today's action."
Sen. Robert Bennett could not be reached for comment.
Information from The Associated Press is included in this story.
Who was disciplined
Air Force generals disciplined:
* Lt. Gen. Kevin J. Sullivan, deputy chief of staff for logistics and former commander of Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, received a letter of reprimand and is retiring.
* Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, who was commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, received a letter of admonishment and had already planned to retire.
* Maj. Gen. Roger W. Burg, commander of 20th Air Force, received a letter of admonishment and will remain in his current job to correct problems.
* Maj. Gen. Kathleen D. Close, commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, received a letter of admonishment and will stay in her current position.
* Brig. Gen. Francis M. Bruno, director of logistics for Air Force Materiel Command, received a letter of admonishment and was already retiring.
* Brig. Gen. Arthur B. Cameron III, was commander of the 309th Maintenance Wing at Hill Air Force Base. He received a letter of admonishment and had already been reassigned.
Army generals disciplined:
* Brig. Gen. Lynn A. Collyar, who commanded the Defense Distribution Center from August 2006 to June 2008.
* Brig. Gen. Michael J. Lally III, who commanded the center from August 2004 to August 2006.
In addition, five colonels received letters of reprimand, including two who were removed from commands. Three other colonels received letters of admonishment, and one colonel received a letter of counseling.
Add Your Comment
