US military loses nuclear parts in fresh embarrassment: report

[LiberalNation]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080619/pl_afp/usmilitarysecuritynuclear;_ylt=Ajhu7k70Yow5GL0O_2t SoQoDW7oF

LONDON (AFP) - The US military has lost hundreds of sensitive nuclear missile components, in the latest embarrassment for The Pentagon, the Financial Times reported in its online version Thursday.

Citing US officials familiar with a Pentagon report, the British daily said the US Air Force could not account for many sensitive components previously in its nuclear inventory. One official put the number at over 1,000, it said.

The latest incident comes after blunders which saw live nuclear warheads transported over US skies, and an accidental shipment of nuclear triggers to Taiwan.

A senior official said the report had "identified issues about record keeping" for sensitive nuclear missile components. There was no suggestion they could have ended up in countries that should not have received them, he said.

Earlier this month US Defence Secretary Robert Gates sacked the air force's civilian secretary and chief of staff, blaming them for two major blunders that shook confidence in US control over its nuclear arsenal.

Gates said "a substantial number" of generals and colonels also face possible disciplinary action as a result of an investigation into a mistaken shipment of fuses for nuclear weapons to Taiwan.

[Hagbard Celine]

My question is, why are these types of things being moved around in the first place? Why not just put it all in a bunker and keep it there until skynet attacks? Are we actively building new nukes? If so, why? It seems insane to me.

[Monkeybone]

I like the reply that they came out with, "they're not lost, they are just not where they are supposed to be."

[rppearso]

And of course firing a few generals and civilians that are totally removed from the situation will make all this go away. This is the fruits of the wonderful inner workings of the miltiary, we will see more and more of this until they decide to do a major sweep of entrenched bums at the sgt and officer level. Mistakes happen more frequently when people have a piss poor quality of life and are told to "suck it up" with out positive incentive. People need incentive to do things that is what seperates a capitalist society from a communist society and that is why people in communist societies starve and stuff does not get done unless there are massive human rights violations on the part of the government. The miltiary is like a little socialist society within a capitalist society that fuels it (supplies, technology, wealth, etc). The military should not be living so far removed from its civilian society which supports it and from which you get your recruits.

[Psychoblues]

The latest is that a freshly pregnant young E-3 went down fighting to preserve the parts but was caught up in the power struggle and just let them go. Maybe the mail runs a little slow in the Pentagon?!?!?!?????!???!?!