US Air Force: 34 missile launch officers implicated in cheating scandal, others in drug probe
Lolita C. Baldor And Robert Burns
FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2013 file photo, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. A drug investigation of officers at six Air Force bases, including two that operate nuclear missiles, has been widened to include allegations of cheating on certification tests, defense officials said Wednesday. Welsh and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James planned a news conference Wednesday to update the status of the investigation. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
January 15, 2014 - 12:18 PM
WASHINGTON - U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James says 34 missile launch officers have been implicated in a cheating scandal and three others have been implicated in a drug probe, the latest missteps by those who maintain and operate the nation's 450 nuclear missiles.
In all, the drug scandal encompasses 11 Air Force officers across six bases. Of the three missile launch officers involved in the drug scandal, two are at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and one is at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.
James said those involved in the cheating scandal have lost their certification and nearly 200 missile crew members will retake the test.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014