Countdown to Inspection at Minot Base |  Video |
| 3/7/2008 |
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| The countdown is on at the Minot Air Force Base until the Nuclear Surety Inspection - the inspection that will ultimately determine whether or not the 5th Bomb Wing is re-certified. Airmen have been preparing for months and officials say they are ready. As the days wind down until the major inspection, the pressure is going up. "We need to do this absolutely perfectly every time and that is the goal," says Colonel Joel Westa. 5th Bomb Wing Commander Colonel Joel Westa is preparing the Wing for their Nuclear Surety Inspection. The inspection will allow the Air Force to make certain the procedures and policies are being followed when dealing with nuclear weapons. The inspection is also part of the process in getting the bomb wing recertifed. "There is a tremendous amount at steak. They want to show they can do their job," says Westa. A lot has changed since the August incident where several nuclear cruise missiles were mistakenly loaded onto a B-52 at the Minot base and flown to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. And base officials say these changes have only made the teams stronger. "There is more checks in the system. There were always a lot and we have added 2 more.... We`ve received help in regards to manning. Emphasis on equipment and other things that have come along the way," says Westa. A team of about 30 Air Force officials are visiting Minot Air Force base throughout March to help prepare the wing for the large inspection. Base officials are sure that the past 8 months of training, hard work and discipline will pay off. "We are honored to be here and we are going to succeed. I promise you that. We are going to succeed in this next inspection," says Westa. The nuclear surety inspection is set for May 16th through the 24th. |
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