17 USAF, Army Officers Reprimanded

A total of 17 US Air Force and Army officers have received reprimands of varying severity in the case of four electrical fuses for ballistic missile nuclear warheads that were shipped to Taiwan by mistake in 2006.

All the officers were involved in logistics positions. The Associated Press reports eight of them are generals, ranging in rank from one to three stars. Defense officials say the six Air Force and two Army generals were given disciplinary letters that vary in seriousness.

USAF Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz took pains to state the officers were not accused of any "intentional wrongdoing..." but added "the Air Force has no more solemn obligation than the security and reliability of the nation's nuclear arsenal.

"These are good people with otherwise distinguished careers but they did not do enough to carry out their leadership responsibilities for nuclear oversight," Schwartz said, according to Bloomberg.

While Schwartz took pains to ease the sting somewhat, such marks on the record have often been known to end careers or hopes of promotion. One Air Force general has reportedly received an official letter of reprimand, others less severe letters of admonishment or counseling. The two Army brigadier generals, who worked at the Defense Logistics Agency in Virginia, received what are called "memorandums of concern."

There was no detail available on the actions taken against the lower-ranking officers.

In early June, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates demanded and got the resignations of General Michael Moseley, then Air Force chief of staff, and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, a civilian, in connection with a number of high-profile errors, including the erroneous shipment of the fuses to Taiwan.

While there were no nuclear materials in the shipment, the connection of the parts to nuclear weapons programs hit a raw nerve in China, which has opposed any US arms shipments to what it considers a rogue province.

FMI: www.af.mil