Air Force Nuke Base Sentry Caught Playing Mobile Phone Games on Duty
Air Force Nuke Base Sentry Caught Playing Mobile Phone Games on Duty
May 31, 2008
An airman assigned to guard a North Dakota base for US nuclear bombers was found to be playing a video game on his mobile phone, according to a recent inspection.
As reported by the Associated Press, the guard's inattention to duty was one of just a number of violations which caused Minot AFB to receive sub-par marks on the inspection, which must now be repeated in 90 days.
From the AP report:
The Air Force Times, citing a copy of the [inspection] report, said the base received an unsatisfactory grade and inspectors found security breakdowns during mock attacks at the base.
The Air Force Times said inspectors saw a security forces airman playing video games on his cell phone while standing guard at a restricted area. Another airman nearby was "unaware of her duties and responsibilities" during the exercise, the newspaper said.
Last year, an aging B-52 bomber leaving from Minot was mistakenly armed with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles for a routine flight to Louisiana.
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LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:48pm
ZippyDSMlee: AE:they feeding you well? I am enjoying win7 and heading to bed...uhg I need to get up early and start back to cleaning/painting blahg >< need tog et stuff done befor thanksgiving....
ZippyDSMlee: AE:they feeding you well? I am enjoying win7 and heading to bed...uhg I need to get up early and start back to cleaning/painting blahg >< need tog et stuff done befor thanksgiving....
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:41pm
Andrew Eisen: Just got home from an eight hour recording session at Capitol Records. A lot of fun but damn exhausting.
Andrew Eisen: Just got home from an eight hour recording session at Capitol Records. A lot of fun but damn exhausting.
Posted 11/22/09 at 08:44pm
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
Posted 11/22/09 at 09:45am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:32pm
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:28pm
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:16pm
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
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Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Comments
'Shall we play...Thermonuclear Warfare?'...
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Well, it's the same the world-over, people do things whilst working that they aren't allowed. That doesn't make it right, or sensible or anything, especially in this case, and the guy deserves penalising for not paying attention whilst on duty, but it's something that happens in ten thousand jobs a day.
How demanding is it for that watch... That is what we call a shit bag in my service. But it happens. Standing a watch for 8 hours to 24 hours a day gets pretty old and you have keep yourself always ready. Most of us use music to help pass the time, while others complain about the watch all day. All in all, even though that watch might not be that demanding, it has a higher responsibility then most. When it comes to qualify for a watch, they don't look at the person themselves, they only ask "are you qualified yet?"
Ya know, I'm not so sure this isn't an uncommon occurance, it's just that most people have the good sense not to get caught. You can even get pretty good at being asleep just enough to get a little rest but still hear when something's going on, like one of your superiors checking up on you.
---------------------------------
So speak I, some random guy.
You get caught sleeping on our ship, you are in some deep shit. I can't stand people who don't stand a diligent watch. You can fuck around at work all day, but when you are on watch, you have a higher responsibility.
In the old days they could shoot you for that.
They still can, but they don't.
Then again, they could make an awesome slogan out of that - "The Army - more people die as a result of boredom than from enemy fire"
"Last year, an aging B-52 bomber leaving from Minot was mistakenly armed with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles for a routine flight to Louisiana."
I think that's a little scarier than a guy playing tetris...
Yeah, that is a terrifying thought, what would've been worse if they were loading for a training bombing flight!
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
I think age jokes at the B-52s expense are in poor taste.
"Sir! I have a plan, heh. . . . . MEIN FURHER! I CAN WALK!"
Not to offend any of you americans, but if this is how your security is like for nuclear weapons i do wonder why the planet isnt glass by now. and the B-52 Bomber incident scared me shitless, Ive never seen nuclear tipped missles but shouldnt something as devastating as that have some kind of sign to make it distinctive?
Like "Do not drop!" :)
They do have distinctive coloring... but the AF does have a tendancy (a ugly tendancy) to cut corners here and there.
The military period has that tendency, its even worse now.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
That is not true. Coast Guard has a higher tendency to be more favorable by intructors, even in different branches. A lot of the Navy guys wish they had the same people that we do most of the time. It all comes down to respecting everyone, not just your superiors.
It doesn't hurt the Coast Guard deals with Civilians more then other branches as part of the job. I don't mean to insult any specific branch. I mean the way politicians and many career "Officers" (Who are mostly politicans at the best of times) tend to be idiots about such things.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
I agree. For people being so smart, they can do some really stupid stuff sometimes.
I think the only reason that the Earth isn't glassed over is Haliburton told Bush that if he nuked the Middle East it would hurt their stocks.
Oh come now thats just a paranoid conspiracy theory, everyone knows they didn't nuke it because it'd destroy so much oil!
It is a bit disturbing that he was gaming on duty but I do understand that its damned hard to be vigilant when its just routine. Music is a better option, that only absorbs one sense rather than two
@Cadia
You have no idea how this whole "nuclear missile" thing works do you? It's not like they can just bump into a switch and "Oops, there goes Beijing". For starters, it takes targeting data. Secondly, there's a special set of sequences, usually represented in movies as "two keys turning at once", that have to happen before anything can be fired. I would wager big money that the security deeper inside the base would be a sight to behold if they didn't shoot you on site.
Hows about: "Warning: Exposure to contents may lead to impotence."
Warning: Contents May Be Hot
Three things I want answered here: 1) What drills were being run? 2) What on Earth would a B-52, a BOMBER, be able to do with a cruise missile? Don't they need a trigger of some kind besides "dropped from 1000ft"? and 3) Why is this video game political news? The guy got bored watching the same prarie grass all day and gets caught passing the time. What effect does this have on the industry?
It doesn't. It's either rediculously frighting, or rediculously amusing. Either way it involves video games, and the blame for this failure is in part due to someone's choice to play a game. The same question could kind of be asked about any GTA news.
---- There is a limit for both politicians against video games, and video games against politicians. http://www.goteamretard.com
Actualy the B-52 can be modified to carry and launch cruise missles. I'd assume most of the procedures would be programmed into the missles before the plane takes off, so it's basicly a "Fly to the designated launch point and release." But it is possible (VERY unlikely but possible given the assumption that nothing is totally impossible.) that if the plane crashed the missles may have detonated, that I guess would be one reason they freaked out about that last time.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
I'm not expert on the subject, but I don't think a plane crash could trigger a nuclear detonation from it's payload. The warheads might crack open and and leak radiation, but from my understanding, it's impossible to get a nuke to blow up without the 'two keys turning' or whatever is needed to arm the weapon.
The B-52 is fully capable of launching all sorts of standoff munitions, including missiles as it stands, without modification.
REALLY? REALLY?
God, I leave the country for 2 damn weeks and this is what happens? Fuck you guys, I can't leave you alone anymore. Bad children, go sit in the corner.
Why don't we just run with the weak association nonsense we see all the time? Here's a new headline: "Study Finds That Playing Games at Work Make You as Incompetent as a Female".
Seriously, it's just as clear that the one candidate was unable to meet his duties because of videogames as much as the other was because of gender.
Dr. Stranglove, anyone?
or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Classic.
E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com
Lol @ the last part. How out of it do you have to be to put nuke missiles on a B52? This isn't WWII...
this is news?
when i was in Iraq for the Navy we'd constantly play Xbox in our shops during work ours, PSP/Gameboy during watches, or even flat out fall asleep, unless something was actually going on (which wasn't much since in my squad we launched out at 8AM and the jets didn't return for 16 hours)
hell, our officers even held a Halo 2 Tournament on the projection screen in our ready room!
ha!
HAHAHAHAHA! Awesome! Fuckin' awesome!!
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