US military fires general overseeing N-missiles

Air Force says the matter was not tied to the operational readiness of US nuclear missiles.

WASHINGTON: The two-star general overseeing America’s arsenal of intercontinental missiles was fired on Friday for personal misbehavior, the Air Force said, saying the matter was not tied to the operational readiness of US nuclear missiles.

The US Air Force said the removal of Major General Michael Carey from his job as commander of the 20th Air Force was due to a loss of trust and confidence but did not elaborate. The decision was “based on information from an Inspector General investigation into Carey’s behavior during a temporary duty assignment,” the Air Force said in a statement.

“The 20^th AF continues to execute its mission of around-the-clock nuclear deterrence in a safe, secure and effective manner,” Lieutenant General James Kowalski, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, said in a statement.

“It’s unfortunate that I’ve had to relieve an officer who’s had an otherwise distinctive career spanning 35 years of commendable service.” The Air Force said the matter also did not relate to sexual assault. Headquartered at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, the 20th Air Force is responsible for the nation’s three intercontinental ballistic missile wings.

The announcement came just two days after the deputy commander of US Strategic Command, which oversees all of America’s nuclear arsenal as well as its space operations, was relieved from his job during an investigation into issues related to gambling.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2013