In an official memorandum from the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Public Affairs, both the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff United States Air Force have resigned their posts.
The 21st Secretary of the Air Force, Michael. W Wynne, has tendered his resignation to Defense Secretary Gates. His official statement reads, as follows…
“Since November 3, 2005, it has been my privilege to serve this country as the 21st Secretary of the Air Force. I have relished the opportunity President Bush gave me to lead the strongest Air Force in the world during a time of war, and I have marveled at the tremendous accomplishments of our Airmen and civilians in their valiant defense of this country and its interests. It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as their Secretary while working side-by-side with General Moseley and the magnificent patriots serving in the Department of Defense and the United States Government to win today’s fight, take care of our people, and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.
“Recent events convince me that it is now time for a new leader to take the stick and for me to move on. Therefore I plan to tender my resignation to Secretary Gates. Even as I do, my heart, my thoughts, and prayers remain with America’s Airmen who will continue to do magnificent things for this great country.”
Signed,
Michael W. Wynne
Secretary of the Air Force
The U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff, General Moseley, offered the following official statement…
“Recent events have highlighted a loss of focus on certain critical matters within the Air Force. As the Air Force’s senior uniformed leader, I take full responsibility for events which have hurt the Air Force’s reputation or raised a question of every Airman’s commitment to our core values. For the past 36 years I have been privileged to serve my country as an Airman in the United States Air Force in peacetime and combat. I was honored and humbled to be appointed the Air Force’s 18th Chief of Staff and have been proud to serve our Airmen and their families. Upon taking office, I worked hard with Secretary Wynne to ensure the Air Force provided the right forces at the right time to help our Nation and allies win the Global War on Terror.
“I think the honorable thing to do is to step aside. After consulting with my family, I intend to submit my request for retirement to Secretary Gates. The Air Force is bigger than one Airman, and I have full confidence that the Air Force will continue working with the Joint team to win today’s fight, take care of its Airmen, and meet tomorrow’s challenges. I love the Air Force and remain proud of America’s Airmen.”
The memorandum is signed,
T. Michael Moseley
Chief of Staff
United States Air Force
OK, so why did these two folk have to step down. According to Military & Aerospace Electronics online report bylined by Courtney E. Howard, dated June 5th, Defense Secretary Robert Gates forced both to leave their posts after an investigation by Admiral Kirkland Donald. According to the report, these officials failed to ensure the security of sensitive materials. This included materials relating to nuclear weapons, with Donald reporting there was weakness in the way the materials were handled. In example was the mistaken shipment of four Air Force electrical fuses for ballistic missile warheads that were shipped to Taiwan. Plus, there was the additional case of a B-52 bomber last August that was armed, mistakenly, with six, nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.
Also in the report was the assertion that the Air Force’s nuclear standards have been in a long decline. According to Gates, an internal investigation found a decline in the Air Force’s nuclear mission and focus. Plus, there was a failure by Air Force leaders to effectively respond to these areas of concern. James Schlesinger, a former defense secretary, has been asked to lead a task force to seek ways wherein the highest levels of accountability and control can be assured by the Air Force’s handling of nuclear weaponry.
You may recall back in March of this year Defense Secretary Gates directed Admiral Donald to take full charge of an investigation into the mistaken deliveries of the nuclear delivery problems. These fuses are used in ICBM warheads and were shipped to Taiwan instead of the helicopter batteries that had been ordered. Although non-nuclear themselves, upon learning of the shipments, China protested as that nation is strongly opposed to any U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. “Strong displeasure” was so noted and President Bush had to call Chinese President Hu Jintao regarding the incident.
