Imagined conversation between pilot and ground crew, after a B-52 took off from Minot Air Base and landed in Louisiana with “six cruise missiles carrying W-80 nuclear warheads:”:http://www.spacewar.com/2006/070905200514.7fjgge0b.html

CREW MEMBER: What are those?

PILOT: New boots.

CM: No, _those_.

P: Fuck…

From what Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said, it sounds like the Air Force is enforcing some discipline:

“The munitions squadron commander has been *relieved of his duties,* and final action is pending the outcome of the investigation,” he said.

“In addition, *other airmen were decertified from their duties involving munitions.*

Hans K has much more “over at his place.”:http://www.fas.org/blog/ssp/2007/09/flying_nuclear_bombs.php#more

And “this _ACT_ piece”:http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2007_05/Ballistic.asp?print by Wade has a short discussion about the US decision to eliminate some of its nuclear-armed cruise missiles:

*Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered the Air Force last Oct. 17 to decommission all AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missiles (ACMs) and shrink the force of AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCMs) to 528.* Air Force fact sheets from early 2006 reported the service had approximately 460 ACMs and 1,142 ALCMs.

In March 28 prepared testimony to the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, *Air Force Major General Roger Burg said the service would not take “irreversible actions” to demilitarize and destroy retired cruise missiles until receiving “final congressional approval.”* No serious congressional opposition has emerged to the plan.

*Update:*

Big ups to Tristero for the “link.”:http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/loose-nukes-followup-by-tristero-if.html