Reporter's Notebook

Gates hits the road

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Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Air Force made history last week when Gates ousted his top two Air Force leaders, Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Secretary Michael Wynne, on June 5. Never before has a service had both service chiefs simultaneously fired.

Gates said a recent report investigating the mistaken shipment of four classified nuclear fuses to Taiwan “triggered” his decision, but the Air Force also lost track of six nuclear warheads over 36 hours last August after airmen at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., accidentally flew them across country to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

Gates is flying to three Air Force bases on Monday and Tuesday to reassure airmen, and stress how serious he is about reversing the erosion of its nuclear enterprise.

He plans to stop at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Monday and both Peterson Air Force Base, Col., and Scott Air Force Base, Ill., on Tuesday.

Along with Gates I’ll be joining the press corps following the defense secretary around checking out what he has to say to airmen while getting their reactions.

Since this is the first time I’ve gotten a chance to blog on the Reporter’s Notebook I figured I’d quickly introduce myself. My name is Michael Hoffman and I’m a former airman myself, serving as an officer before I got out and started writing for the Air Force Times. Less than a year ago, I was at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., where it was a big deal to brief a colonel, let alone travel alongside the defense secretary.

I’ve been covering nuclear issues since I first uncovered the monumental accident at Minot and Barksdale that caused airmen everywhere to wonder not so elegantly “whiskey-tango-foxtrot” is going on. So, I’m eager to see how Gates will address this disturbing nuclear trend that Air Force leaders have been warned about for over a decade.

I also want to include you, the reader, in this trip. It’s rare to get this much access to the defense secretary, so hopefully I’ll have a few minutes to bounce some questions off him. Send me an email at mhoffman@airforcetimes.com with any questions you might have from the serious like: What exactly was in that investigative report regarding the lost nuclear fuses that worried you so much? To, the not so serious: What’s your favorite base to play golf at?

Either way, hit me up on email or leave your questions in the comment sections.