Officers face discipline in missiles error

The Air Force has decided to relieve at least five officers of command and is considering filing criminal charges in connection with the Aug. 29 “Bent Spear” incident in which nuclear-armed cruise missiles were mistakenly flown from North Dakota to Louisiana, two senior Air Force officials said.

Although senior Defense Department officials have not been fully briefed on the results of an Air Force probe of the incident, the sources said that at least one colonel is expected to lose his position and that several enlisted personnel also will be punished.

The measures are expected to be formally announced Friday along with the detailed findings of an internal, six-week investigation into how a B-52 bomber crew mistakenly flew from one military air base to another with six nuclear warheads strapped to its wings.