General: Minot wing improved, but not enough

[unhappycamper]

Col. Joel S. Westa, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., was fired Oct. 30 for loss of confidence in his ability to lead.


General: Minot wing improved, but not enough
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 23, 2009 10:54:18 EST

Col. Joel Westa had been hand-picked to lead the 5th Bomb Wing out of the wilderness.

He was the one who was supposed to restore the good name of Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where the most embarrassing and alarming screw-up in modern Air Force history took place.

In the end, though, Westa wound up getting fired just as his predecessor had been.

Westa arrived at Minot two years ago, assigned to replace Col. Bruce Emig, who was fired after a B-52 bomber crew had flown a nuclear-tipped cruise missile from Minot to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

Those at the very top of the Air Force thought Westa, a master navigator and former commander of the B-52 Weapons School squadron, was just the man to bring the 5th Bomb Wing back around.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/11/airforce_westa_112309w/