Official: 2 launch officers tied to drug probe
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. (AP) — A U.S. defense official says two Air Force officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana have been implicated in an illegal-narcotics investigation.
The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter publicly by name, says both officers are ICBM launch officers with responsibility for operating the Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missiles and work for the 341st Missile Wing.
The official says the officers' access to classified information has been suspended and the Air Force is investigating.
The investigation is the latest sign of trouble for the nation's nuclear forces, which have been suffering under security lapses, discipline problems and low morale.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was at an Air Force missile base on Thursday to help boost morale.
