Air Force Officers Fell Asleep With Old Nuke Codes

We’re getting a clearer and clearer picture why Secretary Gates has been rolling heads in the Air Force.

Three Air Force officers fell asleep while in control of an electronic component that contained old launch codes for nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, a violation of procedure, Air Force officials said Thursday.

The Air Force said the launch codes had been deactivated before the incident, but it was still a violation of protocol, prompting an investigation.

It is the fourth incident in the past year involving problems with secure handling of components of America’s nuclear weapons.