![]() ![]() Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which according to the American Cancer Society affects an estimated 19 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S. Stefanek added: “The information in this briefing has been shared with the Department of the Air Force surgeon general and our medical professionals are working to gather data and understand more." In a statement to the AP, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said that “senior leaders are aware of the concerns raised about the possible association of cancer related to missile combat crew members at Malmstrom AFB." Sebeck declined to comment when contacted by email by the AP on Saturday, saying the slides were “predecisional.” In the slides, he said the issue was important to the Space Force because as many as 455 former missileers are now serving as Space Force officers, including at least four of the nine identified in the slides. The “disproportionate number of missileers presenting with cancer, specifically lymphoma” was concerning, he said. “There are indications of a possible association between cancer and missile combat crew service at Malmstrom AFB,” Sebeck said in slides presented to his Space Force unit this month. They remain there sometimes for days, ready to turn the launch keys if ordered to by the president. Missileers ride caged elevators deep underground into a small operations bunker encased in a thick wall of concrete and steel. The nine officers were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a January briefing by U.S. One of the officers has died.Īll of the officers, known as missileers, were assigned as many as 25 years ago to Malmstrom Air Force Base, home to a vast field of 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos. "By keeping the details of the accident secret and providing only vague responses, the Air Force behaves as if it has something to hide and undermines public confidence in the safety of the ICBM mission," Kristensen said.Nine military officers who had worked decades ago at a nuclear missile base in Montana have been diagnosed with blood cancer and there are “indications” the disease may be linked to their service, according to military briefing slides obtained by The Associated Press. The Air Force refused to reveal how it categorized the Juliet-07 accident. If so, he said, it could have been categorized by the Air Force as a "Bent Spear" event, which is an official reporting code word for a significant nuclear weapon incident. The amount of damage to the missile - $1.8 million, according to the Air Force - suggests that the airmen's errors might have caused physical damage, Kristensen said. The Air Force refused to make that public, saying the report is classified, even though the service's own policy requires the public release of accident board reports. ![]() It said the cause is cited in the investigation report. The summary said the central cause of the mishap was established by "clear and convincing evidence," but the Air Force would not disclose the cause or the evidence. Sheets said it is possible that some or all of the three could still face disciplinary action. In seeming contradiction of that second point, the Air Force said in its separate statement to the AP that the mishap team chief was properly trained for the task he was performing. The other was that the mishap chief "lacked the necessary proficiency level" to anticipate the consequences of his actions during the troubleshooting. One was the mishap chief's failure to follow technical guidance. The investigation report summary said there were four contributing factors to the accident, and two were identified. ![]()
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