Relieved of Duty

Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, the commander of 20th Air Force, is being fired due to a "loss of trust and confidence" in his command, according to the Air Force. The Associated Press first reported the decision this morning. Carey oversees the three wings that operate the Air Force's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles in Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota.

According to the AP, the decision to relieve Carey of his 20th Air Force duties was made by Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, the outgoing chief of Air Force Global Strike Command. The organization Carey led is one of the two numbered Air Forces that report to Global Strike Command.

The Air Force's missile wings have come under criticism several times in the last year, most notably in the spring, when more than a dozen airmen were stripped of their ICBM operations duties at Minot Air Force Base, ND, after a poor inspection.

"20th AF continues to execute its mission of around-the-clock nuclear deterrence in a safe, secure and effective manner," Kowalski said in an Air Force statement. "It's unfortunate that I've had to relieve an officer who's had an otherwise distinctive career spanning 35 years of commendable service."

Air Force Global Strike Command's vice chief, Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, has been named the interim 20th AF commander. According to the statement, Carey's dismissal is based on information from an inspector general report related to Carey's behavior during a temporary assignment; the firing is unrelated to the operational readiness of any 20th Air Force unit and does not involve sexual misconduct.

Carey's has commanded 20th Air Force since the summer of 2012. He previously served in a pair of Joint Staff positions dealing with global nuclear operations and nuclear command and control, and he commanded the ICBM wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, WY, from 2005 to 2007.