A colonel at a nuclear missile base whose position oversees the maintenance and accountability of nuclear weapons was relieved of command after a formal investigation, base officials told Task & Purpose.
Col. Jeremy Russell, commander of the 341st Maintenance Group at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, was relieved by the wing commander on Nov. 7. A base official confirmed that Russell had been the subject of an investigation but would not discuss its details.
“A Commander Directed Investigation was conducted, but we are unable to comment further,” a 341st Missile Wing spokesman said in an email to Task & Purpose. Officials gave no indication whether Russell’s firing was related to the 341st Missile Wing’s nuclear mission.
The 341st Missile Wing maintains alert of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles in a string of underground launch facilities. Russell’s maintenance group oversaw four squadrons that maintain the wing’s ICBM’s force, including the 341st Munitions Squadron, which performs “maintenance and accountability of the missile wing’s $5.5 million conventional munitions and $3.8 billion nuclear weapon stockpiles,” according to the base’s website.
Personnel of all ranks who work in the Air Force’s secretive nuclear weapons community undergo in-depth and ongoing background and security reviews under the service’s Personal Reliability Program, which lays out conditions under which they are authorized for contact with the weapons. The PRP applies to all nuclear troops, from missile launch officers and bomber pilots to mechanics and munition technicians, and base officials confirmed that Russell’s position fell under the PRP.
A native of Whittier, California, Russell was a “mustang” officer who began his career as an enlisted airman. After commissioning in 2001 through the service’s officer training school, he spent the rest of his career in the Air Force’s nuclear community, according to his online biography which was still online Thursday. Russell took command of the 341st Maintenance Group in July 2023.
UPDATE: (11/7/2024); This story has been updated to include a statement from Malmstrom base officials confirming that Russell was fired after a Commander Directed Investigation.
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