34 United States Air Force members have been removed from their posts, after an unrelated investigation revealed that the group allegedly cheated on a series of proficiency tests.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the finding during a Pentagon news conference on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. James stated that a drug probe currently underway at six different bases uncovered the cheating scandal, and that she was "profoundly disappointed" in the group of officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana who reportedly cheated on routine job efficiency tests.
"This is absolutely unacceptable behavior," James told the press.
Chief of staff Gen. Mark Welsh said this scandal might be the biggest of its kind that the force has seen.
"We do not know of [another] incident of this scale involving cheating in the missile force," Welsh stated.
James plans on going to the three nuclear missile bases next week to investigate the launch force and high-up officers who oversee them, AP reported. Despite the fact that only 34 officers were found to be involved in this case, James doubted that they were the only ones - often, officers fudge their monthly efficiency tests because their score might not be up to snuff.
"I want all of you to know that, based on everything I know today, I have great confidence in the security and the effectiveness of our ICBM force," James told AP. "And, very importantly, I want you to know that this was a failure of some of our airmen. It was not a failure of the nuclear mission."
As a result of the findings, the whole ICBM launch officer force, which consists of about 600 service members, will take the tests again.
The investigation that led to the cheating revelation involved 37 nuclear launch officers, including nine lieutenants and one captain at six different bases who were suspect of holding "recreational drugs."
