A colonel at a nuclear missile base whose position oversees accountability for nuclear weapons was relieved of command for “loss of trust and confidence,” the Air Force said in a release.
Col. Jeremy Russell, commander of the 341st Maintenance Group at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, was relieved by the wing commander on Nov. 7. No other details were released on why Russell was relieved, including any indication whether his firing was related to the 341st Missile Wing’s nuclear mission.
The 341st Missile Wing maintains alert of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles in their 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.
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.