MINOT AIR FORCE BASE Maj. Gen. Roger Burg, 20th Air Force commander, visited Minot Air Force Base Wednesday to discuss the nature of nuclear surety here.
"The standards have not changeddid not change," Burg said, but offered, "Our application of those standards has changed dramatically."
One of the examples of how the nuclear enterprise has achieved this coordination is in the application of 100 percent inspections. This means that for any given area, 100 percent of its interests have the potential to be inspected, he said.
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Maj. Gen. Roger Burg, left, 20th Air Force commander, takes a break from his schedule of events during his visit to Minot Air Force Base Wednesday to address members of the 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron, shown in this photo by Senior Airman Kelly Timney. The airmen braved the cold in order to greet Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Burg during their visit.
But for Burg, the inspection process should serve as an indication of excellence, not the means to an end. "You inspect to validate. You create excellence and then you validate it," Burg said.
While the bar for excellence is high, Burg said the mission can be accomplished "very well," by airmen with "tough minds." One of the motivations Burg holds is the energy he said he draws from seeing young airmen.
"I respect the destructive power of this airman," Burg said of seeing an armed troop.
Other special experiences he noted include: guard mount and pre-departure.
While Burg's visit was only for one day, he said, "We're looking at everything all the time."
Both Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Burg visited the base Wednesday. Burg has been commander of 20th Air Force since August 2007. The command has its headquarters at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.