The U.S. Air Force is offering $5,000 for any information that will lead to the discovery of grenade launcher rounds that personnel accidentally dropped from their vehicle onto a Native American reservation in North Dakota.
Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing Security Forces team were traveling between two intercontinental ballistic missile sites when the back hatch of their Humvee opened, and a container of ammunition fell out on the Fort Berthold Reservation on May 1, the Washington Post reported.
The U.S. Air Force unit that protects our nuclear weapons silos lost a bunch of explosives somewhere in North Dakota. $5,000 if you can find them. https://t.co/19Zq6IHEoO
— Paul Sonne (@PaulSonne) May 15, 2018
The two-week search for the ammunition ended over the weekend after Minot Air Force Base personnel came back empty handed.
Mountrail County Sheriff Ken Halverson said the ammunition is specifically made for the Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher and won’t operate in any other device without “catastrophic failure.”
Minot Air Force Base spokesman Air Force Lt. Col. Jamie Humphries said the ammunition is inside a green metal container, but could be dangerous if the container is damaged.
The 91st Missile Wing Security Forces team is responsible for protecting the intercontinental ballistic missile silos that are in use by Minot Air Force Base.
The Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher is used by these security forces in the event of an attack on the military installations.
The Air Force has offered a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to the recovery of the ammunition.
