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Washington (AP) The Air Force's top general says he is taking a new step to improve the way B-52 bomber pilots and crews train for their nuclear attack mission.

The move described by General Michael Moseley, the Air Force chief of staff, comes in response to flaws exposed by an extraordinary nuclear weapons handling error last summer at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Moseley told reporters that B-52 crews assigned to training for the nuclear attack mission will do that exclusively for at least six months at a time, rather than switching regularly between training for nuclear and non-nuclear missions. He said the period might be as long as 12 months.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 02-28-08 0933CST | save this article / add to your favorites list