Minot Air Force Base should print an adequate number of the following signs to be prominently displayed.

"Consider this a PITHY statement: Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Now consider this a TRUE statement: There is no room for error around nuclear weapons."

Congratulations to the North Dakota air base for its new administrative unit that will oversee maintenance of the United States' intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal.

Some will claim the assignment is well deserved. Others might not feel as comfortable since the Minot base has seen a series of past mistakes. Nonetheless, it was awarded the assignment over four other bases.

North Dakota's ever-so-positive Washington delegation said in a press release: "This is a reflection of the great work that Minot has done to be one of the best-equipped and best-trained bases in the country."

Maybe so, but there are undoubtedly those who view the assignment as a runner-up consolation prize as Minot lost out recently to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to house a major new command for managing the Air Force's nuclear arsenal.

Rep. Earl Pomeroy said the new nuclear maintenance assignment shows the Air Force has faith in Minot. "This is an indication that it doesn't have a scar, or a scarlet letter for those infamous incidents," Pomeroy said.

Maybe so, but it might be more of an opportunity at a second chance; memories don't often fade that quickly, even if elected officials want to wish them away.

For the record, three ballistic missile crew members in North Dakota fell asleep while holding classified launch code devices, a vehicle carrying a rocket booster for an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile tipped over, and a bomber mistakenly flew to Louisiana armed with nuclear missiles.

Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing has been recertified in the handling of nuclear weapons after months of retraining. That is great news. It deserves a second chance.

And let's not forget that what happened in Minot could have happened or maybe has happened at other bases, but such possible mishaps have not come to light. Transparency isn't always a military strength, but Minot should be commended for its public acknowledgements of problems and efforts at, and receiving, recertification.

We congratulate and support Minot's new assignment, but let's be careful out there.