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PENTAGON LAUNCHES WEB SITE ON CHEMICAL-BIOLOGICAL
WARFARE EXPOSURES -- "Veterans can really
help...give
us other clues...They may have papers, which
would
not have been archived, that may help fill in
blanks
about what we understand happened."
For more about veterans and chemical-biological
weapons, use the VA Watchdog search engine... click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.p
hp?q=cemical+biological&op=or
New web site is here...
http://fhp.osd.mil/CBexposures/
Story here...
http://www.defenseli
nk.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51406
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-------------------------
DoD Launches Web Site on
Chemical-Biological Warfare Exposures
By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, – The Defense Department has launched a new Web site to
educate the public about chemical and biological testing conducted from
the early 1940s through the mid-1970s.
“This is a new Web site that we have created to put together for all those
who may have interest in everything that we have been able to uncover and
understand about the chemical and biological testing of warfare agents
done from probably the early 1940s up through 1975,” said Dr. Michael
Kilpatrick, strategic communications director for the Military Health
System. He explained the recently launched Chemical-Biological Warfare
Exposures Web site during a “DotMilDocs” radio program on
BlogTalkRadio.com Oct. 2.
Officials launched the site to educate people on what was done and to also
let them know what DoD knows about it, Kilpatrick said.
“The CB exposures Web site explains why the testing was done, where it was
done, what was used in the testing, and really what DoD learned from the
testing,” he said.
Kilpatrick added that the Web site presents sections on chemical and
biological testing that was conducted during World War II, during Project
112/SHAD -- shipboard hazard and defense -- and the Cold War. He explained
why some of the testing, in particular during World War II, was conducted.
 “Chemical
agents were used against our troops in World War I,” Kilpatrick said. “As
we went into World War II, we didn’t know how to best protect our people,
and during the Cold War we continued testing to understand how chemical
and biological warfare agents behaved in different climates and terrains.”
Officials have been working for a couple years trying to understand the
chemical and biological exposure research that happened during the Cold
War, Kilpatrick said. “As we got information,” he said, “we passed names
of individuals and medically related information to the Department of
Veterans Affairs.”
Project 112/SHAD was a series of tests conducted from 1962 to 1973 on Navy
ships at sea in various climates and in land-based tests in various
terrains using chemical and biological agents, as well as simulated
agents. Servicemembers were not test subjects.
“The Project 112/SHAD records were more difficult, because these were,
essentially, classified tests looking at the behavior of
chemical-biological-warfare agents,” Kilpatrick said. “Since the sailors
on the ships… were not human volunteers, it was more difficult to find out
who they were. That process involved going through the ships’ logs to
determine who was assigned to those ships.”
As officials conclude their search through archived files, they are
relying on veterans who were involved in the testing to provide additional
information, Kilpatrick said.
“Veterans can really help point us in other directions or give us other
clues,” he said. “As we are trying to recreate what happened 30 to 60
years ago, it is oftentimes very difficult. They may have papers, which
would not have been archived, that may help fill in blanks about what we
understand happened.”
DoD and VA officials are working together to identify and notify
servicemembers who were exposed in chemical-biological testing from the
1940s through the mid-1970s. Once DoD finds who was exposed to what agents
at what time and where, that information is passed to the VA to then try
to locate the individual and notify him.
“Once we have searched all locations for archived information on these
exposures, the active part will be over,” Kilpatrick said. “DoD plans to
complete this search in 2011. However, the process is open-ended. It will
never be closed. That’s why we ask any veteran with any information to
contact us. Our goal is to account for everyone who has been exposed.”
Kilpatrick added that any veterans who think that they could have been
exposed or who have any information on the tests can submit an e-mail to
CBWebmaster@tma.osd.mi l, or
call DoD’s contact managers toll-free at 800-497-6261.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg is assigned to the New Media directorate of the
Defense Media Activity.)
Related Sites:
DoD Chemical-Biological Warfare Exposures Web Site
Military Health System
DoD Force Health Protection and Readiness
DotMilDocs
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