What EVERYONE Should Know About NUCLEAR SURETY

Not me! I don't need to know about nuclear surety. We don't have nuclear weapons at my base!" Does this sound like you? Have you even heard of the program before? If you are assigned to a unit with a nuclear commitment, then nuclear surety is part of your daily activities and hopefully on your mind all the time. You should be well aware of such exciting topics like Nuclear Surety Inspections (NSIs), the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP), nuclear certification, the "two person" concept and countless other programs. But why would anyone else need to know about it? The truth is, there are portions of the nuclear surety program that apply to every base, regardless of mission, and to almost individual. What is nuclear surety? It is a combination of safety and security applied to nuclear weapons weapons systems, equipment and personnel AFI 91-101, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Surety Program, defines nuclear weapons surety as: "Material, personnel and procedures which contribute to the security, safety and reliability nuclear weapons and to the assurance that there will be no nuclear weapons accidents, incidents, unauthorized weapons detonations or degradation in performance at the target."

To people outside the nuclear community, this means some of the strictest, all-encompassing and most rigidly enforced safety and security standards imaginable. These standards are set forth by the Secretary of Defense and are the "law of the land" for "nuke troops."

So why would nuclear surety apply to your organization? How could a program you might never have even heard of impact you at all? Well, how about your Government Owned Vehicles (GOVs)? Many general and special purpose vehicles are nuclear certified. This can include pick-ups, 40-foot tractor-trailers, forklifts, some cargo trucks, jammers and many others. But why should you be concerned? Well, AFI 91-204, Safety Investigations and Reports, usually requires nuclear certified vehicles that experience damage, malfunction, failure or an anomaly involving non-combat delivery vehicles to be reported through Dull Sword channels. (Refer to AFI 91-204 and your major command's supplement for specific requirements.) Since these vehicles are certified simply by having the right national stock number, any or all of your GOVs could be nuclear certified, and they must be reported as such! Specific areas of concern with certified vehicles include: stability; steering or brake problems that affect safe steering, stop ping, towing or holding in park a tow or transport vehicle; defects or failures of vehicle structural members that support the load or transmit towing force; inadequate load restraints; or unsafe condition or improper operation of hydraulic, mechanical and structural components of lift equipment. So how does this apply to you?

If any of these conditions apply to your vehicle and it is listed as "Nuclear Certified" in Technical Order (T.O.) 00-11ON-16, USAF Nuclear Certified Equipment and Software, then a Dull Sword report may need to be submitted. This is regardless of whether the vehicle is used for a nuclear mission or not. The importance of this reporting becomes evident if you consider the use of these reports for trend analysis. For example, if several non-nuclear units around the Air Force experience similar failures of a specific vehicle and do not report it, then a severe mishap could occur when a nuclear unit uses that same vehicle. By completing a Dull Sword, the mishap could have easily been prevented. Your transportation squadron should be aware of what vehicles on your installation are nuclear certified or you could check your vehicles against TO. 00-110N 16. Knowing this information in advance can help you should a Dull Sword ever need to be submitted. Additionally, any modifications to a nuclear-certified vehicle must be approved in writing in order for the vehicle to retain its certification.

This requirement goes further than just vehicles. T.O. 00-110N-16 also applies to various pieces of equipment and software. For example, many conventional explosive units utilize the H1004 lifting beam for lifting munitions. The H1004 is a nuclear certified piece of equipment and the Dull Sword requirements of AFI 91-204 apply to it. This is true of many other pieces of equipment such as jammers, munitions handling unit and material handling equipment and cargo aircraft and their equipment.

OK, so you need to keep an eye on your vehicles and equipment, but wait that is not all. Does your base have a Safe Haven Plan? Do you have any duties in that plan? Does your base have a Major Accident Response Plan (MARP)? What does it encompass? The term "safe haven" applies to temporary storage provided to Department of Energy classified shipment transporters at Department of Defense facilities in order to ensure safety and security of nuclear material and non-nuclear classified material. Any installation could be called upon to provide a "safe haven" at any time. Organizations that would be required to support such a plan could include munitions squadrons, security police, transportation, billeting, legal, finance, command post or almost any base agency. It all depends on the details of your installation's plan. A review of your local plan could prevent delays and security issues.

While the nuclear community has one of the best safety records around, mishaps sometimes are unavoidable. A nuclear transportation mishap, while highly unlikely, could potentially occur at or near your installation. While the possibility of a nuclear detonation as a result of such an accident is designed to be better than one in one million, the impact of such a disaster would be far reaching. Concerns, ranging from injuries, to contamination, property damage and political issues, would need to be addressed quickly and appropriately. AFI 91-204 directs that the commander of the nearest Air Force installation respond to the mishap and initiate the numerous mishap procedures necessary until the appropriate agencies arrive. Almost any agency on the installation could be tasked to support such a mishap. You should occasionally review the role you play in your base's MARP since it addresses the possibility of a nuclear or radiological mishap. The odds are strongly against a nuclear mishap occurring even at a base with a nuclear commitment, but a little preparation or an occasional exercise is always beneficial.

At this point, you might say, "OK, some people might need to be concerned, but why should I be concerned? I work in the family practice clinic or the legal office or the chapel or the leadership school as an instructor." Good question. Ever heard of the PRP program? If you have ever worked around nuclear weapons or have worked at an installation with a nuclear commitment, you should be intimately familiar with this one, but what about the rest of us? Think about the people that might be TDY to your base? Are they PRP certified? What is PRP and why should you be concerned?

PRP is implemented by AFI 36-2104, Nuclear Weapons Personnel Reliability Program. This program is designed to ensure that only the most stable and reliable personnel work on or around nuclear weapons. These individuals are documented and monitored for reliability constantly. They are removed from nuclear duties, without prejudice for any reason that can affect their reliability. This can include anything from medications, to family problems, to inappropriate conduct, to mental instability. Individuals certified under PRP undergo an in-depth screening process and are expected to monitor themselves. But if an individual is TDY and receives ANY medication from any source, experiences any emotional or family problems, is involved in an accident, receives counseling or even participates in any form of hypnosis, then the individual's reliability comes into question and their commander must be notified.

The PRP program is not, however, a tool for punishment. Individuals covered by the program will not be reprimanded as a result of suspension actions, but the home unit must be notified. If the individual cannot perform the notifications, then someone with knowledge of the facts should notify the individual's commander or immediate supervisor. The individual will usually be listed as "Suspended from PRP duties" at his or her home unit for the duration of the medication or event and will be assigned other duties in the interim. However, if not reported, serious issues arise. Safety and security issues aside, a unit could fail a NSI because a PRP issue simply was not reported. Think about this. Would you want someone on heavy medication or with thoughts of suicide in contact with a nuclear weapon? If you are aware that an individual is PRP certified and feel their reliability could be in question, it is your duty to report it to the individual's commander or supervisor regardless of circumstances. The individual's commander will then make an informed decision about the individual's reliability.

So there are in fact nuclear surety issues that can affect anyone. While some airmen have to adhere to these standards in every aspect of their daily duties, most will only have to consider them occasionally. Regardless of where you work or what your daily duties are, you can have a role in the nuclear surety program. Nuclear surety can reach far beyond the bomb dump, silo or bomber pad. It can affect hospitals, schoolhouses, chapels, administration areas and - yes -it can affect you!

COPYRIGHT 2001 U.S. Department of the Air Force
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group