Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-29
NUCLEAR
Continued From Page Al

LudllulIlS OlIlCeTS DC assembled
next to the nuclear weapon so
that he could destroy them as
well as himself in the explosion.
His superiors were in fact
assembled but the airman
finally was talked out of his
plot and taken into custody.
In confirming the new pre-
cautionary measures last night,
a Pentagon spokesman men,
toned the 1858 incident but
said that even had the sergeant
fired at the bomb the nuclear
device would not have been
detonated. At most. he said,
the shots would have set off a
INT charge in the bomb, which
probably would have caused
some damage.
Different Views
1t. Col. John Richards. whC
is the author of the new plar
for checks on emotional sta
bility. has said that the bias
could have obliterated a gooC
part of the site at which the
weapon was stored.
Because of refinements in the
safety mechanisms of nuclear
weapons and a requirement that
two equally trained men work
on the device at all times, Col.
Richards added, a similar Incl
dent now would be highly I'M
likely.
Most nuclear weapons now
have several safety locks on
them and must experience a
predetermined velocity and
pressure before they will ex-
plode, Col. Richards said. Bull
let's would damage a present.
day weapon but not explode it.
Authorizes Examination
The directive Mr.. Mcnamara
is expected to approve seeks to
minimize these dangerous in
cidents by authorizing the i'm
mediate commanding officers
in all services to require psy-
chiatric examinations for any
personnel handling nucle a r
weapons who show any signs of
instability.
Though the Navy and Army
have their own programs to
check on men performing these
duties, Deputy Assistant Secre-
tary of Defense Walter T. Skal-
lerup was instructed some time
ago to develop a program en-
bracing all the services.
Security Investigations
He enlisted Col. Richards,
who patterned the tri-service
plan after the Air Force scheme.
1t has been cleared by Mr..
Skallerup and now Is being
checked by the general coun-
sells office before going to Mr..
Mcnamara for his signature.
Heretofore, men handling
nuclear weapons have had a
screening for emotional sta
bility at the outset of their en-
liStment, but once selected for
nuclear work have had no spe-
cial checks.
They have undergone back
ground security investigations
for trustworthiness and loyalty,
but there has been no contin-
uing screening until now of
their mental and emotional
stability under the great stress
of working with nuclear de-
vices.
In the case of the threatened
nuclear suicide, the man later
was found to have had two
previous pSychotic evaluations,
but the doctors who examined
him did not know the sensitive
nature of his work and there
fore made no attempt to have
his job changed.
A Red Triangle
Because the man was doing
sensitive work, Col. Richards
said. he could not tell the doc
tors what he was doing and he
thus was permitted to handle
nuclear weapons right up to his
breaking point.
Under the new system, all
physical records of men work.
ing with nuclear weapons will
bear a red triangle to indicate
to doctors examining them that
they must be completely stable
emotionally and mentally to
carry out their tasks.
The tri-service program will