NONCONCURRENCE ON PLACEMENT OF GOLD STANDARD BW

File: 123096_sep96_decls24_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 6

Subject: NONCONCURRENCE ON PLACEMENT OF GOLD STANDARD BW                 

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003201

Folder Title: CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS                                                  

Document Number:          7

Folder Seq  #:         17


                                UNCL SSIFIED



                                DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
                                OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL
                                    5109 LEESBURG PIKE
                                 FALLS CHURCH, VA 22041-3258
                REPLY M
                ArrENTION OF

           DASG-ZA (50k)


           MEMORANDUM FOR HQDA(DAMO-SW), WASH D.C. 20310-0430

           SUBJECT: Nonconcurrence on Placement of Gold Standard Biological
           Warfare (BW) Lab Capabilities in the Area of Responsibility (AOR)
           in Support of Operation Desert Shield (U)


           1. (U) References:

              a. (U) Memorandum, OSD, 27 Dec 90, subject: Confirmation of
           Attack with Biological Weapons (U) (Encl).

              b. (U) Draft memorandum, OSD, subject: Confirmation of Attack
           with Biological Weapons (U) (Encl).

              C. (U) Meeting, Army, Navy, and Air Force OTSG and USAMRDC
           reps, 3 Jan 91, subject: BW Laboratory Capability for the AOR.
           2. @ Office of The Surgeon General for the Army nonconcurs with
           the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy) on the proposal
           in ref la and b to place BW lab capabilities in the AOR for
           irrefutable confirmation of BW attack.

           3.     Reference la stated that "medical representatives of the
           Army and the Navy requested formal tasking to field two
           laboratories in the CENTCOM area of responsibility to analyze
           samples of suspected biological weapons." Army and Navy Medical
           Departments are unaware of the request. The Navy Forward Lab has
           been in place since Sep 90 and the Army 996th Laboratory VA arrived
           in the AOR as of 27 Dec 90.

           4. @ Reference lb is a draft memorandum tasking Secretary of the
           Army and Secretary of the Navy to place two labs in the AOR by 15
pted
           standard test methods, the presence of potential BW
           agents ... anthrax, botulinum toxin, staphylococcus enterotoxin B
           (SEB), plague, tularemia, and clostridium perfringens.11

           5. @ Nonconcur with ref lb because it is neither feasible nor
           operationally acceptable to place comprehensive laboratory
           capabilities in the AOR to provide irrefutable confirmation of a BW
           attack in the required time frame because of the following:

              a. @ DoD CONUS BW lab capabilities, highly regarded by the
           world scientific organizations, are limited and are located at the
           U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infe        Di.0
                                                        lbtnA'SMIMEETO
           CLASSIFIED BY: MULTIPLE SOURCES              ON: 06 DEC 96
           DECLASSIFY ON: OADR                          BY: SEC ARMY (DAMH)
                                                        UNDER SEC 3.4 EO 12958
                                    UNCLASSIFIED

Document 6 f:/Week-36/BX003201/CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS/nonconcurrence on placement of gold standard bw:12179609281625
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003201
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Folder Seq # = 17
Subject = NONCONCURRENCE ON PLACEMENT OF GOLD STANDARD BW
Document Seq # = 7
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 17-DEC-1996