Posted on 01/24/2023 4:51:50 AM PST by Jyotishi
Washington -- Nine military officers who had worked decades ago at a nuclear missile base in Montana have been diagnosed with blood cancer and there are “indications” the disease may be linked to their service, according to military briefing slides obtained by The Associated Press.
One of the officers has died.
All of the officers, known as missileers, were assigned as many as 25 years ago to Malmstrom Air Force Base, home to a vast field of 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos. The nine officers were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a January briefing by U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Daniel Sebeck.
Missileers ride caged elevators deep underground into a small operations bunker encased in a thick wall of concrete and steel. They remain there sometimes for days, ready to turn the launch keys if ordered to by the president.
“There are indications of a possible association between cancer and missile combat crew service at Malmstrom AFB,” Sebeck said in slides presented to his Space Force unit this month.
The “disproportionate number of missileers presenting with cancer, specifically lymphoma” was concerning, he said.
What about the enlisted at the silos, the maintainers, security, etc? Are they being diagnosed with this cancer?
Probably radon exposure.
Sounds like radon induced lymphoma. I’m sure keeping out radon wasn’t a design factor at the height of the Cold War and, frankly, until I read this article it never occurred to me as a risk from spending a quarter of their lives underground.
Residential radon exposure and risk of incident hematologic malignancies in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935116300822
“What about the enlisted at the silos, the maintainers, security, etc? Are they being diagnosed with this cancer?”
I haven’t yet. I was a Missile Maintenance Tech at Ellsworth in the early 80’s. I used to get covered with PCB’s from the equipment on site. I was actually thinking about raising this issue but I do not know who to reach out to.
It is fair to say that those of us who were maintainers were also exposed to the same ambient environment too, the RF background radiation, the paint, lubricants and solvents, just not as intensely.
As one of those maintenance types, I can say the situation for exposure is entirely different. The Launch facilities (LFs) are mostly unmanned except for maintenance purposes.
We would penetrate a LF for maintenance then leave. Within the LF there were materials not in the LCCs that are known health hazards but, these officers weren't exposed to those unique ones.
The officers served in Launch Control Centers (LCCs) that were entirely separate geographically from the missiles.
The officers in this issue were locate 100% in an enclosed environment in the LCC for various long shift lengths, some up to 24 hours. During that time, they were exposed to the LCC ambient environment completely and much more intensely.
I was an EMT team chief for 7 years at Malmstrom and then Vandenberg. Frankly, what worried me most was the MGS coolant.
“Probably radon exposure.”
Montana has lot’s of radon.
When a home inspection is done a radon test is typically done 100% of the time.
I was a Minuteman Crewmember at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota during the 70s. The air in the capsules was "oil pumped", which always made me wonder what effect it might have on long term health. I would come back from alerts with a greasy feeling all over.
And just what is the racial and gender spread of the diseased. Were more people of color, gay, lesbian, trans, etc victims? Do more whites and CaucASIANS need to be brought in and exposed, in the spirit of Equity?
Start with your Congress critter. Then call one of the various lawyers that cover night time TV with ads - on second thought just call the lawyers and get them worked up on it.
In all seriousness if you haven’t been diagnosed with cancer; consider yourself lucky and get a yearly check up for the cancers associated with PCB exposure.
Those on SSBNs do not have this problem and their proximity is closer.
Get screened. PACT Act provides for this.
How many personnel worked in the missile silos? How many personnel got cancer? Is the cancer rate any higher than the general population?
I smell a scam.
“I was an EMT team chief for 7 years at Malmstrom and then Vandenberg. Frankly, what worried me most was the MGS coolant.”
Yup. That was the room I was working in. PCB’s used to ooze from that room. And who knows what the corrosion from the batteries did.
Sokoloff law firm , glassey-eyed.
What about Army and Marine Corps tank crewmembers & exposure to depleted uranium APFSDS “sabot” rounds? They ride around all day cooped up inside a steel box with 30 or 40 of those things.
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