N-weapons site guards found wanting

Press, 12 August 1986, Page 10

N-weapons site guards found wanting

NZPA-AP Washington The United States .Anity has acknowledged " concern about ’.tlie reliability of; some civilian guards at nuclear and chemical weapons sites after an audit found guards with serious alcohol or drug abuse problems. The army Audit Agency had examined the calibre of civilian guards at 11 military Installations, including the army’s largest nuclear weapons depot, between October, 1984 and June, 1985, said Major Phil Soucy, an army spokesman. The audit prompted the army to review security checks on guards before they were hired, he said. A number of guards were found to have alcohol or drug problems,

a history of mental instability. a criminal record, or were in ill health or improper physical condtMajor Soucy saidthe problems represented only a small number of the more than 15,000 civilian guards employed by the army. " Among the auditors* findings were personnel records at the Seneca army depot in Romulus, New York, which showed 43 of 198 guards with past incidents of public intoxication, drug possession or other adverse information. The Seneca facility is the army’s largest depot for nuclear warheads. The audit report said the army failed to make proper security checks