The Pentagon is finally acknowledging the damage nuclear testing did to the Armed Forces
Those who were exposed to radiation from 1945-1992 could receive the new medal.
BY NICHOLAS SLAYTON | PUBLISHED JUL 3, 2022 8:03 PM
Hundreds of thousands of service members who participated in the creation and expansion of the American nuclear arsenal might receive a new medal from the Pentagon. It’s the first real acknowledgement of how severe the impact of those tests were on the military.
A June 29 memo officially designated the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as overseer of the new honor. The “Atomic Veterans Medal” as being colloquially known as would be given, at the Department of Defense’s discretion to some of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who worked in non-combat nuclear tests.
It’s unclear exactly who will receive the new Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal. These “Atomic Veterans” could number more than 600,000 according to advocates, although the conservative number of potential honorees is at least 225,000. As Military.com noted, veteran groups are pushing for eligibility to go to troops who, for instance, were involved in radioactive clean up in the 1970s. Per the new memo, the veterans must have served between 1945-1992, and meet certain criteria. These “radiation-exposed veterans” might be directly involved in the detonation of a nuclear weapon, involved in the clean up of a weapon or nuclear accident, or been exposed to radiation from the two bombs used in World War II.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/the-pentagon-is-finally-acknowledging-the-damage-nuclear-testing-did-to-the-armed-forces/
