Radiological Monitoring

[isuhawkeye]

I sat in on a GRM class where the instructor flat out said he'd take a trained cadet over an untrained senior for a GRM mission any day. He refused to consider that the trained cadet most likely would not be available due to parental involvement.

These comments are all very interesting.  I think I will add my $.02

1.  As a person who works very closely with glow worms I can tell you that no instructor that has any real experience would put a person of cild bearing years into a situation where an older person who has had their children is available. 

2.  In my state the nuclear power plants are the big radiation threat.  In the event of a release they call a lot of the shots.  This is because they are responsible for the clean up, and the payment of bills during a release.  A part of this expense is purchasing any and all responders equipment that has been contaminated.  They really dont want to buy a glass cockpit 182, so dont expect a rad mon mission flight any where near a hot zone. 

Thats just my experience

Tags - MIKE

[♠SARKID♠]

A tidbit of trivia - my squadron still has a CAP Piper Cub called "Lil' Poof" that was used to monitor radiation levels in nuclear bomb tests.  Its at a safe radioactive level nowadays...

[wingnut55]

actually radiation exposure is related to age, so we should recruit all the CAP pilots over 70 because they can be exposed to higher levels of radiation. They are going to select "older Astronauts" to go to mars because they too can be exposed to higher levels of radiation, it is about absorption levels and life spans.

By the way there was over 220 atomic bomb test in the united states , and CAP was used numerous times to assist. Come to think of it the CIA gave lots of LSD to their field Agents to help them "resist" Communist interrogation.

[♠SARKID♠]

By the way there was over 220 atomic bomb test in the united states , and CAP was used numerous times to assist. Come to think of it the CIA gave lots of LSD to their field Agents to help them "resist" Communist interrogation.

You people need to stop giving me ideas...
http://resdon111.googlepages.com/CAPFLightdots.swf

[SarDragon]

Turkal, you are one sick puppy. 

[mikeylikey]

By the way there was over 220 atomic bomb test in the united states , and CAP was used numerous times to assist. Come to think of it the CIA gave lots of LSD to their field Agents to help them "resist" Communist interrogation.

You people need to stop giving me ideas...
http://resdon111.googlepages.com/CAPFLightdots.swf

ahhh.....with music no less!

[jimmydeanno]

^if you play it backwards it says "Seniors are evil" 

[wingnut55]

Yes

But what a lot of people don't know Mr. Bush Senior was in the CIA in the 1960s, and LSD does DNA damage, so you might have a Baby that is well . . . Loopy

[JayT]

The ARM patch looks really good on my uniform right now.

[mikeylikey]

Yes

But what a lot of people don't know Mr. Bush Senior was in the CIA in the 1960s, and LSD does DNA damage, so you might have a Baby that is well . . . Loopy

And....the PRES and his BRO were born in the 40's.  We know your a DEM!   

[ThorntonOL]

What equipment would you need for Radiological monitoring?
I'm currently lookingat getting a geiger counter or two and I plan on using them if not for CAP RM I'll probably use it rock hunting. Still need to know if waht equipment I'll need.
In case of...

[PHall]

All of the equipment we used before was provided by Civil Defense.
About the only maintenance the equipment needed other then fresh batteries was a yearly calibration.
I have no idea who would calibrate that stuff today.

[JohnKachenmeister]

OK, I don't know that much about "Death Rays," so can some of you trained guys help me out?

Questions:

1.  Assume intel has established that a nuke or "Dirty" bomb has entered the United States in the hands of a terrorist.  We can assume he is taking it to a high-impact target, and that he is not doing so in the service of the United States.  Can the available technology:

--  Enable detection of the unexploded bomb from a safe altitude by a properly-equipped aircraft flying over the freeway?

--  Assuming that the answer to the above question is affirmative, can the technology pinpoint with reasonable accuracy the location of the threat? Enough accuracy to direct ground reaction forces to the general area to set up a roadblock would be fine.

2.  Would exposure to the residual radiation of an unexploded device create a health hazard?

[BillB]

John,  Chances are the nuclear material from a dirty bomb is even partically shielded (in a metal case for example) it would not be detected from aircraft flying at 1000 feet AGL. (the altitude specified in CAP Radiological Aerial Monitoring)Even nuclear power plants barely give a reading in counters  CAP would be useless in locating such nuclear material. And I'm not sure how many local Emergency Management agencies even have geiger counters for aerial or ground teams anymore. The military and DHS has better equipment than would be available to CAP. As to a health hazard, it would depend on how the bomb was shipped, it's container would be determining factor.

[RiverAux]

DNall had looked into that and had thought that he had found some equipment that would work well for just this sort of thing.  I don't recall the details. 

[Short Field]

A minimal amount of sheilding and being indoors would make a "dirty bomb" exceptionally hard to find.    For CAP Radiological Monitoring, think in terms of HAZMAT - as in a semi-truck jackknifed and dumped its load of medical radiological waste on a highway and into a steam.  A big mission could be tracking all the vehciles that rolled through the mess.

[ThorntonOL]

So waht equipment did you use that Civil Defense provided? What would be good equipment for today?

[PHall]

So waht equipment did you use that Civil Defense provided? What would be good equipment for today?

Geiger Counters, both ground and aircraft versions.

The military probably has equipment we can use, but that equipment needs to be maintained.
And I don't think the local radio shop at the airport would be up to the task.

[JohnKachenmeister]

John,  Chances are the nuclear material from a dirty bomb is even partically shielded (in a metal case for example) it would not be detected from aircraft flying at 1000 feet AGL. (the altitude specified in CAP Radiological Aerial Monitoring)Even nuclear power plants barely give a reading in counters  CAP would be useless in locating such nuclear material. And I'm not sure how many local Emergency Management agencies even have geiger counters for aerial or ground teams anymore. The military and DHS has better equipment than would be available to CAP. As to a health hazard, it would depend on how the bomb was shipped, it's container would be determining factor.

Well, my thinking was that if there is some equipment that can detect radiation from a threat weapon from the air, the part of the Air Force that has 575 light observation airplanes strategically pre-positioned over the entire United States probably should have access to such equipment, but there I go again, not thinking like a good corporate civilian.

More better we count birds.  That will get us on the cover of Volunteer!

[Major Carrales]

I think the modern Ground Radiological Monitoring application would best be as one member of a Ground Team that monitored the site (if warranted) for Radiation.

No CAP ground team should ever be sent into a HOT ZONE, however, if a CAP team were deployed to an area and it was to be hot, then I would think having the ability to know that would help.

Still, I can only imagine far outlandish senarios where that would be the case. 

Maybe I should save up for a detector of some type....hummmmm?