Project 112
The Project 112/SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense) Web site was established in January 2002 to provide details of chemical and biological tests conducted by Deseret Test Center. DoD initiated Project 112 out of concern for our nation’s ability to protect and defend against these potential threats. Project 112 consisted of both land based and sea based tests. The sea based tests (Project SHAD) were designed to identify U.S. warships’ vulnerabilities to attacks with chemical or biological warfare agents and to develop procedures to counter such attacks while maintaining a war-fighting capability. An accompanying article supplies details of the tests. The Web site continues the process which began in September 2000 of actively declassifying relevant medical information from all 50 chemical and biological tests conducted in Project 112 and making it available to the public. DoD committed to providing the VA with the medically relevant information it needs to settle benefits claims as quickly and efficiently as possible and evaluate and treat veterans who were involved in those tests. This required analyzing historical documents recording the planning and execution of SHAD tests. DoD has kept the public informed of the investigation’s progress.
The classified information related to SHAD was not completely catalogued or located in one facility. The Deseret Test Center, the organization that ran the tests, was closed in the 1970s. The search for 40-year-old documents and records kept by different military services in different locations was the initial challenge. A separate article offers more details of the investigation.
The accompanying chart details the status of the investigation, dates and other test information that has been released and which planned tests were cancelled. We developed fact sheets for each test that was conducted. When test cancellation was not obviously documented, we developed cancellation analyses outlining the logic used to presume that the tests were cancelled.
The Web site's purpose is to provide Service members, veterans, and any interested person with information on what happened during those tests that might have affected the health of those who served. Our new-look SHAD website contains all the reports, documents, and links of its predecessor and continues our commitment to our Service members. It is one more element of Force Health Protection and Readiness’ (FHP&R’s) highest priority – ensuring the good health of our Service members through a partnership for health among the Service members, their families, their leaders, and their health care professionals.
Questions? If you need help verifying your possible participation in a Project SHAD/112 test, please call DoD's contact managers at (800) 497-6261, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you'd like to speak with a VA representative, call the Special Issues Helpline at (800) 749-8387 or visit the VA's SHAD page.Many states offer services and benefits to veterans. To find out more about a particular state, select it on the map. For other information on Project SHAD/112, check out the links.