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Project 112/SHAD - Shipboard Hazard and Defense 
The Project 112/SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense) Web site was established in January 2002 to provide details on the chemical and biological (CB) tests conducted by the Deseret Test Center. Department of Defense (DoD) initiated Project 112 out of concern for the ability of the United States to protect and defend against potential CB 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 that began in September 2000 of making pertinent information on Project 112/SHAD available to the public. DoD committed to providing the VA with the relevant information it needs to settle benefits claims as quickly and efficiently as possible and to evaluate and treat veterans who were involved in those tests. This required analyzing historical documents recording the planning and execution of Project 112/SHAD tests.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. Furthermore, The Deseret Test Center 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. A fact sheet was developed for each test that was conducted. When a test cancellation was not documented, a cancellation analysis was developed outlining the logic used to presume that the test had been cancelled. Questions? If you need help verifying your possible participation in a Project 112/SHAD 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. |