Dugway Incident 1969 Essay

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Dugway Incident 1969

In 1968 over 6000 sheep died during or as a result of the incident that took place that day in Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah. Picture the Headlines, Dugway Proving Grounds is responsible for killing American Sheep. A thorough investigation at all levels; local, state and federal was conducted to find out what happened. It was discovered that the incident stemmed from a series of test that were conducted at Dugway Proving Grounds, using the agent VX. What is VX you ask; VX is one of our persistent chemical agents that are also classified as an Organophosphate? This is the type of agent that will linger and not dissipate. It is considered a Nerve Agent. The first Nerve Agents were discovered prior to WWI. Tabun was created …show more content…

The first was a 155-mm artillery shell being fired. The second involved burning 160 gallons of VX in an open pit. The last VX test that was conducted, is the test suspected of contaminating the sheep. The sheep was believed to have eaten poisonous grass from the dispersing agent. This test included an F-4 fighter jet that was tasked to spray VX over a certain square footage. There were no checks and balances performed. The F4 did spray approximately 320 gallons of VX near Skull Valley. The test covered over thirty miles of the agent dispersing. Wind speed and direction for this exercise was definitely a factor. It makes sense that during the spraying test of this persistent agent that the wind would push it in the direction of the sheep and as they grazed on the grass fell victim to the deadly compound. There should have been a risk analysis conducted prior to the F4 Jet taking off, and after its return. If only someone had been able to check the aircraft between trips maybe they would have identified a leak, fixed the problem and moved on. They could have also implemented some type of decontamination. Not only would decon have employed some of the many Chemical Soldiers of this timeframe but it would have provided another safety measure not previously …show more content…

The sheep carcasses were checked years later at Edgewood Arsenal. Their blood and tissue samples showed that they had in fact been contaminated with VX. We learn these when we first come into the Army in the Soldier’s Manual of Common Task. They are now taught through Warrior Task and Battle Drills to the new Soldiers. VX has many sign and symptoms of poisoning. The following is a list of the typical symptoms someone may experience if they come in contact with Nerve agent poisoning; Runny nose, Drooling, Difficulty seeing, Tight chest, Difficulty breathing, Nausea, Vomiting, Muscle Twitching, Uncontrollably shaking, Convulsions, Loss of consciousness, Muscles contract, fatigue and weaken then finally death.

Works Cited

Author, Andrew Kincaid, Death on the Wind: Thr Dugway Sheep Incident, retrieved from http://www.oddlyhistorical.com/2014/02/01/death-wind-dugway-sheep-incident/

Author, Glenn Liddell, Dugway Proving Ground Advertisement, retrieved from
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKBG2yggt8Y

Author, Yvette D. Ison, Chemical Weapons Testing Created Controversy at Dugway

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