The first is Work at SRS secures its survival by Rob Pavey of The Augusta Chronicle.In a nation whose nuclear arsenal is rapidly shrinking, bringing drastic changes and job cuts to some areas, Savannah River Site's role in tritium production will remain largely the same.Next we have Kirtland To Watch Over U.S. Nukes from Charles Brunt of The Albuquerque Journal.
"We already have what we're going to get, which is the tritium facilities," said Jim Giusti, an Energy Department external affairs spokesman at SRS. "There won't be a lot of really visible differences, but we will see R&D (research and development) now at Los Alamos moved to Savannah River National Laboratory."
Economic boostAnd finally, from the Las Vegas Channel 8 I-Team there is a two part report (See Part 1 and Part 2.) titled The Road Warriors about agents of the Office of Secure Transportation (OST). OST is hiring, though you'll want to review the physical fitness requirements before you get your hopes up. In my younger days I could easily meet the running requirement, but I've never been close to meeting the strength requirements. This certainly isn't the right job for most of us.
The Nuclear Weapons Center has been authorized to bring in 288 new personnel, including about 180 civilians. The positions range from nuclear engineers to clerical workers.
"By and large, bringing the personnel on with the right experience will be my biggest challenge," [Air Force Brigadier General Everett H.] Thomas said, adding that he hopes to have all 288 positions filled within 30 months.
"You know, you can't walk out on the street and find all the nuclear expertise you need, so that's why being here (in Albuquerque) is so great," he said, adding the center initially can draw talent from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Labs and the Air Force Research Lab.
"Of course, my gain is their loss, so we have to be very careful with that," Thomas said. "We can also bring in contractors, prior military and retired civilians who have done these jobs."
Thomas, who assumed command at the center on April 17, said he hopes to hire about 60 people immediately into leadership roles and have them assist in finding other qualified employees.
If any readers have ideas, questions, or especially success stories about how to move on, please share them here.
Well maybe the SRS and Kirtland jobs are secure and maybe they are not. Of course, going to those places one would start with zero seniority and entry level benefits such as vacation. And then there is the matter of unloading the Los Alamos house. Too many cases of "hot remodeling" would certainly bring suspiscion.
ReplyDeleteI say: keep your head down, kiss some (lots) of asses, and wait until 2012 when Obama's lies are evident and the Republicans re-take the White House.
I don't know about Kirtland, but SRS is NOT a place to do science. It is a real blue-collar factory environment.
ReplyDeleteScrew the Republicans!
ReplyDeleteSorry if this is off-topic; moderator feel free to create as a new thread or remove.
ReplyDeleteIs what the NIF priests told Governor Arnold below possible, or is it all a bunch of science fiction to get more life-support funding?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/10/BA1C141SDO.DTL
http://www.contracostatimes.com/localnews/ci_10951822
and even,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/11/content_10339835.htm
"Powerful laser beams, totaling about 2 mega-jewels of laser light, are guided by a switchyard of mirrors to arrive simultaneously at the target chamber."
ReplyDeleteIs that 2MJ or 2 mega-family-jewels?
11/11/08 12:49 AM
ReplyDeleteGeorge Miller trying to find a mission for NIF once its true value as a weapons research tool is revealed. What a buffoon.
From Global Security Newswire.
ReplyDeleteAir Force Official Sees Return to Nuclear Testing
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008
The United States will need to resume nuclear testing in the future, a key Air Force official said last month, arguing that such a step is an inevitable part of modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal, the Albuquerque Journal reported (see GSN, Oct. 29).
"Right now, I don´t think we need testing," said Brig. Gen. Everett Thomas, head of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. "But, eventually, we will because, no matter what you do, a 1957 Chevy is not going to drive right in 2030. I don´t care how many pieces and parts you replace, you will eventually have to replace that 1957 Chevy - unless you just want it as a historic relic where people can come by and see it. That´s the analogy, absent testing."
The Bush administration has sought to develop a new nuclear warhead design, but has twice been rebuffed by U.S. lawmakers who have rejected the idea in part because of fears that Washington would have to end its 16-year nuclear testing moratorium (see GSN, Nov. 10).
Thomas heads a relatively new command, created in March 2006 to consolidate responsibility over ensuring that Air Force units are supplied with the nuclear weapons they require. His center plans to add nearly 300 personnel to handle the weapons over the next 2 1/2 years.
"I´m going to be the Wal-Mart for all nuclear weapons for the United States Air Force," Thomas said.
The mission has taken on new importance after a series of security lapses that forced the Air Force to re-evaluate its nuclear management (see GSN, Oct. 27).
"We lost our focus. ... I don´t think that´s even open to interpretation," Thomas said. "There was a loss of focus, and now we have to get it back."
The service announced plans recently to create a Global Strike Command that would oversee all Air Force nuclear operations.
"The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center sustains bombers, ICBMs and cruise missiles," Thomas said. "We´re going to let them (Global Strike Command) concentrate on operation, training and equipping of the force that delivers the weapons. We´re going to concentrate on getting the weapons to them" (Charles Blunt, Albuquerque Journal, Nov. 9).
(www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081111_9997.php)
(I agree in the General´s remark, and by the way, I like Hank Snow´s "I´m Movin´On," but as history has shown, you are more likely to make history if you continue to stay on.)
Yes, LLNL is trying to save itself by having NIF become a scientific user facility with a small national security component instead of a national security tool with a small science component. Its basically going back to the original late 1980s/early1990s pre-stockpile stewardship concept of NIF as a follow-up to Nova at LLNL, and with a focus on laser fusion science and energy research.
ReplyDeletehttps://lasers.llnl.gov/missions/energy_for_the_future/life/
11/11/08 9:54 PM
ReplyDeleteA perfect example of how important a civilian controlled military is.
11/12/08 7:56 AM
ReplyDeleteBarack Obama´s plan for NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQx45ro_PT8)
Some comments, (I agree in general, not in the spelling though), by:
(1) dbart27:
"Obama is totally naive and believes in a utopian world....
the problem is the other world leaders are not naive and donot believe in utopia!
Its the old "We may not want a war...but a war wants us" situation.
This guy is SCARY!
Leave our nukes alone Obama and take up teaching philosophy at a liberal university like Harvard."
(2) sunnytoppil:
"AThis doesn´t make me feel good! Disarm ourselves so we can lead IraN NOT TO BUILD NUKES??? Since when do any of these nations keep their word with us? Never!!! Obma aalso has a video out where he says he would never use a nuke under any circumstance -even if we were attacked. He thinks some of our defense programs are too expensive. He said he would get rid of those too."
(3) LATINO9USA:
"Obama spent most of his time as a "celebrity senator." No leadership or major legislation to speak of,nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no, he simply voted "present". He never run a city, never run a state, never run a business.He´s never had to lead people in crisis, Obama has never led anything, Nothing, Nada, cero."
(4) GentleGrace:
"This is laughable! Russia has sold 4 subs to Chavez & tons of other weapons mid this year. Russia China NKorea are proliferating weapons sells. On top of this Russia has been assisting Iran, but Obama is going to work w/Putin who is anti American & pro nationalist Russia to stop the WMDs. Look at the mess that Russia did w/Georgia. Obama is bad news he is back tracking from saying he was going to remove our defense shields in a speech made in SAntonio TX. The man makes it up as he goes."
(5) StripesReaper:
"Russia answered Obama: Absoulutelyy not.
Is US really "safe"?"
(6) CobraGuy90:
"he really makes it sound so easy when really its not...wake up obama. this world has changed."
In summa: President-elect Obama has a Kantian worldview, i.e. idealistic worldview, as opposed to the Nietzschean worldview, i.e. "The will to power," thus its naivite, and could unfortunately jeopardize US national security in the future.
Poster 8:29 PM watches too much Faux News. Get a life and find something else to bitch about. President Obama is going to make a fine leader.
ReplyDeleteThe neocon movement is dead. All that's left is to arrest the neocon traitors in our midst and send them off to jail. Bush's Presidential wiretap directives should make it fairly easy to locate 8:29 PM and subject him to secret rendition so that he can be taken to a third-party country for long sessions of torture.
Things must be tough at TA-55. Last week a staff member off-ed herself.
ReplyDelete"Things must be tough at TA-55. Last week a staff member off-ed herself."
ReplyDeleteShe wasn't a TSM and this was a totally UNCALLED for statement. Frank, I can't believe you would post such a tasteless comment like this after someone passed away.
I this this blog has sunk to an all time low.
She wasn't a TSM so...what? She was expendable? After working there myself I know full well what that feels like. If you want to go stick your head in the sand that's fine. Don't expect everyone else to as well.
ReplyDeleteI was pointing out the erroneous post that she wasn't a TSM. She was a QA person who worked with ME and my group. We don't know if she committed suicide. It's complete rumor and speculation. Further, I feel it's completely tasteless to post someones death on this blog and make light of it by saying "somebody whacked themselves."
ReplyDeleteRead the original comment again, compose yourself, and tell us what the facts are. So far you are just irrationally venting at me.
ReplyDelete