ARMY IGNORED RADIATION RISK TO GULF WAR TROOPS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 28, 1993                   TAG: 9301280134
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short
ARMY IGNORED RADIATION RISK TO GULF WAR TROOPS
Several dozen U.S. soldiers were exposed to minor amounts of radiation in the Gulf War and the Army did not provide proper warnings or training for the hazards, according to a draft General Accounting Office report.
The exposures resulted partly from "friendly fire" rounds containing depleted uranium - shells that penetrated Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, the GAO said in the draft obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Depleted uranium is a slightly radioactive material used to toughen armor-piercing rounds and the shielding of some M1A1 Abrams tanks. It ordinarily poses no health risk to tank crews because it is covered by other shielding material.
Some tank crews were exposed when they were near vehicles that caught fire and ignited ammunition. Some troops assigned to disposal of damaged vehicles also may have been at risk, investigators concluded.
The GAO did not report any illnesses among those exposed, but noted that preliminary tests on two wounded soldiers "showed the presence of uranium in their urine in excess" of federal radiation-exposure guidelines.
- Associated Press
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB