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PHOTOBOMB t 2 4 IN THIS ISSUE An unarmed Trident II D5LE 2 Letters: The warfighter issue missile launches from the Ohio-class ballistic missile The relationship between the Lab and the submarine USS Maine off the military dates back to the Manhattan Project. coast of San Diego, California, on Seventy-seven years later, the military remains February 12, 2020. “Today’s test the Lab’s most important customer, and the Lab demonstrates the continued provides a way for many veterans to continue reliability of our sea-based 4 their service to the nation. nuclear deterrent, which is made 4 Abstracts: Notes and news possible by our sailors, civilians, and industry partners, who from around the Lab Microwaves bring expertise and dedication are used for weapon ignition, scientists to the mission,” says Vice power cruise missiles with corn bran, Admiral Johnny Wolfe, director Lab employees take external assignments of the Navy’s Strategic Systems around the world, and more. Programs. In the event of a real launch, the Trident II could carry the Los Alamos–designed W76 FEATURES or W88 warheads. 14 Served, still serving Military veterans Photo: U.S. Navy /Thomas Gooley 14 leave one mission to find another at Los Alamos. 38 38 A wealth of stealth The B-2 Spirit can penetrate an enemy’s most sophisticated defenses and threaten heavily defended targets. The Lab's senior Air Force Fellow shares what it’s like to fly the 31-year-old, 160,000-pound nuclear-capable bomber. 50 A moment of glory As the Minuteman III missile nears retirement, the knowledge we gain from testing the system has become more important than ever—even when things don’t go as planned. 62 Analysis: Service, science, and success The chief scientist of the Air Force recalls his time at the Laboratory. 64 Being essential: Creating community Materials scientist and aerobics 50 62 instructor Rajendra Vaidya thrives in his “global public square.” 66 Accolades: The distinguished 64 achievements of Los Alamos employees 67 Looking back: 68 years ago In the wake of a nuclear test, members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Divison parachute toward a drop zone just north of ground zero. ABOUT THE COVER Three active-duty members of the military raise the American flag in front of the Lab’s National Security Sciences Building. Every year, airmen, missileers, and soldiers come to the 66 Laboratory to learn more about the partnership between Los Alamos and the military. Read more on pp. 6, 38, and 50. SPRING 2020 › 1 ‹ LETTERS THE WARFIGHTER ISSUE MASTHEAD EDITOR Whitney Spivey ART DIRECTOR Brenda Fleming SCIENCE AND THE MILITARY HAVE STORY EDITOR Eileen Patterson BEEN INTERTWINED SINCE THE COPY EDITOR Amy Elder WRITERS Katharine Coggeshall, MANHATTAN PROJECT. J. Weston Phippen, Octavio Ramos, Brye Steeves, Geoffrey Steeves, Marshallese atoll of Bikini in July 1946. The Sierra Sweeney operation’s important weapons-effects tests DESIGNERS Sarah Tasseff, confirmed naval vessels were vulnerable to Alexa Verado, Evan Wells atomic attack. PHOTOGRAPHERS Jathan Campbell, Daniel Owen, In the decades that followed, Los Alamos Kevin Sutton, Sandra Valdez continued to pioneer weapons technology EDITORIAL ADVISORS for the military. During the Cold War in David Clark, Kirk Otterson, particular, deterrence theory—the idea that Michael Port nuclear weapons deter attacks—became the dominant military strategy and drove National Security Science the Laboratory to design and deliver highlights work in the weapons and increasingly more powerful and compact other national security programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory. nuclear weapons for ever-improved Current and archived issues of the delivery systems. With the development of magazine are available at these weapons came the responsibility to lanl.gov/nss. NSS is unclassified and supported by the Lab’s Office of make them safer. Innovative science and Nuclear and Military Affairs. engineering were—and still are—necessary BY BOB WEBSTER in both the development and safety of these To subscribe, email DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WEAPONS complex weapons. [email protected], or call 505-667-4106. In the early 1940s, Los Alamos was Today, much of our work revolves around LA-UR-20-21791 Project Y of the Manhattan Project. The maintaining four of the seven types Los Alamos National Laboratory, project was named for the Manhattan of nuclear weapons in the current U.S. an affirmative action/equal borough of New York City, home to the stockpile: the B61 gravity bomb and the opportunity employer, is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, Army Corps of Engineers, which was tasked W78 ballistic missile warhead deployed with for the National Nuclear Security with the top-secret effort to design and the Air Force and the W76 and W88 ballistic Administration for the U.S. build an atomic bomb to end World War II. missile warheads deployed with the Navy. Department of Energy under In charge of the entire project was Army (Read more about our modernization efforts General Leslie Groves, who oversaw scientific of these systems on p. 12.) NSS STAFF SPOTLIGHT and technical developments, construction, Los Alamos not only partners with the t security, military intelligence, and more with military to bolster America’s national a gruff demeanor that kept the difficult work security, but the Laboratory has also become on track. a way for many veterans to continue their Although portions of the project were spread service to the nation. More than 10 percent across the country, General Groves spent of our workforce is former military; you can ◆ Army General Leslie Groves (left) directed the Manhattan Project; much of his time at Los Alamos, where he meet just a few of these folks beginning on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was the scientific director of the project. was far from the only soldier. The Army’s p. 14. We also have a handful of active duty “Groves and Oppenheimer got on so well because each saw in the other Special Engineering Detachment was brought military at the Lab, including our Air Force the skills and intelligence necessary to fulfill their common goal, the to Los Alamos because of its experience Fellows (see pp. 38 and 50) and the men successful use of the bomb in World War II,” wrote historian Robert Norris in technical areas such as engineering and and women enrolled in the Department of in his book Racing for the Bomb. welding. Members of the Women’s Army Defense’s Training with Industry program BY THE NUMBERS Before being hired at Los Alamos, Corps typically filled clerical jobs. (see p. 6). We are thankful for their service t and grateful that they’ve chosen to continue Evan Wells served in the U.S. Marine After World War II, Project Y faced an their careers at Los Alamos. Corps for nearly four years. During uncertain future. It had a product (nuclear that time, he deployed to Helmand weapons) but lacked a customer until the This short letter has highlighted only a Province, Afghanistan, where he Navy arrived on the scene in late 1945, fraction of the ways Los Alamos and the worked in intelligence and combat needing to know if its ships could survive a military have partnered over the years and operations. Wells is now a graphic nuclear blast. The Navy collected dozens of continue to rely on one another today. Our artist and says the Lab is a great OF LAB WORKFORCE IS OF LAB VETERANS ARE OF LAB VETERANS ARE OF LAB VETERANS ARE OF LAB VETERANS ARE captured and surplus ships of various types, relationship is storied and robust, and I hope 10.4%VETERANS 15.2%FEMALE 31.7%MANAGERS TECHNICAL3.8% RESEARCH 0.9%POST DOCS place for veterans to continue STAFF and Los Alamos prepared nuclear weapons to this issue of National Security Science helps their service to the nation. He use against them in an operation code-named you see the power of partnerships between designed the infographic on p. 3. Crossroads. Crossroads was conducted at the these two institutions. H › 2 ‹ SPRING 2020 SPRING 2020 › 3 ‹ ABSTRACTS INFOGRAPHIC VETERANS t t THE INTERSECTION HELPING HANDS Science and culture converge in The Veterans Employee Resource Group recruits former military Northern New Mexico—and beyond. and supports them as they navigate their Laboratory careers. BY SIERRA SWEENEY U.S. Navy Captain (retired) Daniel Patrick Mack was the guest speaker at the 2019 Former Army Captain and Special Forces Officer Ben Bateman says a key part Veterans Day event at Ashley of being in the military is giving and receiving support. “I’m here in front of you Maintained by the Los Alamos Pond Park in Los Alamos. Read today because of the help I asked for and received from others during my nearly Garden Club, the more about Mack and other Los Alamos Memorial Rose veterans who work at the Lab nine years of service,” he says. “In the military, you are always part of a team.” This Garden is the oldest public rose on p. 14. Photo: Los Alamos Daily Post support system can be difficult to find outside of the military, which is why it’s garden in New Mexico. In 2007, sometimes hard for veterans to transition into jobs after their service. It’s also why on the club’s 60th anniversary, a Blue Star Memorial was the Lab established its Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG). installed to honor servicemen and women. Photo: Los Alamos County VERG recruits veterans to work at the Lab and connects them with mentors Photo: Los Alamos County through its Veteran’s Mentoring Program. “We work with veterans and their Because of its short runway and high elevation, the families to help them adjust so they can hopefully find a place at the Lab,” says IN MEMORIAM Los Alamos County Airport was Bateman, who is now a Laboratory project manager and the current chair of t used in a training exercise for VERG.