Nuclear Security & Deterrence Vol. 18 No. 46
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Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Article 3 of 20

December 05, 2014

OST Squad Commander ‘Engaged in Unsuitable, Reportable Behaviors’

By Todd Jacobson

Todd Jacobson
NS&D Monitor
12/5/2014

An Operations Squad Commander with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Secure Transportation “engaged in unsuitable, reportable behaviors,” the Department of Energy’s Inspector General said this week. The IG did not release its Nov. 24 report on the Office of Secure Transportation, which protects nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons components as they are transported around the weapons complex, because it was designated “Official Use Only,” but it provided a summary of its findings on Dec. 1. The summary included some details of unreported actions by an OST Squad Commander, which the IG said displayed “uncontrolled anger, hostility, and aggression toward fellow workers and authority figures.” The IG said it confirmed seven incidents over a span of 10 years.

The IG said that it received allegations that an Operations Squad Commander had been allowed to act with “unsuitable, reportable behavior” and “falsified Federal documentation related to a work injury” as well as “threatened to pull agents’ HRP [Human Reliability Program] access rendering them unable to train or perform their duties.” It was also alleged that the commander “manipulated the promotion selection process to select a personal friend over another applicant.” Only the allegation involving “unsuitable, reportable” behavior was substantiated, the IG said.

The IG did not substantiate an allegation that the commander forced an OST agent to participate in a training exercise while under medical restriction, but did determine that OST’s Deputy Director permitted the agent to “engage in this strenuous training exercise without proper medical clearance.” The IG said senior OST officials did not take action against the commander because the incidents were not reported. “Even though OST had a number of internal controls in place designed to prevent the type of problematic behavior we substantiated, we found them not to be completely effective,” the IG said. “We made recommendations designed to strengthen controls in this important area.”

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December 01, 2014

DOE IG: OST Squad Commander ‘Engaged in Unsuitable, Reportable Behaviors’

By ExchangeMonitor

An Operations Squad Commander with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Secure Transportation “engaged in unsuitable, reportable behaviors,” the Department of Energy’s Inspector General said yesterday. The IG did not release its report on the Office of Secure Transportation, which protects nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons components as they are transported around the weapons complex, because it was designated “Official Use Only,” but it provided a summary of its findings. It included some details of unreported actions of an OST Squad Commander, which the IG said displayed “uncontrolled anger, hostility, and aggression toward fellow workers and authority figures.” The IG said it confirmed seven incidents over a span of 10 years.

The IG did not substantiate an allegation that the commander forced an OST agent to participate in a training exercise while under medical restriction, the IG determined that OST’s Deputy Director permitted the agent to “engage in this strenuous training exercise without proper medical clearance.” The IG said senior OST officials did not take action against the commander because the incidents were not reported. “Even though OST had a number of internal controls in place designed to prevent the type of problematic behavior we substantiated, we found them not to be completely effective,” the IG said. “We made recommendations designed to strengthen controls in this important area.”

Comments are closed.