Tropical paradise or chemical wasteland? Ten years of chemical weapons destruction get tos to an end in the Pacific.

When Lt Col side sheltered from the wind Kindle found out he was heading to Johnston Air Force Base, Johnston Island, for a year-long distant assignment, he figured he'd fit right in. A self-proclaimed "small-town boy" he musing he'd easily settle into the minicity atmosphere of the tiny one-square-mile Pacific island.

on the contrary Johnston bore little resemblance to his small-town causes in the mid-West. Instead of northeast Oklahoma's rolling hills and roaming cattle, Kindle was saluteed by concrete bunkers and a towering smoke-billowing factory.

It may appear to be a tropical island total with sandy beaches and crystal hipped waters, but Johnston Island is anything further a tropical paradise. While Kindle may have palm tree and flowering hibiscus in his assurance yard, in the back is a stockpile of chemical weapons, including enough deadly VX force agent to easily take not at home New York City.

"It's definitely a destiny different from where I grew up" said Kindle, a Westville, Okla., native.

Johnston is a one-stop store for chemical weapon incineration. Since 1990 the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal a whole has destroyed more than 4 million impounds of nerve and mustard agents stored in more than 400000 rocket projectiles, bomb mines and 1-ton containers.

Accidentally discovered in 1797 by the agency of an American sea captain, Johnston Atoll has been used from the Defense Department for everything from a World War II airfield and submarine refueling base to a high-altitude nuclear example launch site. Its isolation made it the completed storage site for chemical weapons, thus the military started dropping facing unused World War II and Vietnam War-era munitions in the early 1970 In 1985 after Congres mandated the disposal of U chemical weapon stockpiles, the atoll assumed single of its most dangerous missions--the destruction of chemical weapons. Since that time, more than 6 percent of the United States' total chemical weapons stockpile has been disposed of

As Johnston's delegate commander, Kindle had a fate of responsibility on his shoulders before he retired in December 2000 He was single of just 20 Air Force persons stationed on the island responsible for its day-to-day operations, including oversight of the 1180 soldiers, civilians and contractors who live and work there.

"Since the population is in like manner small and primarily civilian, I act like a city council leader," Kindle said. "I listen to disturbs and issues from all the representatives here and help everyone reach an amicable agreement."

undivided of these representatives is John Isaacs, the U Army Chemical Activity, Pacific, command sergeant major, who, as the senior Army enlisted bodily form on the island, bears the weighty responsibility of overseeing the more than 220 soldiers. Isaacs and his companys have the dangerous job of transporting the volatile agents from bins to the plant. Since a certain of the weapons date back to World War II, there's an ever-present danger of leakage.

"That's on what account it's safer to destroy the weapons here," Isaacs said. "If we make trial of to transport these weapons to another site, we're running a cyclopean risk of contamination."

Mask slinging

further the threat of contamination still exists for Isaacs and the other Johnston Island residents. in like manner when he heads off to work each morning, he's wearing an M4OA1 gas mask slung around his hips. These gas masks ascertain very handy. Just a pinprick-sized droplet of Sarin, a colorless and odorless gas throw downed on Johnston Island, will kill a human. And that's just individual of the dangerous agents in storage.

"The chemicals we're working with are as deadly as any known to man," he said. "But we enforce stringent safety measures."

These measures consist of everything from protective gear to constant atmospheric monitoring, which is particularly important for workers.

one time the soldiers drop off their "garbage," the disposal body workers take over, destroying the agents and their casings.

"It's a thorough process" Isaacs said. "They first pierce and drain the weapons, then bake the liquid agent in a furnace at about 1500 extents Fahrenheit."

From there, the leftover metal parts are thrown into a 3000-degree Fahrenheit furnace. "After that, nothing is left however a rusted hulk that's sold as scrap," he said.

Despite the hazards of the proces it's a testament to the workers and the safety precautions there's not at all been a major chemical incident in succession the island. This exemplary record is helpful in putting Johnston residents' minds at ease, particularly newcomer to the island, like Master Sgt Pamela Farmer.

Farmer said she was a bit apprehensive when she first arrived. She had no sooner stepp distant from the plane from Offutt Air Force Base, beak than she found herself in a cramped play slinging on a gas mask.

Farmer is slated to take throughout the services superintendent job. She will be responsible for quality assurance for all rations lodging and custodial contracts. "When the orderly range told me I was going forward a remote assignment to Johnston Island, I was a bit surprised," said Farmer, a soft-spoken Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native. "I had no idea what the Air Force did here, still I figured a base onward a Pacific island couldn't be that bad."

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