Overview
- Late August, an airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base found residue on an AN/PRM-10 communications test oscillator, was examined after exposure, and returned to duty with no immediate adverse effects.
- Laboratory analysis confirmed polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the residue from that unit and prompted a one-time inspection of all AN/PRM-10 kits across 20th Air Force.
- The inventory review, completed within days, reported potential residue on six of eight inspected kits and collected samples that are now undergoing further testing.
- 20th Air Force has ordered immediate cessation of AN/PRM-10 use, is transitioning crews to a modern PCB-free replacement tester, and is working to dispose of contaminated kits and find other PCB-containing gear.
- The action builds on the 2023 Missile Community Cancer Study and raises renewed calls from advocates for systematic exposure documentation and long-term health monitoring of current and former ICBM personnel.