Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: stuart@rennet.cs.wisc.edu (Stuart Friedberg)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: use of military resources in natural disasters
Message-ID: <10103@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 11 Oct 89 03:36:49 GMT
References: <9937@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
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Approved: military@att.att.com



From: stuart@rennet.cs.wisc.edu (Stuart Friedberg)

The US Army used to operate (perhaps still does) two "barges" with
on-board nuclear power plants.  These barges are towed wherever
power is needed.  I remember a news item circa '74-'77 where one was
anchored off the Panamal Canal zone, with large cables strung to the
shore, hooked into a jerry-rigged power transmission system.

I said "barges", because the vessels were actually decommissioned
(non-nuclear) naval ships.  The Army had to remove the propulsion
systems, because they are not allowed to operate ships or boats
anywhere but in-land waters (for example, under the Corps of
Engineers).  Even as a teenager, I thought that was an exceptional
example of "preserving the peace" between Services at the expense
of common sense.

Stu Friedberg  (stuart@cs.wisc.edu)