Editing Project SHAD (section)

==Medical studies==
Jack Alderson, a retired Navy officer who commanded the Army tugboats, told [[CBS News]] that he believes the Pentagon used him and other service members to test weapons, and that those tests included agents, vaccines, and decontamination products which have led to serious medical problems, including cancer.<ref>Martin, David, "Retired Navy Officer Seeks Justice", [[CBS News]], June 12, 2008.</ref> Secrecy agreements can now be ignored by veterans in order to pursue healthcare concerns within the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The V.A. has offered screening programs for veterans who believe they were involved in DoD sponsored tests during their service.  The [[Institute of Medicine of the National Academies]] has commissioned studies of Project SHAD participants. The first, ''Long-Term Health Effects of Participation in Project SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense)'', was released in 2007, and found "no clear evidence that specific long-term health effects are associated with participation in Project SHAD."<ref>[http://www.iom.edu/reports/2007/long-term-health-effects-of-participation-in-project-shad-shipboard-hazard-and-defense.aspx ''Long-Term Health Effects of Participation in Project SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense)'']</ref>  The second, ''Shipboard Hazard and Defense II (SHAD II)'', by the IoM's Medical Follow-up Agency (MFUA), began in 2012, and, as of April 2014, was ongoing.<ref>[http://www.iom.edu/activities/veterans/shadii.aspx Institute of Medicine of the National Academies ''Shipboard Hazard and Defense II (SHAD II)'']</ref>