AIKEN, S.C. – A Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) employee was recently selected to participate in the Weapon Intern Program (WIP), an 11-month residential educational program hosted by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Pit Production Operations and Programs (PPOP) Weapon Quality Engineer Nicholas Sloan became the latest participant from the Savannah River Site (SRS) selected for the prestigious technical training program, whose mission is to prepare future generations of experts in nuclear weapons stewardship.
The only program of its kind within the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE), the WIP offers participants an in-depth, Enterprise-wide exposure to all aspects of the nuclear deterrent. Over the past 25 years, WIP has graduated over 500 participants from multiple organizations, including the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Only 24 participants are accepted into the program each year. Of those accepted, 12 are external to Sandia, allowing for one or two candidates to participate from SRS each year.
The Program includes extensive classroom instruction from subject matter experts on a variety of nuclear weapon topics. Classroom instruction is reinforced with Site visits across the NSE, a variety of DOD facilities and historical sites. During their time in the program, WIP participants also complete class projects, such as weapon system program reviews, and a final capstone project, in which they are embedded in a working group. Those returning to SRS provide insight into nuclear weapon production and leverage established connections to support the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) and Savannah River Tritium Enterprise (SRTE) missions.
“The Weapon Intern Program represents the culmination of decades of information that will benefit and accelerate the mission here at the SRPPF while providing the opportunity to forge lasting relationships throughout the NSE,” said Sloan. “Successfully completing this program will allow me to then return to PPOP and provide support to the team.”
Sloan will begin the program September 15, and said he is looking forward to gaining a greater understanding of and appreciation for the NSE.
“Acceptance into the Weapon Intern Program is a prestigious honor that is given to a select few SRS candidates each year,” said Lisa Lee, PPOP Mission Development Manager, who coordinates the SRPPF application and selection processes and also helps plan the annual WIP SRS site visit. “WIP candidates exemplify a high degree of professional dedication and personal commitment to the SRTE and SRPPF missions at SRS that support our nation’s nuclear deterrence.”
SRPPF is part of NNSA’s two-site strategy between SRS and Los Alamos National Laboratory to produce plutonium pits at the required rate to meet national security requirements. The two-site approach will provide an effective, responsive and resilient nuclear weapons infrastructure with the flexibility to adapt to shifting requirements and counter future threats.
Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile; works to reduce the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and militarily effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor Corporation-led company with Newport News Nuclear, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
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