Back in the bad old days of the Cold War, a major concern was operating in and around a battlefield that had been contaminated with nuclear detonations. As a result, the U.S. military has built a considerable expertise on dealing with widespread contamination that it is now beginning to apply to civilian assistance programs.

These three manuals lay out the tactics, techniques, and procedures for the avoidance of, protection from, and decontamination from nuclear and radiological (as well as chemical and biological) contamination. Three worthy reads and references as the story in Japan grows.

• FM 3-11.3 Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Contamination Avoidance
• FM 3-11.4 Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection
• FM 3-11.5 CBRN Decontamination: Multiservice Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Decontamination