security should holdings fall into hostile hands. The
priorities are as follows:
Priority One—Top Secret material
Priority Two—Secret material
Priority Three—Confidential material
The requirement for priority-one material is that
it must be destroyed first, with a time objective as
follows:
Shore stations—60 minutes
Afloat stations—30 minutes
Aircraft—3 minutes
METHODS OF EMERGENCY
DESTRUCTION
Classified material may be jettisoned at sea at
depths of 1,000 fathoms or more. If such water depth
is not available and if time does not permit other means
of emergency destruction, the material should,
nonetheless, be jettisoned to prevent its easy capture.
When shipboard emergency destruction plans include
jettisoning, document sinking bags shall be available.
If a vessel is to be sunk through intentional scuttling
or is sinking due to hostile action, classified material
should be locked in security filing cabinets or vaults
and allowed to sink with the vessel rather than
attempting jettisoning.
Other means of emergency destruction include
dismantling or smashing metallic items beyond
reconstruction by available means such as sledge
hammers, cutting tools, and torches; and
supplementing emergency destruction devices with
routine destruction equipment when time and
circumstances permit. As a last resort and where none
of the methods previously mentioned can be
employed, use other means, such as dousing the
classified material with a flammable liquid and
igniting it; for instance, throwing all your classified
material in the flagbag and igniting it.
REPORTING EMERGENCY
DESTRUCTION
Accurate information concerning the extent of
emergency destruction of classified material is second
in importance only to the destruction of the material
itself. Accordingly, the facts surrounding the
destruction shall be reported to the CNO and other
interested commands by the most expeditious means
available. Reports are to contain the following
information:
Identification of the items of classified material
that may not have been destroyed
Information concerning classified material that
may be presumed to have been captured
Identification of all classified material destroyed
and the methods of destruction
Additionally, within 6 months after the
destruction, a written statement describing the
character of the records and showing when and where
the destruction was accomplished will be submitted to
the Commander, Naval Data Automation Command.
The requirement for reporting of the emergency
destruction of classified material shall be included as
a part of the command's emergency plan.
SUMMARY
In this chapter, you learned the importance of
security. You learned the purpose of the security
program and the different classification categories.
You learned what a compromise is and how to obtain
a security clearance. You learned about the storage of
classified material and the custodial precautions. You
also learned how to destroy classified material and the
procedures for reporting destructions. Security is a
major part in running an effective signalbridge. So
take a little time and learn your security!
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