On 3 November 1977, the interagency committee held a preliminary meeting to discuss the possible long-term health effects resulting from participation in atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. The attendees recommended that a major epidemiological study of test participants be undertaken under the direction of an independent scientific organization, such as the National Research Council (NRC) of the NAS, and that this effort be funded by DOD and DOE. They suggested, moreover, that a central administrative unit be established within DOD to coordinate all related activities. The final recommendation was for a meeting of senior officials of the concerned agencies, to be held as soon as possible, to organize the effort (1). On 1 December 1977, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs convened a meeting to address the atmospheric nuclear weapons testing program and the possible relationship between participation in the program and an increased incidence of disease attributable to radiation exposure. Partici- pants included representatives from the military services, DNA, DOE, VA, CDC, and the NRC, as well as epidemiological consultants from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The meeting resulted in a decision to solicit a formal proposal for a study from NRC of the atmospheric nuclear test participants. It also resulted in the unofficial agreement that DNA would function as DOD executive agency for all matters pertaining to DOD personnel participation in the atmospheric nuclear test program (1; 2). The Subcommittee on Health and Environment of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce held hearings during 24-26 January and 14 February 1978 on DOD actions to collect data on DOD personnel who participated in atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. These hearings functioned as a catalyst for official establishment of the NIPR in late January 1978. In their testimony, DOD and DNA representatives not only highlighted the research initiated by concerned Federal agencies in 1977, but they made commitments to establish an effort that would develop histories of the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, define radiation safety policies and procedures in effect during the tests, identify participation and radiation doses for DOD military and civilian personnel who took part in the tests, and make the resulting information available for review by scientific organizations. commitments emerged as the primary NTPR tasks (3). These