AIKEN, S.C., – Participants of the Weapon Intern Program (WIP), an 11-month residential educational program hosted by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, recently received a behind-the-scenes look at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
Unique to the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE), the WIP offers in-depth technical training, including extensive classroom instruction from subject matter experts on a variety of nuclear weapon topics and site visits across the NSE.
Only 24 participants from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are accepted into the program each year.
“WIP is a prestigious internship opportunity that bolsters professional development within the Nuclear Security Enterprise,” said Pit Production Operations Development Manager Lisa Lee from Savannah River Nuclear Solutions.
Site visits are intended to reinforce classroom instruction, allowing interns a greater understanding and appreciation of how each site contributes to all aspects of the nuclear deterrent.
“WIP has graduated over 500 interns over the past 25 years from multiple organizations within the NSE; many have gone on to become leaders in their fields,” Lee said.
During their visit to SRS, participants toured the Savannah River Tritium Enterprise and the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, both under the direction of NNSA.
The Savannah River Tritium Enterprise is the only facility in the nation capable of preparing tritium for the nuclear weapons stockpile.
Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility is part of the NNSA’s two-site strategy between SRS and Los Alamos National Laboratory to produce no fewer than 80 war reserve plutonium pits per year 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.
The visit also included a site driving tour and a walking tour of the Savannah River National Laboratory. The current WIP class includes Savannah River Nuclear Solutions employees Quentin Price and Keith Abrahamson.
