At the time, Robertson said, military brass believed a nuclear confrontation with the Soviets was likely. They were intent on developing a group of troops hardened by repeated exposure to radiation. They thought exposure to radiation was like sunning on the beach: First you burn, then you tan.
"Today, you think, 'How would you ever harden troops to that?' " Robertson said. "It's not something that you can become accustomed to or environmentally be exposed to and continue to go on. That's just not a fact.