higher than the material being destroyed. Destruction will  be  recorded  on  a  record  that  provides  for  complete identification   of   the   material   being   destroyed. Destruction  records  must  include  number  of  copies destroyed,   date   of   destruction,   and   personnel completing destruction. These records are maintained for 2 years. Secret messages must be destroyed following the two-person  rule,  without  a  record  of  destruction. Alternatively,  one  person  may  destroy  Secret  messages if a record of destruction is made. The commanding officer may impose additional controls for Secret messages if warranted and if they reasonably balance security against operational efficiency. Confidential material and classified waste are destroyed by authorized means. Personnel performing destruction must hold an appropriate clearance and are not required to record destruction. If the material has been placed in burn bags for central disposal, the destruction record is signed by the witnessing  officials  at  the  time  the  material  is  placed  in the burn bags. Records of destruction must be retained for 2 years. All burn bags must be given the same protection as the highest classification of material in them until they are  destroyed.  Since  several  burn  bags  may  accumulate for burning, it is important to keep an accurate record of the number of bags to be burned. Burn bags must be serially numbered and a record kept of all subsequent handling until destroyed. Burning As a Radioman, you will probably assist in the burning of classified material. Every member of a burn detail must know exactly what is to be burned and should  double-check  burn  material  against  an  inventory list before the material is burned. To provide for accountability of the burn bags, the supervisor of a burn detail must be sure that the bags are numbered (or counted) before they are removed from the workspaces. The supervisor of a burn detail must have either a log or checkoff list that lists the number of bags to be burned. At the destruction site, each bag is checked off the list as it is destroyed in the presence of  the  witnessing  officials.  Witnessing  officials  are persons performing any destruction. They must have a clearance equal to or higher than the material being destroyed. To  ensure  the  complete  destruction  of  bound publications, the pages must be torn apart and crumpled before they are placed in bags. All material must be watched until it is completely consumed. The ashes must be broken up and scattered so that no scraps escape destruction. Shredding Crosscut shredding machines are relatively quiet and  may  be  used  aboard  ships  where  incinerator facilities are not available. Crosscut shredders are replacing incinerators in many areas where burning is not allowed because of the Clean Air Act. Crosscut shredding machines must reduce classified material to shreds no greater than 3/64 inch wide by 1/2 inch long. Crosscut shredding suffices as complete destruction of classified material, and the residue may be handled as unclassified  material  with  the  exception  of  some COMSEC material. Not all crosscut shredders are suitable for destroying microfiche, so make sure the one you are using has that capability before attempting to shred   microfiche. Pulverizing and Disintegrating Pulverizers   and   disintegrators   designed   for destroying  classified  material  are  usually  too  noisy  and dusty for office use unless installed in a noise- and dust-proof   enclosure.   Some   pulverizers   and disintegrators  are  designed  to  destroy  paper  products only. Others are designed to destroy film, typewriter ribbons, photographs, and other material. Jettisoning or Sinking Material  to  be  jettisoned  during  emergency destruction must be placed in weighted bags. The sea depth should be 1,000 fathoms or more. However, if water depth is less than 1,000 fathoms, the material should  still  be  jettisoned  to  prevent  easy  recovery. EMERGENCY PLANS Emergency  plans  provide  for  the  protection, removal,   or   destruction   of   classified   material. Commands  holding  classified  material  must  develop  an emergency  plan  to  fit  their  needs.  The  primary requirement of an emergency plan is that it adequately provide for the rapid and complete destruction of the classified material. Emergency plans must cover three areas  of  emergencies: 5-11