--- alias: - Project Center Lane - INSCOM Center Lane Project - ICLP category: PSI Research Program created: 2026-09-21 end: 1985-03-07 location: Fort Meade, Maryland start: 1982-12-03 summary: INSCOM's remote-viewing unit from October 1982 to March 1985, kept alive with security funds after Congress cut Grill Flame, run as a special access program under Stubblebine, and handed to the DIA as Sun Streak. tags: - Program - CenterLane - INSCOM - RemoteViewing - AlbertStubblebine - FortMeade - SpecialAccessProgram updated: 2026-09-21 --- Center Lane was the name under which [INSCOM](/organizations/united-states-army-intelligence-and-security-command/) kept its remote-viewing unit at [Fort Meade](/places/fort-meade/) after Congress cut the Army's part of [Grill Flame](/programs/stargate-project/). On October 1, 1982, "NFIP funding terminated for Army GRILL FLAME collection operations project by Congressional directive"; a year later the project manager identified Senator [Malcolm Wallop](/people/malcolm-wallop/), chairman of the budget subcommittee of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as "the individual who was responsible for the project being eliminated under the NFIP (GDIP) at the end of FY 82." On September 27, 1982, the commander of INSCOM, Major General [Albert Stubblebine](/people/albert-stubblebine/), heard the full briefing at building 2561 and, before the project manager could finish the list of options, "selected SSD, 902D as the organization to which the project would go"; "as I tried to continue with other options, MG Stubblebine then indicated I must not have heard him for he had already made his decision." His guidance: "Get out of the briefing mode!" On December 3, 1982, INSCOM told the Army staff "that INSCOM will fund a psychoenergetics program out of hide by using S&IA funds," and "project name changed to CENTER LANE." On January 19, 1983, the under secretary of defense for research, [Richard DeLauer](/people/richard-delauer/), signed a memorandum allowing Program 6 money "to maintain the current INSCOM CENTER LANE capability," and on March 1 a letter of instruction established the project as the Security Systems Planning Division of the Security Support Detachment, 902d Military Intelligence Group.[^1][^2][^3] ### The Special Access Program The assistant chief of staff for intelligence wrote to Stubblebine in April 1983 that "OPSEC should again be of great concern and I applaud your efforts to establish a Special Access Program. Some linkage to your former, similar program will be inevitable, but must be minimized. I suggest that instead of being part of a joint DOD program INSCOM is now engaged in a similar, cooperative effort of its own initiative," adding that the director of DIA had written of "the need to preserve the fragile, painstakingly constructed experience factor." The Secretary of the Army, [John Marsh](/people/john-marsh/), approved the special access program on June 15, 1983, and continued participation on September 1; the compartment was called "Center Lane Level 4." The chronology records briefings in 1983 of the vice chief of staff, General Wickham, the under secretary James Ambrose, Marsh, the Army Science Board, and the Vice President, [George Bush](/people/george-hw-bush/), "for thirty minutes concerning CENTER LANE related activities by Dr. [Jack Vorona](/people/jack-vorona/), DIA." Lieutenant Colonel [Robert Jachim](/people/robert-jachim/) was project manager until Captain [Frederick Atwater](/people/frederick-atwater/) took over as acting manager in the summer of 1983 and Lieutenant Colonel [Brian Buzby](/people/brian-buzby/) on August 15. On August 26 Buzby, Atwater, and Chief Warrant Officer [Joe McMoneagle](/people/joe-mcmoneagle/) briefed Stubblebine on the project and the [Monroe Institute](/organizations/monroe-institute/); the general "directed me to expand the program with quality people, develop a screening program to identify qualified people for the project; and employ advance techniques for intelligence collection." The unit's mission statement now ran to "psychoenergetic communication and psychokinesis."[^1][^2][^4] ### Operations and Training Between March 21 and April 20, 1984, the unit ran eleven sessions for the CIA on the kidnapped Beirut station chief William Buckley; the agency's memorandum of May 1 described itself as "a customer" with "no Agency people or funds assigned," and asked "to continue to call upon CENTER LANE." A contract "with Mr. [Robert Monroe](/people/robert-monroe/) for 'One-on-One' training of CENTER LANE operative" was signed on July 19, 1983; "RAPT Training established" on November 10; a second group began coordinate remote viewing training at SRI on January 15, 1984. On March 13, 1984, the director of the Army staff, Lieutenant General Brown, "directs cancellation of RAPT as CENTER LANE personnel screening vehicle." An Army inspector general team was briefed on April 10, and on May 9 "dialogue initiated with McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company, Huntington Beach, CA to comply with directive to obtain second contractor." Congressional staff heard Vorona's case for restoring the program to the National Foreign Intelligence Program on October 7, 1983, and answered "that there was no security in the NFIP, and since P-6 money is available, it could be dangerous to reintroduce the subject to the Congressional Committees."[^1][^5][^6] ### Transfer Brigadier General [Harry Soyster](/people/harry-soyster/), the new commander of INSCOM, was briefed on July 11, 1984, and on July 13 "formulates decision to discontinue CENTER LANE as an INSCOM project." On August 23 the Secretary of the Army "approves discontinuance of CENTER LANE as Army project, and authorizes negotiations for transfer of Project to DIA or other suitable agency"; Major General Rapmund of the Army Medical Research and Development Command discussed taking its assets on August 1. A memorandum of agreement with DIA was completed on September 18, and on September 28 "CENTER LANE ceases operational collection activities." After DIA asked for the personnel to be detailed rather than transferred, INSCOM approved interim operational control on December 11, 1984; the memorandum was signed for DIA by Lieutenant General Williams on March 7, 1985, and the project passed to DIA, where it became [Sun Streak](/programs/sun-streak/).[^1] [^1]: US Army Intelligence and Security Command, "List of Events from September 1977 to January 1986," CIA-RDP96-00788R001100020001-8; the scan's table columns are reflowed by OCR and some dates are uncertain. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. [^2]: Jachim, Robert J., memorandum "Briefing for MG A.N. Stubblebine III," October 8, 1982, CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220022-7; Buzby, Brian, memoranda "CENTER LANE Briefing for CG, USAINSCOM," August 29, 1983 (CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220011-9), "Meeting With MG Stubblebine on 30 November 1983," December 6, 1983 (CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220010-0), and "Meeting with MG Stubblebine on 6 January 1984," January 17, 1984 (CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220009-2); letter of the ACSI to Stubblebine, "CENTER LANE," April 1983 (CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220002-9). Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. [^3]: Buzby, Brian, memorandum "Briefing to Senator Wallop, 5 October 1983," October 14, 1983, CIA-RDP96-00788R001700270015-0. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. [^4]: US Army Intelligence and Security Command, "Briefing - Project Center Lane," c. 1984, CIA-RDP96-00789R002100180002-8. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. [^5]: Buzby, Brian, "Purpose: To Provide an Overview of Center Lane," May 4, 1984, with the CIA memorandum "Comments on Recent CENTER LANE Experience," May 1, 1984, CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220003-8. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. US Army Intelligence and Security Command, information paper "The Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences," January 5, 1984, CIA-RDP96-00788R001700270004-2. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. [^6]: Buzby, Brian, memorandum on the briefing of Congressional intelligence committee staff of October 7, 1983, October 14, 1983, CIA-RDP96-00788R001700270017-8; "ITAOPS Fact Sheet, Inputs for MG Stubblebine," April 10, 1981, CIA-RDP96-00788R001700220021-8. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.