1966 US Army Vietnam War ARMOR ... - Survival Books

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMto allow the overall mission to be ac-of specially trained individuals in thecomplished.unit and with the unit's decontami-(2) Effect on unit mission. A decision of a nation equipment. Second echelon deunitcommander to carry out a decon-contamination will be accomplishedtamination operation will be based onsufficiently to allow the unit to accomtheeffect it will have on the unit mis-plish the assigned mission.sion. The expense in materials, time, (3) Third echelon decontamination is thatand labor involved in the deconta-decontamination which is beyond themination operation must be consid-capabilities of the using unit. Thirdered and compared with the time lostechelon decontamination will be actothe unit mission in avoiding or by-complished by specially trained, spepassingthe contamination. (For in-cially equipped units. Third echelonformation on unit procedures, see FMdecontamination will reduce -the haz-21-40.) ard to as low a level as possible.(3) Conditions. Conditions which mustexist before decontamination is und.General Types of Decontamindnts.(1) General. There are three generaldertaken include the following: types of decontaminants that are(a) The area or object must actually beavailable in the field for use in a decontaminatedwith toxic chemical contamination operation: natural,agents or radioactive material orstandard, and miscellaneous. Any ofevidence must indicate that a bio-the three types of decontaminantslogical hazard exists.may be employed either jointly or in-(b) There must be a necessity for de-dependently to accomplish a decontacontamination.mination mission.(c) Suitable and practical means of decontaminationmust be available.(2) Natural decontaminants. The commonor natural decontaminants are nor-(4) Time factors. Time factors which mally available for use in decontashouldbe considered before deconta-mination. These are weather, fire,mination is undertaken are as fol-earth, and water.lows: (3) Standard decontaminants. Standard(a) The time which the contaminationwould remain if left alone.decontaminants are those chemicalsthat have been especially designed(b) The time which the contaminationand are issued for decontamination,may be allowed to remain without to include GI soap. Six chemicals areinterfering with the unit mission.presently issued for the purpose of(c) The time which would be requiredto conduct a decontaminationdecontamination. The standard no-menclature is given below, along withoperation.the common name, for each of thesec. Echelons of Decontamination. decontaminants.(1) First echelon decontamination is thatropical(a) Decontaminatingbleach,Agent,bleach,STBor T).(sudecontaminationperformed by the individualon himself, his personal (b) Decontaminating Agent, DS2equipment, and possibly on his assignedequipment. First echelon de-(DS2).(c) Decontaminating Agent, Biological,contamination will be accomplishedBPL (beta-propiolactone or BPL).sufficiently to allow the individual to (d) DANC Solution, M4 (DANC).continue his assigned mission. (e) Vesicant Agent Protective Oint-(2) Second echelon decontamination is ment, M5 (M5 protective ointthatdecontamination performed byment).unit personnel under the supervision (f) Soap, Ordinary (GI soap).407