January 21st, 2003
by Leona C. Bull
Aerotech News and Review
The Marine Corps and other branches
of the military have stepped up their preparations for biological or
chemical weapons in the event of a conflict with Iraq.
There is, however, skepticism about the adequacy and availability of the U.S.
military's equipment.
Marine officials and some defense analysts say biochemical equipment and
training have vastly improved since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, when they were
found to be largely deficient.
But federal agencies and analysts are worried about the military's supplies of
protective equipment and whether training reflects actual battlefield
conditions.
A General Accounting Office report in October said 250,000 biochemical suits
are defective and unaccounted for in the Army's huge inventory system.
The GAO also said the Pentagon doesn't have enough protective suits for all
contingencies and that the supply problem will only get worse. In its report,
the federal accounting agency said the Marines have less than 50 percent of the
required stock of protective boots ready to go, about half the needed gloves
and about 75 percent of the jackets and pants.
The GAO also contends that the new JSLIST suits -Joint Service Lightweight
Integrated Suit Technology aren't replacing the older ones as quickly as
planned. That means the suit inventory may drop below minimal needs in five
years.
Meanwhile, the Defense Logistics Agency recently confirmed that 80,000 gas
masks with the wrong gaskets were issued to the armed services - including some
to the Navy and Marines - and that 19,000 are still in circulation. A Marine
Corps spokesman said the service is searching its inventory for them.
"I am concerned that Pentagon officials may be downplaying the actual risks to
our servicemen and women, particularly with respect to the preparedness of our
forces for chemical and biological attacks," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.),
a member of the national security subcommittee of the Committee on Government
Reform.
Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), said, "When we go into Iraq,
the Pentagon needs to be absolutely certain no one will be told their mask
can't be fixed because the (Defense Department) bought the wrong-size gasket.
This breakdown of the procurement system also speaks to the larger issue of
chem-bio defense readiness," he added. "Chemical officers continue to tell the
subcommittee (that) commanders do not give CB (chemical and biological) defense
a high priority."
Lt. Gen. Michael Hagee, the incoming Marine Corps commandant, expressed
confidence in the Marines' biochemical defense training and with its supply of
protective suits.
"Over the past year or so we've looked very carefully at our individual
protective equipment to ensure that we have sufficient quantities, which we do,
and that it's in good shape, which it is," Hagee said. "We are ready to fight
whenever the president decides that it's time to fight."
The Marine Corps uses a layered system called the Mission Oriented Protective
Posture suit.
The jacket and pants are made of chemical-resistant synthetic fibers. The gas
mask and shoulder-length hood allow each Marine to breathe safely in a
contaminated area. Rubber galoshes go on over combat boots, and rubber gloves
cover the hands.
With every layer on, Marines are supposed to be protected for up to 24 hours.
Infantry Marines from Camp Pendleton's 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment,
recently began "Gas Mask Wednesdays," requiring 20,000 troops to wear or at
least carry their protective masks all day and to practice about 12 hours every
three months in the full suit, said Chief Warrant Officer Philip Ross, the
battalion's specialist in nuclear, biological and chemical defense. The minimum
requirement for infantrymen is four hours per quarter.
Training allows them to get used to the intense heat - up to 110 degrees -
inside the cumbersome gear, which also constricts vision and makes movement
slower and harder.
Ross compares learning to fight in the suit to a football player learning to
play in pads and gear. "The more you're in it, the easier it comes," he said.
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