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tested this system, to see if the pumps on the trucks could
adequately soak down the aircraft and remove contamination rapidly.
The first test involved just pumping water through the hoses. This
test determined that the pumps produced adequate pressure and that
the capacity of the tank allowed an eight minute spray. Next, the
decontamination tank trucks were tested on F-lllF and EF-lllA
aircraft, determining which parts of the aircraft required
increased attention during decontamination and also how long the
process took for each aircraft.

	Plain water would adequately decontaminate the aircraft
in most cases, but in order to fully ensure removal and
neutralization of contaminants, the wing planned to add chlorine to
the water. Obtaining proper amounts of chlorine proved a problem,
however. On the first day of operations only plain water was
available. The wing did later obtain the needed chlorine, but held
this in reserve to be used only on aircraft strongly suspected of
carrying contaminants. All returning aircraft also went through a
"wipe and swipe" area, where samples were taken from aircraft
surfaces to test for the presence of contaminants. Initial signs
showed negative, but the final report for the presence of anthrax,
the primary Iraqi biological agent, were still pending as the
period drew to a close. The runoff water from the decontamination
area was contained, with tests performed on this water also as a
double check for possible contamination.

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