NARRATIVE BRIEF OPN ASPECTS BIO DEFENSE ODS

File: 980409_aug97_decls2_0002.txt
Page: 0002
Total Pages: 5
Subject = NARRATIVE BRIEF OPN ASPECTS BIO DEFENSE ODS                     

Box ID = BX002326

Folder Title = BRIEFING-OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE OPERATIONS                                   

Unit = FORSCOM     

Parent Org = FORSCOM     



                                    U Ngk44§ IF I ED

         .SERUM AVAILABLE FOR ISSUE. INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WAS

          EFFECTIVE AGAINST ASSESSED BIOLOGICAL TIUMT AGENTS, BUT PRIOR

          WARNING WAS CRUCIAL TO ESTABLISHING INCREASED LEVELS OF


          INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE POSTURE. AS OF I JANUARY 1991, THERE WERE

          NO SYSTEMS FIELDED TO DETECT COVERT BIOLOGICAL AGENT ATTACKS,

          WHICH MEANT THERE WAS NO CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE WARNING UNTIL

          AFTER MEDICAL SYMP'IOMS APPEARED, USUALLY TOO LATE TO PREVENT

          DEATH. IN LATE OCTOBER 1990, WITH THE ARMY SERVING AS DOD

          EXECUTIVE AGENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAD EMBARKED UPON AN

          EXPEDITED PROGRAM TO FIELD A COMPREHENSIVE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE

          (BW) DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE GROUND WAR BEGAN. IN JANUARY

          1991, BOTH THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE FIELDED PROTOTYPE AIR SAMPLER

          SYSTEMS AND BIOLOGICAL AGENT DETECTORS THAT COULD PROVIDE NEAR-


          REAL-TIME WARNING OF COVERT ATTACKS INVOLVING ASSESSED THREAT


          AGENTS. THE ARMY AND THE NAVY ESTABLISHED LABORATORIES IN THE


          THEATER WITH SPECIAL UPGRADES TO IDENTIFY AND RAPIDLY CONFIRM ANY

          BIOLOGICAL AGENT USE. A BIOLOGICAL DETECTION SYSTEM, COMPRISED

          OF THE XM2 AND XM10 COMMERCIAL BIOLOGICAL AIR SAMPLERS AND


          ASSOCIATED ENZYME DETECTOR TICKETS, ACQUIRED THROUGH UNITED

                                               WAS FIELDED BY THE ARMY IN


          JANUARY 1991 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE 9th


          CHEMICAL COMPANY, ATTACHED TO THE 513TIl MI BRIGADE, (USARCENT).

          THIS DEPLOYMENT REPRESENTED THE FIRST UNIT AND DETECTOR SYSTEM


          FIELDED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING A BIOLOGICAL


          DETECTION AND WARNING CAPABILITY. THESE ASSETS WERE INCORPORATED

          WITH THOSE OF USCENTAF AND THE                 TO PROVIDE A


          THEATER WIDE BIOLOGICAL DETECTION AND WARNING NETWORK UNDER THE


                                       -00@Fdpp--



                                       UNCLASSIFIED