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              MOBILITY/COUNTERMOBILITY/SURVIVABILITY

     TOPIC:  Wear rubber boots and gloves (MOPP gear)  in desert
warfare.

     OBSERVATION:   Wearing rubber gloves and boots in hot
weather causes many problems.    The hands, which are the least
susceptible parts of the body to chemical exposure, quickly
become soft making them very susceptible to chemical exposure
and mechanical injury.    The feet also become soft, but can
develop a host of other related problems such as trench foot.

     LESSON LEARNED:   (1)  Do not wear rubber gloves and boots
in desert warfare unless direct exposure to liquid mustard
agent is imminent.    (2)  Find clean areas to get relief from
wearing rubber gloves and boots before softening of the hands
and feet, as well as other associated medical problems, set in.

     VIEWER NOTES:


     TOPIC:  Chemical Alarms.

     OBSER\7ATION:  The D4-S chemical alarm detects nerve agents
only.   The Iraq army has and uses munitions filled with blister
agents (i.e.,  sulfur mustard).   They also mix Gagents blister
agents and conventional munitions.    In this case the alarm
would indicate the presence of a nerve agent and miss the
presence of the blister agent.    A different response is
required for nerve agents than for blister agents or a mix of
agents.

     LESSON LEARNED:   (1)  Educate all users of the M-S alarm.
(2)   Immediately conduct a M-256 ticket test for each ~-8
detection.   (3)   Always expect rear area units, artillery
positions1  CPs and other fixed or semi fixed units to sustain an
attack of mixed agents.    (4) Use the nose as a very sensiLive
detector of mustard agents.    Have soldiers immediately mask if
they smell strange and unexplained odors on the battlefield
once chemical attacks,   using mustard, have been initiated.
(The nose is more sensitive to blister agents than most
alarms.   The sulfur mustards that the Iraq army uses smell much
like garlic or new-mown hay, and the nose can smell this in
extremely low doses.    But mustard agents quickly deaden the
olfactory nerves (sense of smell), and secondly,   not everyone
will recognize mustard 5 characteristic odors.    Therefore,
soldiers should immediately mask when they 5mLll strange odors
because if it is mustard1 and they don't mask, they `~ill
concl~Je that they really didn't sm~ll anything due to their
lost sense of smell.    Intelligence and experience fa~tors
should mitiqate over reaction to false alarm.

     VIEWER NOTES:


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