Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search

Subject: MEMORANDUM                                                      

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003203

Folder Title: PM STAFF                                                                                        

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:        128






              The division has done a good job with preventing heat injuries.
    Although we have had tens of cases of dehydration-"at exhaustion since we

       at injuries has been surprisingly low. The secret to this success story has
  teen serious committment to pushing water and making it readily available.
    This has occasionally been a little difficult for units maneuvering out in                                          the
    desert, but it's the way to go.                     I'm told that the Division took seriously
    the lessons learned in Panama in December and over time in ne Sinai.
              Diarrhea has been a problem at our base, but not at another where one                                     of
    our brigades is deployed. Without the luxury of a detailed epidemiciogic
    investigation, I think the difference has been general levels of sanitation.
    Specifically, the Bde with the favorable experience has been able to house
    their soldiers in an erstwhile guest-wor@@er camp, where soldiers sleep @--6 to
    a room, and toilet and sink facilities are in reasonable quantities. At our
    base, with two brigades, mast soldiers, including me, are housed in warehouses
    and maintenance buildings, where ratios of commodes:people were 1:150 or
    worse. (One large maintenance building sleeps over 1000 soldiers - the Bde
    Surgeon figured out that the average GI there has about 16 square feet. On
    the plus side, the building is air conditioned.) Further, the commodes were
    of the near-East style. Lssentiallv a hole in the floor, with a hose an the
    wall for Qcst-defecation cleansing. Toilet paper @or other paper) aid not
    agree with +he plumbing, so stcopages and piles of feces often occurred.
    Outdoor, 4 ho@e latrines, with drums uncerneath were slow in coming.                                             We now
    have more than enough of them and a contrac@ truck sucks out the waste twice
, so the
    Korean contractor was still going through the final start-up trial runs of the
    water system and sewage treatment plant. Because the water supplies were
    marginal in amount (base designed for 2@-00 people; our population is more than
        that), there were periods when strict water conservation measures were in
    Oect ( no showers, no laundering clothes), or when the water supply was cut
    off entirely. Until there were enough commodes, vou can imagine the effect of
    having no water to +lush the few existing commodes or to wash one's hands. The
    situation has improved now considerably, but continuing issues are tie
    actability of the water supply and +lies. The water suoply is produced from a
    deec ,.jell with high Total @nissol-;ed Solids (-about                               .7.c,'L).  Treatment @ a
    .la -and filtration and reverse c--.Tcsls, ::roducirg a final zroc:uc@                                           TDa-
                    roLtnci t:C'(" but lately getting zot-in to .iear -:E.                                           .5
    also -ourine, out te operators @-eemeo --allsfiL-d with levels of (').::                                            ,
    .Qe         to L:--eo pusning tiem to get                  @t.o to at le-As-,            .   @'ll b=tcl-@ t=?=-"s
    -iave been                   for --cli@orms, so              .@,as teen fortunate @-4t @-jL                      -a safe
    running water system.              3LitpLit capacity of over                        g-=kis 7er @l:,v r,-=LS .been
    @a:ied by our population. -owever, as well as occasional nain@Tnanca @-71LLtdcwnc-.
    A continuing irritant is tie contractual rLouirLment for the grass :n 'he
    soccer @4p-ld -anci few small ciatc:hes of grass tc) be watered                              pat-Able
    I-tlier                   "=-shrubs, --alm                -'IL7tqers) re conrect2ii          to r@-A ,-rer
ei-@qe
    treatment plant.
              Although living zzrdit4ons Fire                          close, URIs have          rot been -1 big
    zrobIE?m, although ralati,.,21y c:=,.nmon.                7                   have been      -7,4f!@c:ted with
    -he 4c'lcviin@: --c)re                  i-OM rel-;kti'   ''el i' 712W BOO@S; ;ZC':                         -Cic;
    -'iarrhea, after avoiding @@ for at !Last l@- days; nLar-bli=--=-rc- on one hLL1:
    :k toothache associated with -R @empcr.=try c:zo.                     The -i-rrhlzt lers 4-
                                                                                                          of :-in@@nr@4n
                    tje have no hznd,.,                                                  3aud,
    -jilling
                to provide that -support, -,Lt+' @.,e -:k,@e not pushed 4t --o far

Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search

Document 7 f:/Week-36/BX003203/PM STAFF/memorandum:12069615355318
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003203
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = PM STAFF
Folder Seq # = 128
Subject = MEMORANDUM
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 06-DEC-1996