OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE

File: 970107_sep96_decls16_0004.txt
Page: 0004
Total Pages: 5

Subject: OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE                                   

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003205

Folder Title: OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE                                                                   

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:         41



     deployed here to constitute the Army Forward Lab (neatly abbreviated AFL to
     balaace the NFL, i.e. the Navy Forward Lab - this i3bscure discussion about
     abbreviations is mentioned primarily +or football fans). We have also
     discus;ed the usefulness and distribution of the SMART kits +or anthrax.
        ce we have reason to believe that these kits are not so "smart", our
        iusiasm -For them has waned, although MAJ Smith will probably take some to
     try them out.

     10. There are now adequate quantities of chloroquine tablets in theater and
     COL Pearlman indicated that an initial proposal was for all Army personnel in
     the theater to begin taking chloroquine when the ground offensive begins.
     That was not his idea. He agreed with our protests about such a plan and s,
     he would attempt to have the proposed policy changed. LTC Harlan has
     determined what regions have, in the past, had endemic malaria, and that
     information was useful in formulating our own proposal for a policy. We are
     wary of the uncertainties related to moving groups of potential reservoirs
     displaced from endemic regions to other regions previously freed of malaria.
     The vectors can be assumed to be just about anywhere. Another potential
     problem is lice on EPWS. We're trying to ascertain how much lindane is
     available in theater.     Some of the hospitals are concerned about what to do
     if injured EPWs are lousy. They don't have any lindane (apparently).             Kwell
     will work +or the individual case. I+ their clothes are disposed of, a cle,
     suggestion has been to clothe them in BDOs or CPDGs which have exceeded the:
     useful lives.    As a result, we will not be burning our expired MOPP suits
     had been described as the recommended means of disposal.

     11. Along with the Bde-wide responsibilities of my new job, I also inherit@
     supervision of the rudimentary Aid Station which my predecessor had set up
y the 175 or so people on our immediate
     compound. I or the 91B medic take care of the simplest of problems, and rel
         others to the nearby Clearing company of Evacuation Hospital (15th out c
         Polk). Thankfully, business is slow. The most patients seen in one day
     has been 3, during our 0900 - 1000 sick call. The variety has included two
     scald burns, two lacerations, a periumbilical abscess, hemorrhoids, vulvitis,
     missed period 5 years after tubal ligation, chronic shoulder pain after
     dislocation last summer, low back pain, colds, ear wax, refill of BC pills,
     etc.   Our medicine stockage is OK, although I'm not iure what I'm going to
     with the 50,000 Tylenol tablets on hand. Nobody has had diarrhea.

     11. I remain well. Because I make an effort not to miss meals, my weight is
     stable. I was recently given a box of the French field rations (Ration de
     Combat Individuelle Rechau+fable), which have a reputation for being
     excellent. I haven't eaten them yet. If you hear reports that the going ri
     of exchange is three MREs +or one French ration, that is true but is not an
     indictment of MRES. The single French ration box contains a whole iday's food
     (@, meals) whereas the MRE is -For one meal. Moreover, the French soldiers
     apparently think that MREs are great. (The grass is always greenEir....
     Included in the French box are a packet of 6 water purification tablets
     (Comprimes de purification de 1'eau de boisson) and three combustible tablets
     +or heating the canned entrees.      My hair is growing in again, to the extent
     that I'm tempted to clip it all of+ again, but I think I'll wait until the
     weather warms a little. I'm typing this on a borrowed laptop in my tent. I
     share a GP Medium with three other males and five females. A curtain made of
     poncho liners visually separates the sexes, but one has to whisper to keep
     conversations segregated by gender. The food here is OK and the latrines are
 I maintained. But the latrine seats (plastic) are cold right now. So far
        e not seen or heard any unfriendly fire and that's fine.          The logistical
     tail +or this operation is most impressive. We hear jets flying overhead, but
     they're so high we can't see them (at night they don't seem to have their
     lights on, +or some reason).      There are an awful lot of helicopters around,
     including French ones. I've never seen helicopters flying so low. They seem
     always to be below 100 feet and usually at about 30 feet or less. We had been

Document 5 f:/Week-36/BX003205/OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE/operation desert storm update:01029715471617
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003205
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE
Folder Seq # = 41
Subject = OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE
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 = 02-JAN-1997