CHEMICAL DEFENSE EQUIPMENT

• INDIVIDUAL_PROTECTION
• INDIVIDUAL_DECONTAMINATION
• DETECTION_AND_ALARMS
• PATIENT_PROTECTIVE_EQUIPMENT

Listed under each item are the 13-digit stock number for the item and the technical manual (TM) describing the use and maintenance of the item.

This section includes standard "A" chemical defense equipment (CDE) issued to each soldier, which consists of the following:

• M17A2 Protective Mask
• M24 and M25A1 Protective Masks
• M40 and M42 Protective Masks
• Battle Dress Overgarment
• Chemical Protective Gloves and Overboots

Mask, Chemical-Biological: Field

The M17A2 protective mask is designed to protect the wearer from field concentrations of all known chemical, biological, and riot-control agents. When worn correctly, the mask will protect the face, eyes, and respiratory tract. Wearing the ABC­M6A2 Hood (4240­00­021­8695) attached to the M17A2 mask further protects the soldier's head, neck, and shoulder areas.

The protective mask contains two M13A2 Filter Elements (4240­00­165­5026). Filtration through these elements involves two separate but complimentary mechanisms: (1) impaction and adsorption of agent molecules onto ASC Whetlerite Carbon filtration media and (2) impaction on a high efficiency particulate air filter paper of particles with an average diameter of 0.3 microns.

Maintenance, and when necessary, replacement of the crucial filter elements, are of the utmost priority. The filters must be replaced whenever any of the following occurs:

The elements are immersed in water.

The elements are crushed, cut, or otherwise damaged.

Excessive breathing resistance is encountered.

The "ALL CLEAR" signal is given after exposure to AC (hydrogen cyanide) or CK (cyanogen chloride).

Thirty days elapse in the combat theater of operations (the filters must be replaced every 30 days).

Supply Bulletin 3­30­2 indicates lot number expiration.

When ordered by the unit commander.

Mask, Chemical/Biological: Aircraft, ABC­M24

4240­00­808­8799 ­ Small

4240­00­776­4384-Medium

4240­00­808­8798 ­ Large

Mask, Chemical/Biological: Tank, M25A1

Each of these masks, properly fitted and worn, protect the wearer's face, eyes, and respiratory tract from field concentrations of all known chemical, biological, and riot-control agents. The ABC­M7 protective hood (4240­00­021­8695) used with the M24 mask, or the ABC­M5 protective hood (4240­00­860­8987) used with the M25A1 mask will, in addition, protect the head, neck, and shoulders. The aviator draws the M7 hood over his helmet after first donning the M24 mask. Filtered air for each of these masks arrives through a hose attached by a metal connector and coupling to an M10A1 CB canister (4240­00­127­7186) containing the same ASC Whetlerite carbon found in the M13A2 filter elements of the M17A2 mask. The M10A1 CB canister must be changed whenever one of the following occurs:

• The coupling or the connector is bent or heavily rusted.
• The coupling-to-canister connection is not tight.
• The canister has cracks, breaks, or dents over 1/4 inch deep.
• Over 10% of the seams are corroded.
• The canister has been immersed in water.
• Excessive resistance to breathing is encountered.
• Supply Bulletin 3­30­2 indicates lot number expiration.
• Sixty days have elapsed after exposure to a toxic chemical agent.

Only the prong-type of optical insert fits the M24 and M25A1 masks. Neither mask possesses a drinking tube. Wearers must become familiar with the standard procedure detailed in STP 21­1­SMCT, October 1990, Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks, Task # 031­503­1006: Drink from Canteen while Wearing Your Protective Mask. Differences between the masks include the following:

• The ABC-M24 mask has an M­8 oxygen supply adapter (4240­00­848­6074) to be used at altitudes requiring oxygen or when using a bailout bottle.
• The M133/U microphone for the M24 mask and the M116G microphone for the M25A1 mask permit use of the on-board intercom system and the vehicle radios, respectively.
• The M17 carrier for the M24 mask is worn on the right side to prevent interference with controls, especially on fixed-wing aircraft; the M13A1 carrier is worn on the left side.

Chemical/Biological Mask: Field M40

Chemical­Biological Mask: Combat Vehicle M42

4240­01­258­0064 ­ Small	4240­01­258­0065 ­ Medium
4240­01­258­0066 ­ Large	TM 3­4240­300­10
TM 3­4240­300­20

When properly fitted and worn, each of these masks will protect the wearer's face, eyes, and respiratory tract from field concentrations of all known chemical, biological, and riot-control agents. The CB hood (4240-01-260-8723) affords additional protection for the head, neck, and shoulders.

Because both the M40 and M42 masks have drinking tubes positioned around the outlet valve assembly, it is possible to drink water in a chemically contaminated environment. First, the soldier must use M8 paper to verify that the M-1 canteen cap is not contaminated before attaching the drinking tube to the cap. Wearers operating armored vehicles will thus be able to drink water in a contaminated environment.

The only optical insert approved for use in the M40 mask or the M42 mask is a wire-frame type (6540-01-253-8169).

Innovations in these masks include the following:

• Each mask is molded with two voicemitters, one in the front of the mask and one over the cheek. The cheek voicemitter allows the use of the radiotelephone handset without any interference from the protective mask and is interchangeable with the cheek filter canister.
• Each mask uses a NATO standard external filter canister (4240­01­119­2315) of the same type used by both Germany and England. The unit nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) noncommissioned officer (NCO) may position the canister either on the soldier's right cheek or on his left cheek to allow him to fire the M16A2 rifle from his left or right shoulder, respectively.
• Each protective mask is molded in silicone rubber to allow easy fitting of all wearers, including those who require an extra small M17A2 mask.
• Each mask is made with an in­turned-sealing surface around the entire inner edge of the mask. This allows for a more comfortable seal on the soldier's face.
• The eye lenses in each of these masks are 35% larger than the M17A2 mask eye lens and permit greater range of vision.

Battle Dress Overgarment (BDO)

The BDO and DBDO have been designed with new features that increase protection in a chemical environment and make wearing the suit less of a heat burden. The suit has more activated charcoal than the previous model, a novel outer cloth weave, and an outer cloth "scotchguard" type treatment resistant to liquid chemical agents. Because of the increased amount of charcoal, the BDO and DBDO can now be worn in an uncontaminated environment for 30 days following removal of the garment from its vapor-protective bag. This wear time may be extended past 30 days at the discretion of the unit commander. The suit may be worn for 24 hours in a contaminated area. Once the suit has been contaminated, the wearer must replace the suit by using the MOPP gear exchange procedure described in STP 21­1­SMCT, Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks, October 1990, Task # 031­503­1023, Exchange MOPP Gear. The discarded BDO must be incinerated or buried.

The BDO and DBDO are presently produced in both woodland and desert camouflage patterns. The suits have large butyl rubber patches sewn into the elbows and knees to prevent liquid chemical agents from penetrating the suit at these points.

The BDO and DBDO add approximately 11 pounds to the weight already carried by the soldier. In addition, the BDO prevents heat exchange with the environment and may add, depending on the wearer's level of exertion, 10EF to 15EF to his ambient temperature and heat burden. When wearing the BDO or DBDO at MOPP 1 or MOPP 2 and complete encapsulation is not required, certain modifications to the uniform are authorized:

• The trouser leg closures may be unzipped.
• The waist tabs may be loosened.
• The jacket may be unzipped.
• The sleeve Velcro closures may be opened.

This overall loosening of the BDO/DBDO will allow heat to escape as walking and other movements induce a bellows action of the suit against underlying clothing and skin. Because of the weight of the BDO/DBDO, field suspenders (8440-00-221-0852) should be used to allow support of the trousers and as much comfort as is possible.

Gloves, 0.025-inch thickness

The preceding section provided an overview of the primary items of chemical defense equipment which, when used correctly, will prevent contact with agent in typical battlefield concentrations. The problem of decontamination arises when some soldiers, because of bad training, bad discipline, or bad luck, become exposed to liquid agent despite the availability of protective masks and clothing.

This section addresses the two skin decontamination kits and the equipment decontamination kit currently in the inventory.

The kits are fairly simple in design and function, and instructions for their use are straightforward and easily committed to memory. Because of the potency of liquid nerve agents and the rapidly occurring tissue damage caused by vesicants, every soldier must be able to conduct an effective decontamination of all exposed skin automatically and without referring to the instructions printed on the kits.

The kits are as follows:

• Decontamination Kit, Skin: M291
• Decontamination Kit, Individual Equipment, M295
• Decontamination Kit, Skin: M258A1

Decontaminating Kit, Skin: M291

The introduction of this kit marks a new approach to skin decontamination. The M291 Kit consists of six identical packets, each containing a mixture of activated resins. This resin mixture both adsorbs liquid chemical agents present on the soldier's skin and neutralizes agents. The mixture consists of an adsorbent resin, a resin containing sulfonic acid, and a hydroxylamine-containing resin. After masking, the soldier opens any packet from the kit, removes the applicator pad, and applies an even coating of resin powder while scrubbing the entire skin area suspected to be contaminated. One applicator pad will decontaminate both hands and the face, if necessary. If the face must be decontaminated, then the neck (including the throat area) and the ears must also be decontaminated using a second applicator pad.

The black resin powder residue will provide a visual confirmation of the thoroughness of application and will not cause any skin irritation even after prolonged contact with skin. However, normal precautions must be observed so that the powder does not enter open wounds, the mouth, or the eyes. This kit will also be used for training; no training aid will be produced. The issue is 20 M291 Skin Decon Kits per box.

Decontamination Kit, Individual Equipment: M295 (DKIE)

4230-01-357-8456

TM 3-4230-235-10

The M295 DKIE allows for the decontamination of individual equipment through physical removal and absorption of chemical agent with no long-term, harmful side effects. The kit consists of a carrying pouch containing four individual decon packets, enough to do two complete individual equipment decontaminations. Each packet contains a mitt filled with the same decon powder used in the M291 skin decontamination kit. Two packets will decontaminate the protective gloves, M16A2 rifle, chemical protective helmet cover, protective mask hood, load carrying equipment (LCE) and accessories, mask carrying case, and protective boots.

The decon mitt will only remove surface liquid contamination. The equipment that has been decontaminated can still pose a vapor hazard, due to absorbed liquid chemical agent desorbing as a vapor.

The M295 DKIE will be issued to the squad at its lowest point of issue. The M295 DKIE is packaged in a "squad box" with 80 kits in each box. The squad members should be given at least one kit, and the packets for a complete decontamination can be carried in the cargo pocket of the BDO trouser.

As with the M291 SDK, the M295 DKIE will be used for both training and combat.

Decontamination Kit, Skin: M258A1

The M258A1 skin decontamination kit is currently the standard item for the removal and neutralization of liquid chemical agents on the skin. This kit contains three No. 1 packets and three No. 2 packets. Packet No. 1 adsorbs and neutralizes the G-type nerve agents, whereas Packet No. 2 adsorbs and neutralizes the nerve agent VX and liquid mustard. The contents of the packets are as follows:

The soldier must remember that when using packet Number 1, one full minute of wiping the contaminated area is needed. The soldier must also remember that wiping with packet Number 2 must continue for two minutes. Speed and accuracy are critical in the proper use of this kit, and the soldier must have committed the decontamination procedure to memory. The decontamination solution is a skin-burn hazard in sensitive areas of the body and must be kept out of the eyes, mouth, and any open wounds. The kit must also be protected from freezing and prolonged exposure to temperatures greater than 110^oF, and the glass ampoules in Packet No. 2 must be protected from premature breakage which could render the kit useless. None of these disadvantages characterize the M291 Kit, which will soon replace the M258A1 Kit.

The M58A1 training aid was developed to avoid unnecessary exposure to the caustic components of the M258A1 Kit during training and is used in the same manner as the M258A1 skin decontamination kit. The training aid and the decontamination kit are distinguished by packaging color. The M258A1 Kit contains olive drab packets in an olive drab plastic case, whereas the M58A1 training aid contains blue packets in a black plastic case. The content of the M58A1 packets is 2­propanol and water.

For further information on these items see FM 3-4, page 124, and FM 3-5, NBC Decontamination, 17 November 1993, Chapter 2.

This section will describe the equipment issued for detection and identification of chemical agent liquid and vapor in the environment. For both the individual soldier and the unit, these items of equipment are the primary means of identifying the presence and type of chemicals on the battlefield and of determining when a safe condition exists.

These equipment items are as follows:

• Paper, CM Agent Detector: M8
• Paper, CM Agent Detector: M9
• Chemical Agent Detector Kit: M256A1
• Chemical Agent Monitor
• Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm: M8A1
• Water Test Kit, Chemical Agents: M272

Paper, CM Agent Detector: M8

6665­00­050­8529

G: Nonpersistent Nerve: Yellow

H: Blister: Red

V: Persistent Nerve: Olive Green or Black

Paper, CM Agent Detector: M9

The M9 detector paper detects the presence of liquid chemical agent, but does not identify either the specific agent or the type of agent encountered. Each soldier carries one 30-feet long and 2-inch wide roll of M9 paper with adhesive backing to facilitate wrapping a strip of the paper around a sleeve and a trouser leg of the BDO. (Because the indicator dye in the paper is a potential carcinogen, gloves should be worn during application, and the paper should not contact the skin.) The paper is a dull, off-white or cream color in the absence of liquid agent but contains an indicator chemical that, when dissolved in liquid agent, turns a reddish color. When the soldier sees this color change, he must immediately mask, alert others, and if there is any possibility of skin exposure, proceed immediately with skin decontamination.

The M9 paper will detect nerve agent or blister agent droplets as small as 100 microns in diameter. False positive may be seen if the paper is exposed to antifreeze, liquid insecticide, or petroleum products. The soldier's attention to possible interfering substances on the battlefield can help in the later interpretation of a color change in the M9 paper in the absence of confirmation tests for agents. This does not relieve him of the obligation to mask and take other appropriate measures immediately after seeing a color change in the detector paper.

Chemical Agent Detector Kit: M256A1

The M256A1 Chemical Agent Detection Kit is designed to detect and identify chemical agents present either as liquid or as vapor and consists of the following:

• a booklet of M8 paper (previously described) to detect agents in liquid form and
• 12 foil-wrapped detector tickets containing eel enzymes as reagents to detect very low concentrations of chemical vapors.

Instructions for the use of the detector tickets appear on the outside of each of the foil packets and in a separate instruction booklet in the kit. The following chart shows the agents detected by the M256A1 Kit:

By following the directions on the foil packets or in the instruction booklet, a soldier can conduct a complete test with the liquid-sensitive M8 paper and the vapor-sensitive detector ticket in approximately 20 minutes. During the test, the ticket must be kept out of direct sunlight, which speeds evaporation of the reagents. Waving the detector ticket in the air also accelerates evaporation, so the ticket should be held stationary during all parts of the test.

The M256A1 trainer simulator was developed to provide realistic training while avoiding unnecessary exposure to potentially carcinogenic reagents in the M256A1 detector kit. The M256A1 trainer contains 36 pre­engineered detector tickets and an instruction booklet. The pre­engineered detector tickets show color changes comparable to those seen when the M256A1 detector kit is used in clean or contaminated environments. Each training aid detector ticket has a specific code printed on the outside of the foil package. A list of codes is also printed on the inside of the training aid box under the lid, and instructions for the use of the simulator are also included. The codes are shown below.

Chemical Agent Monitor (CAM)

*Concentration reliably detected by kit tests.

Water containing agents in lesser concentrations is permissible for short-term use (up to 7 days) in both cold and warm regions as long as the daily consumption per person does not exceed 5 quarts. Each kit contains enough reagents for tests on 25 separate water samples. The operator can easily conduct the full range of tests in 20 minutes when the temperature is between 50EF and 105EF; at lower temperatures, the water samples and the nerve agent ticket should both be warmed for 10 minutes before beginning testing. Water that is too hot may cause foaming in the detector tubes for Lewisite, mustard, and cyanide; therefore, water at temperatures between 105EF and 125EF should be cooled for at least 5 minutes to reduce its temperature to 105E or cooler.

In this section, the following three items that have been fielded will be discussed:

• Patient Protective Wrap
• Decontaminable Litter
• Resuscitation Device Individual Chemical (RDIC)

8456-01-079-9875

Army Medical Department (AMEDD) doctrine calls for the treatment as far forward as possible of casualties from the integrated battlefield. Because treatment often mandates removal of the BDO and precludes donning replacement BDOs, a patient protective wrap has been developed. This wrap is sturdy and lightweight, weighing approximately 2.7 kg, and it protects the patient from all known chemical agents for up to six continuous hours. It is not designed for use by more than one patient and must be discarded after use.

One continuous zipper around the outer edge of the top sheet provides easy patient insertion into the wrap, and observation of the patient is possible through an impermeable transparent window at the head of the wrap. Below the window, a small transparent pocket is large enough to hold a field medical card or other medical record, and two protected sleeves next to the window permit the passage of IV tubing.

The wrap is designed to be used on a litter but can itself become a field-expedient litter if necessary. Along the sides of the wrap are sleeves through which poles can be inserted. These sleeves have handholds for manual carries when poles are not available. It is recommended that the patient wear the mask while in the wrap, but this is not a requirement; however, before the casualty is put into the wrap, a cardboard insert must first be placed into the wrap to hold the window material away from the patient's face.

Although the protective wrap is permeable to both oxygen and carbon dioxide, the rate at which carbon dioxide is produced by a typical patient exceeds by a small amount the rate at which this gas passes through the wrap. Therefore, the patient should not be left in the wrap for longer than the recommended maximum of six hours.

Decontaminable Litter

6530-01-290-9964

Contaminated casualties arriving at a medical treatment location will in most cases require decontamination prior to definitive treatment. This decontamination process will require the use of the limited supplies of equipment organic to the treatment unit. Ideally, equipment in limited supply should be capable of complete decontamination using field-available methods. However, in tests conducted by the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, canvas litters exposed to liquid blister agents and then decontaminated still desorbed vapors for 72 hours after all surface contaminants were removed.

The decontaminable litter was thus developed to replace the canvas litters currently in use. The new litter is made from a monofilament polypropylene that has high tensile strength and low elasticity. The fabric does not absorb liquid chemical agents and is not degraded by decontaminating solutions. The fabric is flame retardant, highly rip resistant, and treated to withstand exposure to weather and sunlight. The fabric has a honeycomb weave which results in a rough, non-slip surface, and liquids easily pass through the 40% of the surface area that is open. The carrying handles retract into the metal pole frame for a closed total length of 83.5 inches (212.1 cm) to allow for loading the litter onto the UH­60 helicopter. The handles have TWO open positions, 90.0 inches (228.1 cm) and 91.6 inches (232.7 cm). The first position is a NATO standard, and the second position was provided to allow increased gripping comfort by litter bearers. The aluminum poles have been designed to provide direct gripping surfaces for litter stanchions. All metal parts have been painted with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) paint.

Resuscitation Device, Individual Chemical

6665-01-338-6602

The Resuscitation Device, Individual Chemical (RDIC) is a ventilatory system consisting of a compressible butyl rubber bag, a NATO standard C2 canister filter, a nonrebreathing valve, a cricothyroid cannula adapter. and a flexible hose connected to an oropharyngeal mask. The mask is removable from the distal end of the flexible hose for connection of the hose to the cannula adapter. The butyl rubber bag resists the penetration of liquid chemical agent that may be on the chemical protective gloves of operator and is easily decontaminated. The elasticity of the outer cover limits airway pressure to a maximal value of 70 cm H₂O (70 mbar). The device will deliver up to 600 ml of filtered air per cycle at a rate of 30 cycles per minute.

The RDIC will be fielded one per air ambulance, one per ground ambulance, and one per Chemical Agent Treatment, MES.