[Peace-discuss] nbc-e

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

I have been thinking about this for hours since I read this. As many of you 
now know my expertise is nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. During 
Gulf War I, I was assigned  to the 3rd U.S. Army Medical Command's Bauer's 
Raiders (Please read original Gulf War I report at end of email) and headed 
up special projects for DOD over many years.  Given that experience let me 
review what we know about Iraq's previous NBC-E weapons.  Please remember 
that we gave Iraq the NBC agents as verified in the Riegel Report (please see 
separate email).

Nerve- sarin, cyclo-sarin, tabun, soman, multiple 7, Novachuks, and VX;.
Blister- mustard and its variations, Blood- cyanide;   Biological- anthrax, 
botulinium, bacillus globagii, and entire range of food borne and water borne 
agents.

Given these previously known agents we attempted to destroy most of them 
beginning in December 1990 through 1998.  We used high explosives to attempt 
this destruction. However, destruction thorough cannot be completed with sue 
of explosives. Destruction can only be done with confined incineration or 
preferred neutralization. Today, if Iraq still possesses any NBC-E agents the 
planned use of military attacks will only spread these agents to cause 
additional air, water, and soil contamination with serious adverse health and 
environmental effects. If NBC-E agents are released by Iraq, other nations, 
or the U.S. we have potential for serious exposures to U.S. military 
personnel because as verified by the U.S. General Accounting Office and my 
own assigned Army research,  almost all of the gas masks and well over 1/4 
million or more MOPP suits are defective. Military personnel are also not 
adequately educated and trained to operate in NBC-E environments, are not 
prepared to safely destroy NBC-E agents, are unable to provide medical care 
for U.S. casualties much less anyone else who is exposed.  As the 
implementation of this war looms, I fear not for swift completion of an 
initial assault and swift assumed victory in battle but I fear for the 
consequent extended effects once the remaining Iraqi infrastructure with all 
kinds of hazardous materials releases, depleted uranium munitions are used, 
and civilians, understand this is defined as collateral damage, are killed, 
wounded, or made ill as are over 221,000 U.S.  Gulf War I casualties are now. 
WHEN YOU GO TO WAR DEATH AND DESTRUCTION ARE THE ONLY OUTCOMES. They may be 
immediate of delayed.  If Iraq does still possess NBC-E agents then a 
qualified UN team must find and destroy them using incineration and / or 
neutralization techniques not combat attacks with high explosives.           

doug rokke


Bauer's Raiders: Preparing Medical Personnel for War

Captain (Dr.) Doug Rokke
Fall 1992
330th Medical Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve

    The preparations for war take many forms.  Infantry soldiers learn and 
practice their combat skills, truck drivers practice maneuvering their rigs 
to make sure they can deliver supplies, and medical personnel prepare to 
treat the expected combat casualties.  In many cases the selected 
preparations are driven by intelligence reports.  Prior to the start of 
Operation Desert Storm military intelligence reports and threats issued by 
President Saddam Hussein suggested that the potential existed for use of 
nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) chemicals.
    As we prepared for the battle in the Deserts of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and 
Iraq, Col. D.G. Tsoulos, Commander 3d U.S. Army Medical Command and other 
unit commanders recognized the need to ensure that their personnel could 
provide adequate emergency medical care to conserve the fighting strength in 
an NBC environment.  This need required an assessment of medical 
capabilities.  Four areas were identified in which additional training was 
needed.

    Identification of Training Needs

    First, an assessment of emergency medical response capabilities in the 
staging areas located within Saudi Arabia indicated the need to develop and 
implement a plan to respond to medical emergencies resulting from combat or 
disease and non-battle injuries (DNBI).  Second, an assessment of medical 
personnel arriving in Southwest Asia indicated that many medical personnel 
did not have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to provide medical 
care for the expected nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) warfare 
casualties.  Third, the need to provide a NBC defense refresher course for 
operations personnel that was designed specifically for the expected NBC 
problems in the Persian Gulf was identified.  Fourth, the need to design and 
construct decontamination facilities, prepare standard operating procedures, 
and train personnel to provide decontamination was identified.  In order to 
provide the identified training a special operations team was authorized.

    Bauer's Raiders

    Consequently, Bauer's Raiders, the 3d U.S. Army Medical Command theater 
nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare special operations planning and 
teaching team was formed.  Bauer's Raiders was led by COL (Dr.) Ulrich Bauer, 
currently 42d Division surgeon.  The other members included COL.(Dr.)Andras 
Kornegy-Both, a physician; COL. (Dr.) Thomas Little, a physician; LTC (Dr.) 
Harry Ellis, a toxicologist; Major John Shanks, a registered nurse; CPT (Dr.) 
Doug Rokke, a technology educator and physicist; CPT (RET) Charles Blisset, 
an engineer; MSG Charles Fails, 3rd U.S. Medical Command NBC Operations 
Section Chief; and SFC Rolla Dolph, a combat medic and NBC operations 
sergeant.  Each team member had prior combat experience and was a qualified 
medical and NBC instructor.     The first priority was to provide emergency 
medical care for units as they arrived and prepared for combat in echelon 
above corps areas near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  In response, Bauer's Raiders 
developed and implemented an emergency medical response force at Eskan 
Village and in the vicinity of Riyadh.  Civilian emergency medical personnel 
who were now on active duty and active component counterparts were identified 
and emergency medical sites were identified, supplied, and staffed to ensure 
rapid delivery of emergency medical care.
    The second priority was to develop and provide the identified training.  
The training covered four areas.    Bauer's Raiders developed and taught the 
Operation Desert Storm combat lifesaver short course; the medical management 
of chemical, and biological casualties course (a modified Aberdeen Proving 
Grounds course); and the Operation Desert Storm NBC defense/ 54B refresher 
course.  They developed standard operating procedures for decontamination of 
and treatment of NBC casualties.  This team also designed and supervised the 
construction of the NBC decontamination facilities and provided operations 
assistance throughout the echelons above corps, corps, and coalition forces.

    Combat Lifesaver Course

    The Desert Storm combat lifesaver course was designed around the standard 
emergency medical technician refresher course approved by the American 
College of Orthopedic Surgeons and Department of Transportation.  The 
objective was to provide non-medical personnel with the skills necessary to 
sustain life until advanced medical care could be obtained.  U.S. Army and 
U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in the vicinity of Riyadh, Damaam, King 
Kahlid Military City, and along the Tap Line Road completed the course.  
Mission and time constraints necessitated that the course length not exceed 
one duty day.  Consequently, instruction focused on essential emergency 
medical skills.  An introduction to intravenous therapy and emergency first 
aid related specifically to problems in Southwest Asia were also included.  
After action reports indicate that seven out of ten casualties were initially 
treated by soldiers who had completed the combat lifesaver course.  

Medical Management of Chemical and Biological
Combat Casualties Course

    The medical management of chemical, and biological casualties course (M2 
C3) was based on the course taught at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.  The course 
consisted of a theater specific threat briefing; discussion of the signs, 
symptoms, and consequences of chemical and biological agents; an overview of 
decontamination procedures; and an in depth discussion of emergency medical 
care procedures.  Over 800 medical personnel completed the ten hour course 
prior to initiation of the ground war phase of Operation Desert Storm. 

    NBC Refresher Course

    The 54B / NBC defense refresher course was modeled after the course 
developed by the 5035th USARF school and 4th U.S. Army Readiness Group.  The 
sixteen hour course consisted of an introduction to projected Operation 
Desert Storm NBC tasks; a theater specific threat briefing; anatomy and 
physiology; detection; NBC reporting procedures; decontamination; sustainment 
training; equipment maintenance; NBC supplies; development, distribution, and 
use of standard operating procedures; questions and answers; and a summary.  
Approximately 100 NBC operations personnel assigned to the 3d U.S. Army 
Medical Command (MEDCOM), 3d U.S. Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM), and the 
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) completed the refresher course.

    Decontamination

    The need to ensure adequate decontamination resulted in the development 
of a standard operations procedure (enclosed) consisting of an introduction 
and sections on (a) medical support in chemical operations, (b) planning for 
the management and treatment of contaminated casualties, (c) site selection, 
(d) identification of decontamination supplies (medical and non-medical), (e) 
specific decontamination procedures, and (f) fabrication of the 
decontamination stretcher.  The objective of this SOP was to provide medical 
personnel with the guidance needed to complete gross decontamination and 
provide emergency medical stabilization of NBC casualties.  Over 1200 medical 
personnel were trained and certified to staff NBC decontamination stations 
prior to the initiation of the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm.

    Impacts

    The training programs developed and taught by Bauer's Raiders contributed 
to the success of Operation Desert Storm.  While many military training 
programs are not discussed over the civilian and military radio system, the 
NBC training programs were discussed and many individuals decided to attend 
the courses as a result of the press releases that were distributed and 
interviews that were conducted and broadcast by the Armed Forces Radio 
Network.  Some command personnel think that one factor that influenced Iraq 
not to utilize chemical and biological weapons was the readiness of U. S. 
military personnel to operate in and provide the necessary medical care in an 
NBC environment.  
    Since the end of the Persian Gulf War, Bauer's Raiders and trained 
medical personnel have trained additional military personnel and many 
civilian medical, fire, and police personnel.  Feedback from U.S. Army, U.S. 
Air Force, and civilian emergency response personnel obtained during training 
conferences indicate that the knowledge and skills that were acquired have 
been beneficial in improving civilian and military emergency response during 
hazardous materials incidents.

    Conclusion

    The most important lesson to be learned is that specific training needed 
to sustain the fighting force must be developed and implemented to meet 
combat and non-combat needs during any military operation and that this 
knowledge is useful in military and civilian incidents.