Chemically Contaminated Areas: How to Find Them and Bypass Them Quickly

by Captain (PI Robert C. Neumann Introduction One of the continuing trends at the NTC is the inability of task forces to cope with terrain contaminated by persistent chemical agents. Numerous attacks slow down when maneuver elements find a contaminated area and cannot rapidly bypass. The use of persistent chemical agents to create obstacles and deny critical terrain is a tzictic that many of our potential enemies use. This article will provide techniques for what to do when faced with chemically contaminated areas. If possible, NBC reconnaissance units confirm or deny the presence of contamination at the designated NAIs, but if NBC reconnaissance assets are not available, the unit can employ its scout platoons from armor or mechanized infantry battalions. The scout platoon mission training cludes tasks to determine whether NBC contamination exists and its extent. The scouts can find a bypass around contaminated areas as part of their zone, area, and route reconnais-plan (ARTEP 17-57-10 MTP) in-sance. The Contaminated Area The Ground Work The first step is to ensure! NBC is thoroughly integrated into the intelligence preparation of the battlefield. The S2 and chemical officer must accurately determine the enemy’s capability and doctrine to employ chemical agents. Based on the S2’s development of enemy courses of action, the chemical officer must determine where the enemy is likely to employ persistent chemical agents. He includes these possible areas of contamination on the enemy situation template. If they affect the maneuver plan, he then designates templated contaminated areas as named areas of interest (NAI). The S2 and chemical officer then develop a collection plan to coordinate information gathering. They jointly develop possible indicators of the contaminated area at the designated NAIs. Once the collection plan is complete, they develop the reconnaissance and surveillance plan. Threat forces use persistent chemical agents to create obstacles, deny terrain, and create delayed casualties. Various systems can deliver persistent chemical agents artillery, mortars, rockets, missiles, aircraft spray tanks, bombs, and land mines. The location and type of target will dictate the delivery system. Artillery or multiple.launched rockets are the most likely delivery system for creating contaminated areas in the forward combat areas. The amount of agent camed by each type of munition varies. To get the best spread of the agent over the target, the munitions are fuzed to burst above the target. When a munition detonates at ground level, it deposits most of the agent in the shell crater, minimizing the contaminated area. When the munitions burst above the target, wind speed and direction directly affect the spread of the agent. As the munition bursts, the heavier droplets will fall faster, and the smaller ones will drift downwind. The most heavily contaminated area is near the burst. The chemical agent will radiate in a bell shape in the direction of the wind. This is important to remember, because the prevailing wind direction will assist you in determining the general orientation of the contamination once you find it. The length of time a persistent chemical agent will remain a hazard depends on many variables: temperature, wind speed, soil conditions, humidity, the type of agent, and soil and foliage. In the case of HD, a persistent blister agent, it will take 10 hours for 90 percent of the agent to evaporate at 86 degrees fahtenheit in sandy soil. A persistent nerve agent, VX, will require 25 hours for 90 percent to evaporate under the same conditions. But it is important always to physically check an area to confirm or deny the presence of chemical agents, rather than to rely on predictions on how long a chemical agent will persist. N BC Reconnaissance By the Scout Platoon While armor or mechanized infantry battalion scout platoons have an implied mission to conduct NBC reconnaissance, they have no established procedures or techniques to guide them to find contaminated areas. The first rule is to employ them in this role only if the templated area directly impacts on the unit’s scheme of maneuver (i.e., the templated area lies astride the axis of advance). A second rule is to employ the entire scout platoon to find the contamination; anything less will ultimately lead to consumFtion of more resources. The third rule is to expect to be contaminated if you are successful in locating the contaminated area, so be prepared to coordinate for and execute a decontamination operation. The scouf platoon must carefully prepare to recon a contaminated area. Precombat checks of all chemical detection and identification equipment is critical. The platoon must have the NBC equipment shown in Table 1. All personal protective equipment is checked and is fully operational before the start of the mission. The preparation of the platoon’s vehicles is important. M9 chemical detector paper is applied along the sides, front, and rear of the vehicle at locations where the vehicle may pick up contamination. The M8 chemical alarm is mounted on top of the vehicle where it is secure and protected from any air currents generated by the movement of the vehicle. Never operate the alarm inside the vehicle without the exit port filter. It is also important to remember that the M8A1 chemical alarm only detects nerve agent vapors and that the alarm may not immediately activate at the edge of a contaminated area. Critical NBC Equipment Equipment Individual Vehicle M8 paper X M9 paper X X M256 X M8 alarm X

X Marking kit X M13 DAP or M11 X Table 1 Figure 1 The platoon moves along a designated route to a point approximately three km from the NAI. At this point, the platoon will assume MOPP

4. If the platoon is approaching from the downwind side of the NAI, the platoon should assume MOPP 4 earlier to prevent casualties from the possible downwind vapor hazard. The platoon will operate in three sections in a platoon vee (figure 1). The distance between individual vehicles in each section is not greater than 400 meters. The distance between sections is not greater than 400 meters. This allows the platoon to check a zone 2000 meters wide. The sections will move in bounding overwatch with the lead vehicle bounding no more than 200 meters. Once a vehicle has bounded, the crew must check for contamination. The crew will perform two checks: air sampling with the M8 chemical alarm, and liquid and terrain sampling with M8 detector paper. Once the vehicle stops, the M8 chemical alarm will activate if there are nerve agent vapors present. One crew member will open the ramp door and test the ground or foliage for contamination using apiece of M8 detector paper attached to a stick. If there is contamination present, the detector paper will immebiately change color. If no contamination is detected, the crew will notify the overwatching vehicle to bound. The platoon will continue to check for contamination through the NAI until one vehicle finds contamination. Once one vehicle finds contamination, the platoon will immediately halt. All vehicles will check for contamination in their immediate area. The platoon leader will report the initial location of the contamination. The platoon will reform into two three-vehicle sections. The section with the vehicle that has found the contamination will then continue to determine the rough boundaries of the contamination. The other section, if uncontaminated, will move to avoid the hazard area and continue with any other reconnaissance tasks. The section at the contaminated area will form a section vee-formation using the vehicle in the contaminated area as the base vehicle. The base vehicle has the mission to continue to move forward and find the far side of the contamination. The crew will continue to check for contamination even 200 meters. The 42 ARMOR -

M8 chemical alann can be reset rapidly by installing the flow meter until the alarms stops sounding. Once the flow meter is removed, the alann is ready to detect nerve agent vapors. Once the base vehicle has stopped detecting contamination, the vehicle will take one more bound (200 meters) to insure that the crew has found the initial far side. The vehicle to the right of the base vehicle will place a marker to designate the initial near side. The vehicle then moves forward 200 meters and checks for contamination. The crew can find two things at this point, contamination or no contamination. If contamination is detected, the vehicle turns 90 degrees to the right and moves 200 meters and checks again. If no contamination is found, the vehicle moves forward 200 meters and checks again. This process of going straight or turning will continue in a box-like movement until the vehicle has crossed the initial far side line, this is the initial right limit of the contamination. The movement of the vehicle depends on the orientation of the contaminated a m. Figures 2 through 5 demonstrate the execution of a mission for various orientations. Once the vehicle has reached the initial far side line, the vehicle will move toward the base vehicle while checking for contamination. The wlul

SrJE zoo metem Figure 2 I I - - I I I I I I I 1 I I IwEu1 IhlumELl IE I I 1- I Figure 4 lwrmiL meters Figure 3 ARMOR - July-August 7997 43 vehicle to the left of the base vehicle will execute the same movement as the right vehicle, except its first turn will be to the left. While this sounds complicated on paper, it is not difficult to execute. The section leader must receive continuous reports from the other vehicles on their findings, positive or negative. From these reports, the section leader will plot the findings to get a general idea of the layout of the contamination. Good navigation skills and navigation aids such as the global positioning system are essential for this operation. Once all vehicles have crossed the initial far side line, the section leader will determine if any of the initial contamination limits (far, near, right, and left) need to be adjusted. Remember that the pattern of contamination is oriented in the direction of the wind at the time the chemical attack occurred. Once the section leader is satisfied that the limits of the contamination have been determined, the section will move to the near side and determine the best mute to bypass the contaminated area. The section will also erect warning markers to indicate the bypass mute and the location of the hazardous area. The best device to use as a marker is a VS-17 panel tied to a camouflage pole or a picket. It is critical that the markers are visible for at least 200 meters. After the section has determined and marked the bypass, the section will remain in the area and conduct soldier skill decontamination (individual wipedown and operator spraydown) as necessary. The section will act as guides until the battalion task force has bypassed the contaminated area; The section will then move to a decontamination site and undergo deliberate decontamination. It is entirely possible that all three scout vehicles are contaminated. If the section has minimized the extent of contamination by strict contamina-tamination should take no more than one hour. The crews, not having dismounted in the umtaminated area, will only require MOPP gear exchange. The vehicles will require an initial washdown, DS-2 application and wait, and a final rinse. No interior decon should be necessary if the crews were careful. Strict contamination avoidamelmitigation procedures will allow the scout section a rapid turnaround time. While this procedure is designed for the six-vehicle Bradley scout platoon, it is easily adaptable for the new 10-vehicle HMMWV scout platoon. The best organization of the HMMWV scout platoon for this type of mission is four sections of two. Two sections and the platoon sergeant will execute the NBC reconnaissance mission, leaving two sections of two and the platoon leader free for other missions. The two sections and the platoon sergeant will use the section vee-formation to in-tially find the contamination. This formation allows the sections to check a zone 1600-meters wide. Once the contamination is found, the vehicle in the contamination becomes the base vehicle and right and left vehicles are designated. The two remaining vehicles attempt to find bypasses around the contaminated area. The Lead Maneuver Element Encounters A Contaminated Area It is possible that the rewnnaissance phase of the operation does not detect a contaminated area. Perhaps the scouts missed the contamination while conducting their reconnaissance, or the templating of the contaminated amas was not accurate. Maybe we just didn't bother to look for the contamination, or the enemy executed the chemical attack after we comnleted our reconnaissance. Whatever the reason that the contaminated area has gone undetected, our lead maneuver element has just entered the contaminated area. Each maneuver element must prepare itself for operations in a contaminated area, just as the scout platoon did. Chemical alarms are mounted, and chemical detector paper is affixed. The unit's first indication that it has entered a contaminated area is most likely soldiers exhibiting symptoms of chemical agent poisoning. The unit must react quickly, take individual protective measures (mask), and transmit a warning. If the unit is in direct-fire contact, continue the mission and fight "dirty." If the unit is not in direct-fire contact, execute a rapid bypass drill. Remember, the enemy has placed that contaminated area out there for a reason. It is an obstacle, and the enemy will have it covered by fire. The longer you stay, the more attrition you will suffer. Once the lead element determines it is in a contaminated area, all elements halt and check their immediate position for contamination. The first "clean" element has found the initial near side. The element in the contaminated area will continue forward, checking for contamination every 500 meters. The unit commander, based on the enemy situation, the terrain, and his assessment of why the contaminated area is there (push us to the south into the fire sack, deny this avenue of approach, etc.) will determine the direction of the bypass. The first "clean" element, based on the commander's assessment, will move 500 meters to the rear (this is the initial near side line). The element will turn 90 degrees to the right or left and move 500 meters. After moving 500 meters, the element will check for contamination. The element can tamination or mi Contamination. If contamination is detected, the element will turn 90 degrees and move 500 meters to the rear and check again. If no contamination is found, find two things at this point, con-tion avoidance measures, the decon- 1 44 ARMOR -

AREA.

Figure 7 the element will turn 90 degrees in the original direction of travel and move 500 meters and check again. This process is continued until the initial far side line is crossed. The purpose of this drill is not to find the limits of contamination, but rapidly to find a contamination free bypass route. The element finding the bypass route should clearly mark the route. VS-17 panels on poles or pickets, colored smoke, or guides are effective techniques for indicating the bypass route. Figures 6 and 7 describe a rapid bypass drill. Conclusion Current doctrine fails properly to address the tactics for dealing with contaminated areas. While a contaminated area by itself will not cause a unit to faibits mission, it can be a contributing factor to mission failure. Numerous times at the NTC, units encounter a contaminated area and:.lead element becomes combat ineffective because of chemical casualties *unit formation is not achieved or is disrupted.unit suffers moderate losses to enemy air and indirect fires while stopped behind the contaminated area.trailing forces move into the contaminated area and suffer losses because area is not marked.unit attempts to fight "dirty" and is quickly attrited because of the degradation caused by MOPP 4. ARMOR - Units must be prepared to find, mark, or bypass chemically contaminated areas during combat operations. NBC reconnaissance units are few and cannot support all units on the battlefield. The two techniques described above will assist units in dealing with chemically contaminated a=. Acknowledgements Many people contributed to the devebpment of these techniques, but these individuals assisted me the most; L E (P) Scott Wallace, CPT BUR Bruce, and CPT Wayne Brainard, all members of the Armor Task Force Training Team (Cobras) at the m. Captain (PI Robert C. Neumann graduated from Norwich University in 1980 with a BS in chemistry. His previous assignments include assistant S3khemical officer, 1-87 Infantry; brigade chemical officer and assistant S3 plans for 2d Brigade, 8th ID; brigade chemical officer for 1st Brigade, 2d AD; commander, 44th Chemical Company, and assistant division chemical officer, 2d AD; and assistant S3 trainer at the National Training Center. He has deployed to the NTC four times, three as a chemical companylteam commander. A graduate of the Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Field Artillery Officers Advanced Course, Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, and the Command and General Staff College, he is currently the brigade chemical trainer at the National Training Center. 45