Student Handbook |
TERMINAL
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1.
Given a
simulated NBC contaminated environment (day and night) and individual combat
equipment, perform MOPP gear exchange and casualty decontamination, per the
reference. (FMST.02.14)
ENABLING LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
1.
Without
the aid of reference materials, given a list of guidelines, identify the
guidelines for conducting MOPP Gear Exchange, per student handout.
(FMST.02.14a)
2.
Without
the aid of reference materials, given a list of procedures, identify procedures
for MOPP Gear Exchange, per student handout.
(FMST.02.14b)
OUTLINE
A.
PURPOSE
OF MOPP GEAR EXCHANGE.
Operational decontamination, which is done at the battalion level,
generally follows immediate decontamination, which is done by the individual.
The purpose of operational decontamination is to reduce the level of
contamination to regenerate needed combat power.
Operational decontamination will further reduce the risk of contamination
transfer, the spread of contamination, and speed the weathering process by
removing much of the gross contamination.
B.
PLANNING
PROCEDURES FOR DECONTAMINATION. Operational
decontamination requires a considerable amount of planning
in order to ensure it is properly executed.
However, operational decontamination requires a minimal amount of people
and equipment, therefore assets should be easily accessible.
1.
Responsibilities.
a.
The
contamination unit. Squad size elements (10-13) and occasionally platoon sized
elements (35-40) will conduct operational decontamination.
The contaminated unit is responsible for the decontamination of its
Marines, Sailors, and equipment.
b.
The
Battalion Command Operations Center (COC). The COC
coordinates operational decontamination operations. If the battalion has no decontamination assets or more assets
are required, requests will be submitted to the next higher headquarters for
needed support. Assets may then be
made available to the requesting unit.
2.
Phase
of operational decontamination.
a.
Preparation
Phase.
1)
Request. The commander of the contaminated unit decides when to
conduct operational decontamination, and calls the battalion COC to request
support.
2)
Coordination. The COC directs the battalion decontamination team where to
meet the contaminated unit. After
the contaminated unit chooses the location.
Decontamination sites can be pre-selected but they may or may not be used
depending on the current tactical situation.
3)
Site
selection. The contaminated unit chooses the site where they
will conduct operational decontamination, in coordination with its battalion.
Generally, the contaminated unit has the most complete knowledge of local
conditions and is best qualified to select the decontamination site.
Several factors must be taken into consideration:
a)
Good overhead concealment.
b)
Good drainage.
c)
Off the main route, but with easy access for vehicles.
d)
Wind direction must be taken into consideration when selecting the site.
e)
Large enough area to handle vehicle washdown and MOPP gear exchange for
squad size element (100 square meters per site).
f)
A
water source. Make use of any available water source to minimize the
acquisition of water to fill bladders. Plan
for 100 to 150 gallons of water per vehicle.
Take into account that larger vehicles and vehicles with large amounts of
mud will need more water.
4)
Rendezvous. The contaminated unit’s company supply section will bring
replacement MOPP gear, decontaminates and skin decontamination kits to the
rendezvous location. Supply
sections have little organic security, so local field Standard Operating
Procedures (SOP) should provide for the security and rendezvous procedures for
all parties involved to avoid confusion, delay, or confrontation with enemy
forces.
5)
Site
setup. An operational decontamination site requires little setup and
preparation. The site setup
requires the decontamination apparatus to be set along the roadway ready to
dispense hot soapy water. MOPP
gear exchange can set up by two Marines, approximately fifty meters upwind of
the vehicle washdown site. If you
must use the M17 Sanator water bladder, additional time will be required for
site setup to fill the bladder.
b.
Execution
phase. This is the phase when the unit actually conducts MOPP gear
exchange and vehicle washdown.
1)
Site
control and security. Vehicle commanders maintain proper intervals as they move
their vehicles through the site. Drivers
maintain visual contact with one another to know when to move from concealment
to the washdown area. Units will
provide their own security as MOPP gear exchange and vehicle washdown are
conducted.
2)
Processing. Each vehicle receives a 2 to 3 minute vehicle washdown with
hot soapy water. Following the
washdown, each vehicle will move to the MOPP gear exchange site and unload
Marines to conduct MOPP exchange. For
planning purposes, the vehicle washdown site will process one vehicle every 2 to
3 minutes and the MOPP gear exchange will take approximately 30 minutes.
For a squad size element, estimate 45 to 60 minutes for vehicle washdown
and MOPP gear exchange, if both are executed concurrently.
3)
Site
clearance phase. Although operational decontamination is done rapidly with
little site preparation, these areas will be contaminated when the operation is
completed. This could be a hazard
to friendly forces reoccupying the area. So
clean up is required.
a)
Cleanup. Any reusable equipment will be decontaminated and all trash
will be placed in double trash bags and taped before being buried.
Once the trash is buried, the hole must then be covered with super
tropical bleach (STB).
b)
Burning. Burning the trash can create downwind vapor hazards.
If the gear had been burned, higher headquarters will need to be notified
so appropriate vapor hazard predictions could be sent to any units in the area.
c)
Marking
and reporting. The area that was used for the site must be marked with
appropriate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) markers.
And downwind hazard predictions must be sent to any unit that might be
affected by the contamination.
C.
GUIDELINES
FOR CONDUCTING MOPP GEAR EXCHANGE.
1.
MOPP gear exchange is preferably conducted within six hours of
contamination.
2.
Where to conduct MOPP gear exchange:
a.
In the unit’s area of operation.
b.
Well protected site (cover and concealment).
3.
If at any time during MOPP gear exchange the Marine thinks he may have
contaminated his skin, he must stop and conduct immediate decontamination.
4.
Optimum unit size is 10 to 20 Marines (squad size unit).
5.
Formation of “buddy teams”.
6.
The Marines in each buddy team alternate as they go through step 1.
At step 2, one team member proceeds through step 8 before alternating.
This will ensure there is no spread of contamination onto skin or
undergarments.
7.
To reduce the spread of contamination, contaminated equipment and trash
must be contained.
D.
EQUIPMENT
NEEDED TO CONDUCT MOPP GEAR EXCHANGE. Each Marine conducting
MOPP gear exchange must have an uncontaminated suit including boots and gloves.
Each Marine also needs either a M258A1 of M291 decontamination kits.
One pound container of Super Tropical Bleach (STB) (for dry mix) and long
handle brushes are needed for the individual gear decontamination. The STB dry mix is mixed two parts STB with three parts
earth.
E.
PERSONNEL
REQUIRED FOR MOPP GEAR EXCHANGE. Two Marines are required
to set the site up. Also needed are
unit supply personnel to distribute new chemical protective clothing.
Additionally a team leader and an assistant are needed to control the
MOPP gear exchange. The team leader
and his assistant will stand in the middle of a circle and demonstrate each step
to the other Marines.
F.
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF TEAM LEADERS.
1. Maintain complete
control of all personnel and procedures.
2. Ensure all guidelines
are followed.
3. Conduct liaison
with supply and support elements.
4. Select site and
supervise set-up.
5. Supervise site
closedown.
G.
PROCEDURES
FOR MOPP GEAR EXCHANGE.
1.
Step
1. Decontaminate individual gear. Performing this step removes gross contamination from
individual gear (weapon, helmet, load-bearing equipment, and mask carrier).
a.
Form two columns.
b.
Start with the team leader and assistant.
Decontaminate all individual gear (rifle, helmet, 782 gear, etc.).
this is performed by placing the contaminated gear inside the bucket of
STB dry mix and scrubbing it with long handle brushes.
c.
Place clean gear (decontaminated) on covered ground (poncho, plastic,
etc.).
2.
Step
2. Prepare for decontamination. Performing this step allows the Marines to remove his
over-garment trousers and over-boots at a later time. It also allows for the hood to be rolled easily.
a.
Marines should be grouped into pairs and will be directed to their
places in a circle by the team leader.
b.
There should be enough room between pairs (1-3 meters) to conduct all
procedures without interfering with each other, or spreading contamination.
c.
The Marines to be undressed first is on the outside of the circle.
He is considered the “clean” Marine.
d.
All discarded gear will be placed on the inside of the circle behind the
“dirty” Marine.
e.
Unfasten the shoulder straps on the hood, pull them over the shoulder,
and reattach the fasteners.
f.
Loosen the draw cord on the hood and remove any M9 tape from
over-garment.
g.
Untie draw cords on over-garment trouser legs, unzip trouser legs and
roll up a cuff in the trouser legs. Ensure
the cuff does not come above the top of the over-boots.
h.
Unfasten or cut fasteners of the Green Vinyl Over-boots (GVO) or untie
the laces on the protective over-boot.
3.
Step
3. Decontaminate and roll hood. Performing this step removes gross contamination from the
mask and hood. The squad leader and
his assistant supervise the other teams while they go through the steps
themselves.
a.
Decontaminate
hood using M258A1 Decontamination Kit.
1)
Start with packet two.
2)
Decontaminate eye-lenses first.
3)
Decontaminate hood from top to bottom using long downward strokes.
4)
Repeat procedures with packet number one.
b.
Decontaminate
hood using M291 Decontamination Kit.
1)
Scrub eye-lenses first.
2)
Decontaminate rest of mask and hood by scrubbing from top to bottom.
c.
Roll
hood.
1)
Start by decontaminating your gloves.
2)
Grab the straps of the hood where they connect to the hood.
Lift the hood straight up off your buddy’s shoulders.
3)
Pull the hood up over the head, until the bottom of the back of the hood
is to the top of the eye lens out-serts, but not covered. Check for contamination on underside of hood and
decontaminate if necessary.
4)
Roll your buddy’s hood. Put
one tuck (about two inches) on the
forehead, then begin rolling (tightly) at
both temples simultaneously by tucking in with the thumbs as you roll toward the
bottom of the zipper.
NOTE: “Clean” Marine places fingers on his voice meter to
prevent breaking the seal on the mask.
5)
Gather excess hood materials and twist together.
Then secure it to the Marine’s canister using draw cord.
4.
Step
4. Remove over-garment and
over-boots. Performing this step limits the spread of agents and helps
prevent agents from penetrating through to the skin or undergarments.
a.
Remove
blouse.
1)
Unfasten three snaps on back of blouse.
Do this by grasping the outside of the over-garment blouse and unsnapping
each snap individually.
2)
Unfasten velcro fasteners at wrist and reattach in the loose position.
Untie draw cord at bottom of blouse, unfasten velcro covering zipper and
unzip blouse.
3)
Grasp blouse by the shoulders and pull back and off.
Have “clean” Marine make two fists so he does not loose his gloves.
4)
Without touching inside of blouse, place the blouse with the charcoal
side up on the deck next to the “clean” Marine’s feet.
b.
Remove
trousers.
1)
Carefully unfasten buttons and unzip the trousers.
Do not loosen waist tab on sides of trousers.
2)
If the Marine is wearing GVO’s have him loosen them by alternately
stepping on the heels and pulling up his foot without taking them off.
3)
Pull trousers down below the clean Marine’s knees.
4)
Instruct the Marine to walk out of the trousers and GVOs, making sure to
step directly onto the charcoal side of his blouse.
5)
If the Marine is wearing GVOs, he will remove his trousers first.
The Marine will then step onto the deck making sure not to step onto the
blouse. He will then remove his
boots (with buddy’s help) and step directly onto the blouse making sure not to
step onto the contaminated deck.
5.
Step
5. Glove removal. Performing this step removes contaminated gloves and, limits
the spread of contamination.
a.
Pull fingertips of the gloves and partially slide hands out.
b.
When fingers on both hands are free, hold arms away from body and let
gloves drop off.
6.
Step
6. Don new protective over-garment. This step restores MOPP protection.
a.
Don
over-garment.
1)
The “dirty” Marine will open the package containing the new
over-garment without touching anything on the inside of the bag.
2)
The “clean” Marine will reach in and pull out the trousers first, if
possible and don them himself.
3)
He will then do the same with the blouse.
4)
All zippers, cords, snaps and velcro will be fastened with the exemption
of the trouser and sleeve cuffs.
7.
Step
7. Don over-boots and gloves. This also restores MOPP protection.
a.
Don
over-boots.
1)
The “dirty” Marine will hold the package containing the over-boots,
making sure not to touch the inside of the package.
2)
The “clean” Marine will reach in the bag, remove the over-boots and
don them.
3)
Once boots are on and laced up, the trouser cuffs will be fastened and
tied.
b.
Don
gloves.
1)
The “dirty” Marine will hold package-containing gloves, making sure
not to touch the inside of the package.
2)
The “clean” Marine will reach in the bag, remove gloves and don them.
3)
Once gloves are on, sleeve cuffs are to be fastened. At this time the Marine will attach new M9 tape.
8.
Step
8. Secure hood. Performing this step restores MOPP protection.
a.
The “dirty” Marine will decontaminate his gloves before unrolling the
“clean” Marine’s hood.
b.
Unroll hood, attach straps and fasten neck cord.
Check zippers and ties on the hood and over-garments to ensure they are
secured.
c.
Repeat steps 2 to 8 for the “dirty” Marine.
9.
Step
9. Secure gear. Once the MOPP gear exchange is completed, Marines will
retrieve individual gear, move to the assembly area and prepare to continue the
mission.
REFERENCES
NBC Defense, FMFM 11-1
Effects of Nuclear Weapons and Directed Energy on
Military Operations
Field Medical Service School
Camp Pendleton, California