Forces on the move may encounter airborne vapor hazards or contaminated
terrain even though the units were not directly attacked by CB agents.
Contaminated areas may be the result of prior attacks by Threat Forces or
attacks by friendly forces against the enemy.
1.
Protection capabilities.
If chemical or biological agents have been used at all, soldiers must be
prepared to defend against them at any time. Often, if agents have been
used, commanders will have received NBC reports indicating the location
of contaminated areas.
The commander may have been informed that the
unit is approaching a downwind hazard area. This is the area downwind of
a chemical attack where the chemical cloud may still be dense enough to
be hazardous to personnel.
Contaminated areas may be marked by
contamination markers.
NOTE
A contaminated area will not have a boundary line in the sense
that all chemicals are on one side of the boundary and none
are on the other side.
Instead, contaminated areas will
contain lesser amounts of agents in outlying areas.
These
amounts will decrease until an area is free of all chemical
agent. Markers will be placed just outside the contaminated
area.
Occasionally, however, a contaminated area will be encountered that has
not been identified previously. When that happens, information about the
area must be sent to higher headquarters in an NBC 1 Report. If time
permits, the commander may direct the chemical detection teams to make a
contamination. Before beginning this reconnaissance, the personnel must
so. The individual protective mask with the hood attached completes the
protection required for personnel conducting reconnaissance.
2.
Battle Dress Overgarment (BDO).
Standard A Battle Dress Overgarment (BDO) consists of the protective
cover. The BDO is issued to all soldiers as a combat uniform when under
imminent threat of a chemical attack and after chemical operations have
been initiated. The Battle Dress Overgarment (BDO) ensemble is permeable
clothing. It is normally Worn over the duty uniform. The overgarment
consists of one coat, also called a shirt, and one pair of trousers.
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