■ Unusual types of bomblets found in the area.
■ Swarms of insects, such as mosquitoes, suddenly appear after aircraft have dropped
containers that did not appear to have any immediate effects.
■ A marked increase in the unit sick call rate.
c. Samples of suspected biological contamination must be obtained and sent to a laboratory,
cultures grown, and then identification made. The identification of biological agents is difficult and
time consuming. In many instances, decontamination procedures will be initiated before the agent can
be identified. The assumption must be made that the most resistant form of a micro-organism or
bacterial spore has been employed. Detection procedures will be based on this assumption.
PART B - RADIOLOGICAL DETECTION METHODS
1.
Radiological Contamination.
a. Under the threat of or in actual nuclear warfare, units in the field must continually evaluate
the impact that enemy use of nuclear weapons could have on the conduct of operations. Casualty-
producing levels of fallout can extend to greater distances and cover greater areas than most other
nuclear weapon effects. Such fallout levels can influence actions on the battlefield for a considerable
period of time.
b. The neutron-induced area is small by comparison with the fallout area produced by the same
yield nuclear weapon. It is often contained within the area of greatest destruction and collateral
obstacles (tree blowdown, rubble, and fire). Frequently, there will be no need to enter the neutron-
induced area.
c. The dose rate at any location within a radiologically contaminated area does not remain
constant. It decreases with time. Thus, in time, a radiation hazard will be of no military significance.
The rate at which this decay takes place also varies with time, generally becoming slower as time passes.
d. Radiological monitoring is the detection of radiation and the measurement of dose rate with
RADIAC instruments. Monitoring of the unit area alerts the commander to a hazard that otherwise
would go undetected and unmeasured. A radiological survey is the directed effort to-determine the
degree and extent of contamination.
2-8
CM 2506
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