upon the agent selected, may be produced immediately, in a few minutes to an
hour, or they may be delayed for several hours. At the same time, chemical
agents may be used in combination with other agents or with conventional
weapons, disguising and/or complementing the effects of one or both systems.
PART A - CHEMICAL AGENT TERMS
As a prerequisite for understanding chemical agents, you must have a working
knowledge of the terms used in describing chemical agents.
The more
commonly used terms are explained as they apply to military chemistry and
chemical agents. The following is a good reference to enhance understanding
of the terms used in the subcourse.
Aerosol.
1.
A liquid or solid, composed of finely divided particles,
suspended in a gaseous medium. Examples of common aerosols are mist, fog,
and smoke.
Atropine. An alkaloid obtained from Atropa Belladonna. It is used as
2.
an antidote for nerve agent poisoning.
It inhibits the action of
acetylcholine at the muscle junction.
Chemical Agent.
3.
A chemical compound which, through its chemical
properties, produces lethal or damaging effects on man.
Excluded from
consideration are riot control agents, chemical herbicides, and smoke and
flame materials.
Chemical Agent Casualty. A person who has been affected sufficiently
4.
by a chemical agent to prevent or seriously degrade the ability to carry out
the mission.
Chemical Agent Symbol. The US Army code designation of any chemical
5.
agent.
This is a combination of one to three letters or letter/number
combinations; it should not be confused with the chemical formula.
Chemical Compounds.
6.
Chemical mixtures which are not intended to
produce lethal or damaging effects on human beings. Included in this group
are riot control agents, herbicides, and smoke and flame materials.
Chemical Contamination. The presence of a chemical agent on a person,
7.
object or area.
Contamination density of a chemical agent is usually
expressed either in milligrams or grams per square meter (mg/m2, g/m2 ) or
in pounds per hectare (lb/ha). A hectare is 10,000 square meters.
Chemical Weapons System.
8.
An integrated relationship of chemical
agents, munitions, or spraying devices and their mode of delivery to the
target.
CM3404
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