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thedrifter
04-06-03, 10:15 PM
Posted on Sun, Apr. 06, 2003

Troops, journalists undergo cleanup for nerve gas exposure
By TOM LASSETER
Knight Ridder Newspapers

ALBU MUHAWISH, Iraq - U.S. soldiers evacuated an Iraqi military compound on Sunday after tests by a mobile laboratory confirmed evidence of sarin nerve gas. More than a dozen soldiers of the Army's 101st Airborne Division had been sent earlier for chemical weapons decontamination after they exhibited symptoms of possible exposure to nerve agents.

The evacuation of dozens of soldiers Sunday night followed a day of tests for the nerve agent that came back positive, then negative. Additional tests Sunday night by an Army Fox mobile nuclear, biological and chemical detection laboratory confirmed the existence of sarin.

Sgt. Todd Ruggles, a biochemical expert attached to the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne said, "I was right" that chemical agents Iraq has denied having were present.

In addition to the soldiers sent for decontamination, a Knight Ridder reporter, a CNN cameraman and two Iraqi prisoners of war also were hosed down with water and bleach.

U.S. soldiers found the suspect chemicals at two sites: an agricultural warehouse containing 55-gallon chemical drums and a military compound, which soldiers had begun searching on Saturday. The soldiers also found hundreds of gas masks and chemical suits at the military complex, along with large numbers of mortar and artillery rounds.

Chemical tests for nerve agents in the warehouse came back positive for so-called G-Series nerve agents, which include sarin and tabun, both of which Iraq has been known to possess. More than a dozen infantry soldiers who guarded the military compound Saturday night came down with symptoms consistent with exposure to very low levels of nerve agent, including vomiting, dizziness and skin blotches.

A hand-held scanning device also indicated the soldiers had been exposed to a nerve agent. Two tests at the compound were negative, but further testing indicated sarin was present.

Sarin can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin and is considered one of the most feared but also the most volatile of the nerve agents, chemical weapons experts have said. A cloud of sarin can dissipate after several minutes or hours depending on wind and temperature.

The soldiers, journalists and prisoners of war who tested positive were isolated as everyone else evacuated the area. After about 45 minutes, the group was walked, single-file, down a road for about a city block to where two water trucks awaited them. The men stepped between the two trucks and were hosed down as they lathered themselves with a detergent containing bleach.

1st Lt. Elena Aravjo of the 63rd Chemical Company said she thought there might well be chemical weapons at the site. "We do think there's stuff in this compound and the other (agricultural warehouse) compound, but we think it's buried," she said. "I'm really suspicious of both of those compounds."

The suspicions, or at the very least concerns, were widespread. The 2nd Brigade's commander, Col. Joseph Anderson, toured the site on Sunday, as did Brig. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, the assistant commander of the 101st Airborne for operations. Shortly after, the division commander, Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, also visited the site.

The ranking officers made no official comment about suspected nerve agents. Troops not wearing chemical protection suits later reoccupied the military complex, while sections of the agricultural warehouse remained taped off.

Sempers,

Roger

SGTBLASTER
04-06-03, 11:14 PM
It was at "al jaber airfield" In kuwait during the ground assault, were mustard gas was detected by Marines on the battle field. I came down with those same symtems as we returned to saudi.

It just goes to show that No telling who else was exposed to those same type of chem/agents that may be underground/hidden in the desert. In 1991 In the Storm.

I served with pride and I would do it again but our Govt needs to take care of her Veterans.........We are sick and we are tired of being mistreated..We gave it our all for our country and It is funny how soon people have forgotten how quick we destroyed Saddams Military,One more day thats 24hrs, the republican Gaurd would have been Destroyed, but was denyed. also at the end of the war we were on the doorsteps of baghdad,thats 4 days into the ground war and Saddams troops were trapped and someone better get there facts straight,we paved the way for these troops that are there today........Yes! I am very proud of them and I wished I was there/only a Marine would ever think that way.
Remember! The Storm Vets."ROLLING THUNDER"1991.

Semper FI

ENUFF SAID ?:marine:

SGTBLASTER
04-07-03, 12:20 AM
Why IS he comparing this war with Desert Storm ?

In one way he Is saying "Desert Storm" was a cake walk !
I THINK NOT !!!!!!!!!

I wish these None military people that never served would at least do some heavy research before they make such statements
as he has said ?

Now to set the record straight,We the ones that were there 12 years ago faced his complete military force,he had his military scattered through out southern Iraq and into kuwait,he had his full Navy,Armord divisions,Artilliary divisions,Airforce and of course all his hardend fighters of the Iraq and Iran war.We broke thier will to fight,thats why you seen them surrender by the thousands.
we trapped his military and they had knowhere to go but DIE.

We destroyed 2/3s of his military and was sitting on the doorsteps of Baghdad......thats 4 days of ground Combat so what Is "Sean Hannity" trying to say ?We also used the 15,000 pound airburst bombs known as "THE DAISY CUTTER" also Gen Swartz
"Storming Norming" asked for 24 hrs more and was denyed,he wanted that 24 hrs to completely Destroy the republican Gaurd Units.....If that wish was granted it would have been over with right there......! also the mission was to liberate Kuwait not Iraq and replace his Regime,It could have been done with the swiftness of our great Military forces that fought so bravely to restore the hopes and freedoms to the kuwaity people.

Now that mission was accomplished as orderd by the president of the united states of America,George Bush Sr. and those that gave it thier All.

I fully Support Our Troops on The Ground In Iraq.

Semper FI

lurchenstein
04-07-03, 02:20 AM
Here's a pic of the M93 Fox NBC Recon Vehicle.