Information on Gas Chamber...

[DevilDogsSon269]

Good evening Marines,
I have been poking around on futurejarheads.web.com, and I read a good bit of information about the Marine Corps Recruit Training. Regardless of answer as I have to go through it at training anyways but, what is the Gas chamber like? What do recruits do in there? Finally, What gas is used in the chamber while recruits are presently being gased? Thank You.

[Lisa 23]

Marine Corps Recruit Training - - The Gas Chamber

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- Barely into their third week of training, dozens of nervous recruits file off from their squads into a Weapons and Field Training classroom and wait for the inevitable - the Gas Chamber.

In the classroom, the recruits are educated on how to use a gas mask and how it can save their lives on the battlefield if used properly and to help build their confidence about being in an environment with a potentially hazardous substance.

The gas used in the Gas Chamber is chlorobenzylidene malonitrile, or CS Gas, a non-lethal substance that is used in all branches of the military and police departments as a riot control agent.

Each recruit spends approximately 3-5 minutes, perhaps the longest 3-5 minutes of their life, in the chamber - depending on how well they want to cooperate.

The terrified recruits enter the Gas Chamber with their masks donned and clear, but once the doors are sealed, the masks come off. The first exercise they must execute is to break the seal of their mask, which will allow them to breathe in a little of the gas, but just as the tearing eyes and the coughing sets in, they are instructed to put their masks back on.

The next step is to break the seal again, but only this time, they will set the mask on top of their heads. It is at this time that some recruits feel that they have lost control and panic begins to set in. The recruits' eyes are now full of tears and the coughing gets worse because the gas is in their lungs.

The gas also burns the skin a little too, similar to a sunburn. Some of the recruits refuse to take off their masks because they see the other recruits' reaction to the gas and they fear that they will not be able to put their mask back on again. However, they quickly realize they will not be able to leave the smoke-filled room until they complete the exercise and they regain some of their sanity.

Once their masks are donned and cleared for a second time, they must then remove their masks completely and hold them straight out in front if them, but by this time, most of the recruits have a little more faith in their masks. They know that the faster they take them off, the quicker they will be able to put the masks back on and be able to breathe again.

Once this step is completed, they file out of the Gas Chamber with arms spread out to their sides. Their eyes water like they just stepped out of a shower, and they cough uncontrollably as they pray that they will never have to go through anything like that again.
Their fears are overcome and the recruits now believe in their gas mask and that it will protect them. For those with lingering fear, there is always next year when they will be required to do it again as part of their annual training.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marin...smcgasmask.htm


Try this site also......
http://www.marines.cc/content/view/33/33/

[dizark]

The gas chamber in boot camp is terrible. They gas the hell out of it as if you're staring through fog. If you get gas inhaled, you'll begin coughing like crazy. Your eyes and nose will leak fluid (if you are sick, it helps clear your sinuses). For me, I hated the gas chamber in boot and thought it'd be the same in the fleet, but fleet gas chamber is 100x easier.

Don't worry. Just get it done with, and enjoy. It's not that long of an experience. Good luck to you!

[DevilDogsSon269]

Thank you Marines. I wanted an experienced perspective on what its like and how it affects recruits in the chamber and the purpose of it. The Marines on this forum have definately shown this poolee what to expect.

[BR34]

I'll tell you this-don't rub your eyes for the rest of the day, even if you somehow get to wash your hands after the chamber. You will regret it like you've never regretted anything. You already know how I know.

[sparkie]

The gas just dosen't fade away, it stays on things. Your hands, clothes, boots. I once walked through a field of tall weeds and soon realized it had been gassed at some point in time. It wasn't fun.

[Splash0341]

Gas Chamber in Bootcamp is a haze fest! It totally rocks! you get to see how you will react to not being able to breathe and don and clear your mask with a lung full of CS gas and do fun little exrcises.

In the fleet they just do it to check your gear and its fitment. and you may do a 3k with MOPP 4 gear on easy **** dude

[TinDragon]

The worst part for me was actually being in the mask. Got a little claustrophobic and I couldn't see since I wore glasses and you can't wear them in the mask. The CS sucks too but like dizark said, it's 100x easier in the fleet. CBRN actually gave up caring so much at one point you probably could have just walked in without a mask and started breathing deeply.

[TJR1070]

We used to play "Chamber Chicken" for days off. After we were done with training for the day we used to see who could stay in the chamber the longest without a mask. The winner got the next day off, it's amazing what you can do with the proper motivation.

[crazymjb]

Gas chamber in boot was a joke. Yea there was a lot of gas in there, but all we had to do was break the seal. Big deal, hold your breath for 30 seconds. When we did it at my unit it was 100X worse. We took off our masks, everyone had the slime coming down their faces, etc, it was awesome.

Don't worry about it, its easy.

Mike

[Hanzo]

I had to go through 3 times in bootcamp.

First time, I went in, the mask wasn't functioning properly. I reported a problem, but they didn't believe me, so they had me going through some of the drills. They couldn't figure out why I was coughing my brains out when I had the mask on, so they eventually let me out.

Got a new mask and started all over again. This time I didn't control my breathing and got stuck in the horrible "cough cycle". (Once you cough really hard, you suck in wind to refill your lungs, which makes it worse, which makes you cough harder, etc, etc) I basically couldn't get enough oxygen, hyperventilated and passed out in the chamber. They dragged my sorry a$$ out of there and woke me up and told me to get ready to do it again. (which I was all for, no way was I going to let it beat me!)

Third time I went in, I made a conscious effort to remain calm and control my breathing. This time, they put me to the test to see if I'd crack. Questioning me without a mask on, ITing me without a mask on, you name it. I took it all and finished it up.

In short...it sucks. It sucks a lot. But it's not going to kill you. You'll make it through one way or the other, and when it's done, you will never EVER forget the smell of that stuff. Every now and then I'll get a whiff of it either on old surplus gear (it sticks to everything) or wandering near some hippies getting gassed in a protest or something and it will immediately take you back to that chamber.

[Capital M]

It's really something you have to experience for yourself. No one can really describe Joe you're going to feel when you get in there. Every person has a different experience. Mine sucked but it was no where near as bad as some like hanzo who had to go multiple times.

You can't prepare for it so it's better just to forget about it until that Monday

[BR34]

The worst part of the gas chamber is the class they give prior to going in.

[Zulu 36]

The worst part of the gas chamber is the class they give prior to going in.

Amen. I didn't care for the gas chamber in ITR (we didn't do in boot camp then). But it wasn't as bad out in the fleet. It got annoying having to go all of the time and taking your mask off so you would "have confidence it works." I know it works, I'm confident. But off it comes anyway.

CS "gas" is actually a fine particulate emitted by burning the CS material. Thus when it gets on you and your clothing, it stays until very thoroughly washed out.

[DevilDogsSon269]

Thanks for the information. Do we get to wash off at all after or wash our cammies? Or will it eventually fade?