Since Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Gulf War veterans have expressed concerns that their postdeployment medical symptoms could have been caused by hazardous exposures or other deployment-related factors. Potential exposure to a broad range of CB and other harmful agents was not unique to Gulf operations. Hazardous exposures have been a component of all military operations in this century. Nevertheless, the Gulf War deployment focused national attention on the potential, but uncertain, relationship between the presence of CB agents in theater and symptoms reported by military personnel. Particular attention has been given to the potential long-term health effects of low-level exposures to CB agents.

In the spring of 1996, Deputy Secretary of Defense John White met with the leadership of the National Academies to discuss the DoD's continuing efforts to improve protection of military personnel from adverse health effects during deployments in hostile environments. Although many lessons learned from previous assessments of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm have been reported, prospective analyses are still needed. Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces: Force Protection and Decontamination, which addresses the issues of physical protection and decontamination, is one of four initial reports that will be submitted in response to that request.

Specifically, this report includes a review and evaluation of the following areas:

• the adequacy of current protective equipment and protective measures (as well as equipment in development)
• the efficacy of current and proposed methods for decontaminating personnel and equipment after exposures to CB agents
• current policies, doctrine, and training to protect and decontaminate personnel and equipment in future deployments (i.e., major regional conflicts [MRCs], lesser regional conflicts [LRCs], and operations other than war [OOTWs])
• the impact of equipment and procedures on unit effectiveness and other human performance factors
• current and projected military capabilities to provide emergency response

Contents

• The National Academies
• STRATEGIES TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF DEPLOYED U.S. FORCES: FORCE PROTECTION AND DECONTAMINATION
• BOARD ON ARMY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• COMMISSION ON ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SYSTEMS
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • Background of the Study
  • Charge to the National Academies
  • Approach of the Study
  • Overview of the Report
• 2. Threat and Risk Assessment
  • Historical Perspective of the Chemical/Biological Battle Space
  • U.S. Response
  • Relationships Among Policy; Doctrine; Research, Development and Acquisition; and Threat
  • Characteristics of Current and Future Chemical and Biological Agents
  • Proliferation of Chemical and Biological Agents
  • Production, Weaponization, and Dispersion
  • Threatened Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons
  • Assessment of Chemical and Biological Warfare Risks
  • Risk Minimization/Protection of Personnel
  • Findings and Recommendation
• 3. Philosophy, Doctrine, and Training for Chemical and Biological Warfare
  • Philosophy
  • Chemical/Biological Warfare Doctrine
  • Chemical/Biological Warfare Training
  • Understanding the Risk
  • Findings and Recommendations
• 4. Physical Protection
  • Individual Protection
  • Collective Protection
  • Advanced Filters and Adsorbents
  • Findings and Recommendations
• 5. Decontamination
  • Decontamination of Skin
  • Decontamination of Equipment, Facilities, and Large Areas
  • Current Doctrine and Training
  • Findings and Recommendations
• 6. Testing and Evaluation
  • Toxicological Testing
  • Test Equipment
  • Predictive Models and Simulations
  • Exercises and Systems Evaluations
  • Findings and Recommendations
• 7. Assessment of Military Capabilities to Provide Emergency Response
  • Findings and Recommendations
• 8. Summary and General Recommendations
  • Threat
  • Policy, Doctrine, and Training
  • Chemical/Biological Protective Equipment
  • Summary
• References
• Appendices
  • Appendix A Funding Levels for Fiscal Years 1996-2000 for the Joint Service Chemical/Biological Defense Program
  • Appendix B Textiles and Garments for Chemical and Biological Protection
  • Appendix C Evaluations of Barrier Creams
  • Appendix D Evaluating Skin Decontamination Techniques
  • Appendix E Percutaneous Absorption
  • Appendix F Contributors to This Study
  • Appendix G Biographical Sketches of Principal Investigators and Members of the Advisory Panel

This is a report of work supported by Contract DASW01-97-C-0078 between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of Defense. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The authors responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.