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Don't waste your time trying to find the recruiter near you. Let us do the work.
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Surviving Basic Training: To the Gas Chamber!
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By Sgt. Michael Volkin
Author, Ultimate
Basic Training Guide Book
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The New Edition: July 1st
The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook: Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Surviving Boot Camp
By Sgt. Michael Volkin
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In my book, The
Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook, I discuss the importance of chemical
gear. Every recruit who goes through basic training undergoes nuclear,
biological, and chemical (NBC) training, and is subjected to training
in the gas chamber. The reason for all this unpleasantness? To gain confidence
in your NBC equipment (i.e., your protective mask). Confidence in your
equipment will mean a great deal if you need to use it in a real life
situation. Read on, learn about how to handle the gas chamber experience,
and just remember one thing: Worrying about this training will be worse
than the actual training!
What is the Gas Chamber?
The gas chamber is a room that has a controlled concentration of CS (orto-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile)
gas, more commonly known as tear gas. Tear gas is the active ingredient
in Mace™ and used for self defense and for riot control by the police.
Tear gas is an irritant; specifically, it irritates mucous membranes in
the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs, causing tearing, sneezing, coughing,
etc.
The Process
On or about the second week you will be subjected to the gas chamber.
You will follow your daily schedule, so if you are scheduled to go to
the gas chamber in the afternoon, I suggest eating a light lunch. Taking
a few breaths of tear gas on a full stomach is not a good feeling.
Before entering the gas chamber, you will be trained on how to fit your
protective mask and chemical gear. Learning how to clear your mask is
important. Some recruits fail to pay attention to these instructions,
and regret their lack of attention while in the gas chamber.
A number of different things can occur while you are in the gas chamber.
I will explain to you the most common method Drill Sergeants use to move
the recruits through the gas chamber.
You will line up in a group (usually 5 to 15 recruits) outside of the
gas chamber door. Your group will be asked to file into the gas chamber.
Once inside the gas chamber you will be joined by a Drill Sergeant (or
several of them). The room will be very foggy. The fog you see is CS gas,
and you may smell it slightly through your mask. You will see a Drill
Sergeant with a coffee can next to a table. This coffee can will have
a flame inside -- this is the CS gas burning. A Drill Sergeant will touch
your shoulder, and ask you to lift your mask and state your name, rank
and social security number. Many recruits get nervous and forget the answers
to these simple questions. If you remain calm, you will do fine.
As the Drill Sergeants touch your shoulder take in a deep breath, close
your eyes, lift your mask, answer the questions in one breath, put your
mask back on, and clear the mask. This part of the gas chamber is not
difficult if you stay calm. However, over the years, Drill Sergeants have
learned that recruits accomplish this without inhaling any CS gas. The
Drill Sergeants want you to inhale the gas, and recognize the importance
of chemical gear. Therefore, after your whole group is finished stating
their name, rank and social security number, they will ask you to take
off your mask and file out in order without closing your eyes.
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The Treatment
As you are exiting the gas chamber, your eyes will fill with water, and
mucous will fill your lungs and face. The best treatment is air. Immediately
upon exiting the gas chamber, you should open your eyes. This will seem
like a hard task under the circumstances, but keeping your eyes open in
fresh air will allow any discomfort to dissipate very quickly. I cannot
emphasize enough to not touch your eyes. You will no doubt feel the urge,
but touching and/or rubbing your eyes is the worst thing you can do. Take
deep breaths of air with your arms over your head, and you will be surprised
how quickly the CS leaves your system. In less than a minute you will
be nearly, if not, 100 percent better.
Smile Pretty
Typically a historian will follow your basic training company for 9 weeks.
At the end of basic training, this historian will have a book for sale
filled with pictures of all the events you have accomplished. The pictures
from the gas chamber are not exactly pictures you want your friends and
family to see. You will probably have drool on yourself, and it will look
like you just sneezed 47 times in a row without access to tissues. So,
as you exit the gas chamber, look for the historian and head in the other
direction. Don’t forget to put a pack of tissues in your cargo pocket
before you enter the gas chamber!
If you have any suggestions about future articles or any questions you
would like me to answer, please email me michaelvolkin@ultimatebasictrainingguidebook.com
SGT Michael Volkin is the author of The
Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook. The Ultimate Basic Training
Guidebook is available in both book and e-book format at www.ultimatebasictrainingguidebook.com.
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