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FSD Barstow 'gets some' NBC training
Submitted by: MCLB Barstow
Story Identification Number: 2004227145518
Story by Lance Cpl. Andy J. Hurt
MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif.(Feb. 26, 2004) -- It may seem that without "operational" units, albeit infantry or artillery, MCLB Barstow doesn't see much action.
Marines from MCLB's Fleet Support Division are changing that.
At about 7 a.m. Feb. 13, 13 motivated leathernecks at the MCLB Barstow Yermo Annex gathered in the brisk morning breeze at Building 551 in little more than "green on green." Some Marines wore beanies.
Staff Sgt. Travis Snyder, maintenance chief with Fleet Support Division, began his class on Nuclear, Biological and Chemical war fighting defense and tactics, including a short lesson in "selective de-masking," performed on an unsuspecting lance corporal.
Throughout the duration of the class, Marines went from no NBC protection all the way to Mission Oriented Protective Postures level four.
The MOPP gear used in this training session came from a surplus of gear from Defense Reutilization and Marketing Organization here, said 1st Lt. Jason Kut, operations officer at Fleet Support Division.
The MOPP gear had reached its shelf life, he said, but could still be utilized for valuable training.
Kut and Snyder came up with the NBC training about two weeks ago, said Kut.
"The Marines here don't get the same amount of training as the fleet Marine force because of the workload," said Snyder.
"We wanted to get some Marine training," he said.
The morning's class ended after a MOPP exchange and personal decontamination brief, with the Marines suited in MOPP level four.
The devil dogs then stepped off for an NBC hike to the MCLB Barstow Yermo Annex helipad, where an Army UH-60L Black Hawk awaited NBC decontamination.
The Marines responded quickly, carrying the pilots and crew to safety while others prepared a power washer.
Without a moment's hesitation, the bird was sprayed in nearly flawless NBC fashion -- from top to bottom and left to right, so as not to recontaminate the aircraft.
Snyder said the training would give the Marines a better idea of what to expect in a real-world situation.
"(The Marines) need more training," said Snyder through the voice amplifier on his M40 NBC mask, adding, "They'll be going out to the fleet and they need to know this stuff."
"The fact that NBC is a real-world situation makes the training even more valuable," said Staff Sgt. Perry Sikes, calibrations chief at Maintenance Center Barstow Cost Work Center 680.
With the pilots safe and the Black Hawk ready for flight again, the Marines boarded the bird on an aerial reconnaissance and photography mission.
With the aerial phase of the NBC training complete, Kut, being a dedicated troop leader, decided it would be safer for the Marines to take the long route back to the decontamination site.
Overcoming obstacles including railcars, ravines and a MOPP level four "fun run," the Marines arrived at the NBC decontamination site.
Following careful procedures, the Marines washed their M40 carriers in "bleach" and shuffled through a dirt slurry pit in order to "decon" their MOPP boots.
Pairing off, the war fighters then staged and carried out the dangerous task of personal decontamination.
The procedure is an exercise of trust and attention to detail, as one Marine is responsible for fully decontaminating his comrade as the MOPP gear comes off.
Any neglected NBC contaminants could result in casualties and threaten mission success.
Piece by piece, the gear came off, as Snyder barked out commands to the gas-masked vigilantes. A golden rule, said Snyder, is that the mask never comes off until the "all clear" is given.
And soon it was.
With the reception of the mission critique and a short debriefing, the training was secured.
Kut and Snyder agree that this was only one in a series of training missions to come. Preparing Marines to survive and operate in a world plagued by chemical warfare and terrorism is what FSD set out to do.
Mission accomplished.
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