Posted on 10/11/2001 8:44:35 PM PDT by TheOtherOne
Chemical - Biological Warfare Fact Sheet
FACT SHEET
CHEMICAL - BIOLOGICAL WARFARE
The Department of Defense has announced its intention to commence the Family and Force Protection Initiative (FFPI) in order to provide enhanced protection to the dependents of U.S. military service members and to civilian Department of Defense (DOD) employees and their families. On October 29, U.S. Forces Korea commenced the initiative in the Republic of Korea. Under this program, the Department of Defense provides protective gas masks and hoods to its noncombatant community. In addition, the U.S. Department of State is providing the same level of protection to the American employees of the U.S. Embassy in Korea and their dependents. The U.S. Government is not providing such equipment to private American citizens in the Republic of Korea.
These measures are not in response to any increase in the assessment of the threat level in Korea, or elsewhere, nor a result of any recent events. Rather, they are solely a prudent measure to further enhance the safety of U.S. Government affiliated personnel and their families. Of course, if the Department becomes aware of any specific and credible threat to the safety and security of American citizens, that information will be provided to the American public at large.
The following is some general information on Chemical-Biological Warfare (CBW):
A. Biological agents can be dispersed by an aerosol spray which must be inhaled. However, these agents can also be used to contaminate food, water and other products. Attention to basic food hygiene when traveling abroad is very important.
B. Some chemical agents may be volatile--evaporating rapidly to form clouds of agent. Others may be persistent. These agents may act directly on the skin, lungs, and your membranes or be absorbed through your skin or lungs causing injury.
C. When properly used, appropriate masks are effective protection to prevent the inhalation of either biological or chemical agents; however this assumes an adequate warning. Gas masks alone do not protect agents that act through skin absorption.
D. There is an incubation period after exposure to biological agents. It is essential that you seek appropriate care for illnesses acquired while traveling abroad to assure prompt diagnosis and treatment.
E. One of the biological warfare agents is the spore-forming bacterium that causes Anthrax, an acute infectious disease.
This replaces the Fact Sheet dated June 1999 to add information about the commencement of the Department of Defense Family Force Protection Initiative.
Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings
This is the equivalent of a non-specific warning to people living overseas to take extra precautions. This is just letting people in Korea know for sure that the US at least suspects that N.Korea has a chemical stockpile that could be used if any "disagreements" get out of hand.
As for the anthrax problem, they are just letting people know that they need to take precautions seriously. After all, the threat of a chemical/biological attack against Americans overseas may even be higher than it is here. And it is definitely more of a threat than it was before Sept. 11.
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