By Kerstin Lopez
GUIDON staff

Nervousness and fear of the unknown are common thoughts before entering the dreaded CS gas chamber, but the Soldiers of Company F, 795th Military Police Battalion, had to face those emotions head-on, Nov. 5.

One requirement for a Soldier to graduate basic training is to endure chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training with o-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile, most commonly known as CS, which is a type of tear gas that causes excessive tears, coughing, and a burning sensation in the nose, throat and on exposed skin.

A class earlier that day instructed the Soldiers on how to don the protective mask, clear it and seal it properly. This was the technical portion of the CBRN training, but later that day, the Soldiers participated in a practical exercise they won’t soon forget.

The company lined up outside the tiny brick building with their protective masks on and sealed awaiting the signal from the drill sergeants to enter the chamber.

Once inside, the door was slammed shut behind the 15-person squad and the tension increased. The Soldiers had to breathe normally with the mask on to show them that as long as the mask was sealed properly, there was no need to fear the CS gas surrounding them. After each Soldier took a deep breath and closed their eyes, the squad was instructed to break the seal on their masks and then reseal and clear them as quickly as possible. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the protective mask after an individual is exposed to CS.

The tension and nerves of the Soldiers inside the small chamber grew as they realized the next step of the practical exercise — taking off the mask completely and enduring the wrath of the relentless CS gas around them.

It was important for each individual to get the full effect of the CS gas and not hold their breath in order to gain confidence in the equipment and themselves, so after removing the mask, each Soldier had to say their last name, their company and the last four digits of their social security number. That’s when the coughing, tears and pain hit them the hardest. Upon completion of roughly three agonizing minutes in the chamber, the back door swung open and Soldiers piled out into the clean, refreshing air.

Coughs, snot, spit and tears were the common scene once Soldiers scattered out of the chamber. The drill sergeants instructed them to walk around while they flapped their arms like a bird. The flapping of the arms was to help remove the gas from the clothing. After only a few minutes, most of the Soldiers were breathing normally and acting as if nothing had even occurred.

The Co. F Soldiers shared similar experiences during the CBRN training.

“It felt like all my pores were on fire,” said Pfc. Elizabeth Gowan, 3rd Platoon.

Gowan said she was extremely nervous and was crying before even entering the gas chamber. “But now I know that this equipment does work and it helps build confidence,” she added.

Pvt. Jason Quigley, 1st Platoon, said he was most nervous about going into the building because he’s claustrophobic, but once he was inside and saw the two windows across from him, he recovered quickly.

“This training is definitely worthwhile — now I have more respect for this mask,” Quigley said.