The United States has committed itself against initiating the use of chemical agents. However, it is necessary to be prepared against attack by an enemy using this type of warfare.

A chemical agent is defined as a solid, liquid, or gas that, through its chemical properties, produces lethal or damaging effects on man, animals, plants, or material, or produces a screening or signaling smoke.

Chemical warfare agents, like the biological warfare agents, are used mainly because of their effect on personnel, although some agents will have a corrosive effect on specific materials, and incendiary devices will burn most materials. These agents produce a harmful physiological reaction when applied to the body externally, inhaled, or ingested. Most chemical agents cause disorganization of the functioning of the body.

The degree of contamination of the messing area and equipment depends on the chemical agent used and the factors involved, such as the method of delivery (vapor, light liquid, and heavy liquid), the weather, and the various strengths of contamination.

The following paragraphs prescribe the methods to be used in decontaminating eating, drinking, and galley utensils; galley and foodservice equipment; and messing areas that are contaminated by chemical agents. Vapor Contamination

After the surrounding areas have been decontaminated, the entire general mess should be aerated thoroughly and the entire area washed down inside and out with safe water.  All equipment and utensils used in the preparation and service of food should be washed carefully using normal procedures. Spaces, utensils, and equipment should then be tested with the chemical agent detector kit and, if necessary, any of the prescribed procedures should be repeated.

Light Liquid Contamination

The messing area inside and out should be washed with hot water. You may add an alkaline detergent, such as a standard general-purpose detergent, and if applied at high pressure, it will increase the water's effectiveness. As an alternative method, for mustard gas, you may apply a bleach solution to all surfaces. After washing down, aerate the entire area. If slight contamination remains, the area should be heated to as high a temperature as possible for about 1 to 2 hours. Then the spaces should be opened and ventilated for 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure as necessary, testing at intervals with a chemical agent detector kit. Porous objects, such as meat blocks and wooden benches, may absorb liquid contamination to the extent that they will have to be destroyed. Metal, glass, or china utensils or any equipment that is not damaged by water should be immersed for 30 minutes in actively boiling water. Add 1 cupful of alkaline detergent to each 5 gallons of water. Upon completion of the boiling process, you should follow normal dishwashing procedures. Plastics generally cannot withstand boiling water and should be destroyed.

Heavy Contamination of Liquid

Heavy contamination of liquid is unlikely, except from a direct hit, in which case recovery of the space and contents will be a major undertaking. However, when such is the case, the following procedures are recommended.

Space should be roped off or abandoned as unsalvageable, as no amount of washing or scrubbing of a porous surface that is heavily contaminated by a liquid chemical agent (particularly mustard gas) is likely to do much good.

Metal, glass, or china utensils or any equipment that is not damaged by water should be decontaminated in the same manner as prescribed for light contamination of liquid discussed earlier.

Large equipment unsuited for immersion in boiling water should be scrubbed vigorously with DS2 solution or hot water and an alkaline detergent, rinsed, disassembled, and scrubbed again paying particular attention to any parts not reached in the assembled state that are reachable in the disassembled state. Then, the equipment should be rinsed, dried, oiled, greased, and reassembled. Wooden items should be removed and destroyed.

On electrical equipment, unless the electrical unit is enclosed in a watertight seal, water must not be used in the decontamination process. Electrical equipment should be cleaned with trichloroethane or DS2 solution. All greases must be removed, bearings cleaned, and the equipment regressed.

Trichloroethane and DS2 are toxic chemicals. Protective clothing and respirators should be worn when they are used, and the MSDSs should be consulted for additional precautions.

Careful inspection must be made of the general situation before large quantities of food or water suspected of chemical agent contamination are destroyed.  Contaminated food and water must be destroyed in some cases; in other cases, they may be salvaged by special decontamination procedures. In any event, the responsibility belongs to the medical department to determine whether food or water contaminated by chemical agents should be decontaminated or destroyed.