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Artillery Marines gear up, get gassed at ARTP 14-3

7 Dec 2014 | Sgt. Jen S. Martinez Okinawa Marines

Marines with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, trained for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats Nov. 9 at the North Fuji Maneuver Area during Artillery Relocation Training Program 14-3.

ARTP is a regularly scheduled training event that increases and maintains combat readiness of U.S. Marine forces and supports the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

Marines received training on proper wear and use of the M50 gas mask, but were unaware of when the simulation would take place, according to Gunnery Sgt. Michael C. Skinner, the regimental CBRN defense chief for 12th Marines.

Marines donned their Mission-Oriented Protective Posture equipment and kept their gas masks at the ready. Without warning, CBRN defense specialists deployed CS gas and personnel were required to quickly react by donning and clearing their masks within nine seconds. They passed the alarm, using arm signals and yelling “Gas, gas, gas!” to fellow Marines and reported to senior members in the area.

“The goal was to ensure the Marines were reacting properly and to get used to wearing MOPP gear and their masks,” said Skinner, from Quintin, Oklahoma. “If and when an attack does occur, they’re comfortable wearing it while carrying out their job.”

The opportunity to execute CBRN training during ARTP provides an operational twist on the annual gas chamber qualification required of all Marines, according to Cpl. Adriel Lopez, a CBRN defense specialist with Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III MEF. By practicing in a life-like scenario, they respond more decisively and learn to trust that the gear issued to them will save them during an actual CBRN event.

“When Marines do the gas chamber, everyone knows what’s going to happen,” said Lopez, from Bonita Springs, Florida. “They sit down, get classes, walk into the chamber, and get gassed. Then, they walk out and they are fine. In the field, they’re walking around with the mask ready at their hip, and they have to stay alert because it could happen at any time. It makes it more real.”

This training provides a reminder of the real-world threats Marines may encounter in the Pacific region, according to 1st Lt. Matthew J. Rogers, an intelligence officer with 3rd Bn., 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division.

“We have potential enemies in Pacific Command that have capabilities to use these kinds of weapons,” said Rogers, from Birmingham, Alabama. “We (train) so we can do our jobs while we’re in this gear that is bulky and unfamiliar. All our truck driving, working the fire direction centers, and serving chow still has to happen, even in a chemical environment.”

Overall, the training proved effective and the Marines reacted well, quickly donning their equipment and passing the alarm to others close by, according to Skinner.

“They were using hand and arm signals and yelling “Gas, gas, gas!,” said Skinner. “They were even beating on the sides of trucks to make people inside aware of the threat and passing word over the radios to make sure everyone knew and could react quickly.”

Along with trusting their equipment and learning to effectively respond to a CBRN threat, defense specialists emphasized the importance of assisting one another after they put on their gear.

“One of the biggest things I personally stressed was to look each other over after they’re done with themselves and pass the alarm,” said Lopez. “They need to help each other out, because that’s what it’s about: the unit working together to carry on the mission.”