Paranoid or Prepared: Do You Really Need a Gas Mask?

(February 24, 1991, Saudi / Kuwait Border FEBA) It was 0300 hours when we were roused from our shallow, hasty fighting positions that we had dug in the sand only a few hours prior. After sunset on February 23rd, all elements of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment moved, under the cover of complete darkness, from our forward positions in the Saudi Arabian desert to the Kuwait border. Now, moving silently and deliberately, we, the men of 1/6, loaded up in our AmTracs to prepare for the assault through the minefields into enemy occupied Kuwait.

For the entire time we had been in Saudi Arabia, there was the constant threat that Saddam Hussein would use chemical weapons against us. He had used them on the Iranian Army during the Iran/Iraq War as well as on his own people. When we loaded our AmTracs in the wee hours of Feb. 24, all of us were dressed in “MOPP 2”. MOPP stands for Mission Oriented Protective Posture. MOPP 2 meant that you wore your chemical protective suit and special rubber overboots.

Soon we were moving, only a dim red light provided illumination inside the troop compartment of our tracked armored vehicle. We all sat quietly, not saying a word and listening to the radio traffic between our battalion commander, the various company commanders, our attached M60A1 tank attachment and the M93A1P1 “Fox” NBC reconnaissance vehicle.

Time was distorted by emotion and adrenaline. We could hear the muffled sounds of both our outgoing tank fire and incoming artillery and mortar fire from the Iraqi Army who were loading and firing as fast as they could when they realized we were coming.

I can’t recall just how long we had been moving, but I will never forget the radio squawking the code “Mickey Mouse 4, Repeat, Mickey Mouse 4”. That was the radio code ordering all personnel to go to MOPP 4. Already in MOPP 2, we only needed to don and clear our M17A2 field protective masks and then, lastly, put on our black rubber protective gloves. I remember thinking, “Well shit, this just got real.”    

The Threat

It has been well over 100 years since chemical weapons were used on the battlefield for the first time. Military chemical agents fall into four basic categories: Nerve agents, blood agents, choking agents, and blister agents. Mustard gas is famous for being both a cytotoxin and blister agent. The most commonly discussed nerve agent is likely VX. 

During the Cold War, we referred to various threats as NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical), the modern vernacular is CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear). Don’t ask me what the difference is between “radiological” and “nuclear.” My guess is that someone in the government got a promotion for coming up with the new name.

Biological could also be called “virological” weapons, good old germ warfare, you know, like the SARS CoV2 weaponized virus released upon the world. Keep in mind, a virus doesn’t just enter through the nose and mouth, a virus can enter the body through the eyes. As for nuclear/radiological threats, alpha and beta radiation can be stopped by a mask/filter combination. Gamma radiation will penetrate the mask, and the entire body for that matter, but it doesn’t linger.  

What about chemical agents that are likely to be encountered in urban environments? CS gas, officially called “2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile” is a chemical irritant and it was developed in 1928. Additionally, “chloroacetophenone” better known as CN gas, is a “lacrimator” or more simply put, a tear-producing agent. When you hear the term “tear gas” it can be either CN or CS, though CN is technically a tear agent affecting the eyes and mucous membranes. CS, as a chemical irritant, affects the eyes, nose, and mouth as well as the soft-tissue and lungs, it also produces a burning sensation on exposed skin.  

Oleoresin capsicum, known on the street as “pepper spray” is neither a lacrimator nor an irritant, it is classified as an inflammatory agent. Unlike CN and CS which are complex chemical compounds, OC is derived from extracting the capsaicin from chili peppers and mixing it with a carrier then loading it into a pressurized aerosol container. OC affects the eyes, nose, mouth, throat (when inhaled) and will “burn” exposed skin.

OC is an oily substance and clings to the skin, therefore taking longer to evaporate than either CS or CN. As soon as you get away from the source of the CS/CN gas and move into open air, you will start to feel relief. OC is more of a “gift that keeps on giving” and decontamination takes longer. OC exposure in the eyes results in the eyes slamming shut as an instinctive defense mechanism. If a person breathes OC into their lungs, the result is hard coughing.

These effects target two primal fears in humans: blindness (loss of sight) and suffocation (the feeling that you cannot breathe). OC has been used tens of thousands of times on the street and has never proven to be lethal, despite the fact that the recipient thinks they are going to die.

Regular old smoke, such as the colored smoke from smoke grenades will bother the eyes and, if it’s breathed in, will cause coughing. Thermal smoke grenades also negatively affect the amount of breathable air in confined spaces. In Iraq, and Afghanistan in particular, smoke grenades were actually used preferentially over CS grenades to “smoke out” bad guys from buildings. In a smoke-filled room, the bad guys cannot see, which is disorienting, and the smoke starts eating up the oxygen as well. The only choice for the occupants is to evacuate the room. 

While CS and CN are restricted items, OC is not. The most common high volume OC/Pepper Spray dispensers are sold as “Bear Spray”. Bad people have been using pepper spray as an offensive tool for many years now. During the “Summer of Love” in 2020, Antifa and BLM “protesters” used pepper spray as an offensive weapon.

Also, keep in mind that any type of gas or spray is an equal opportunity offender. If you decide to use OC spray as a less than lethal use of force tool, it can come back on you. The more agent you put in the air, the greater the chance that the wind will blow it back on you. 

Field Protective Masks aka “Gas Masks”

The official military term for these devices is “field protective mask” (FPM). The lay person will call them gas masks. Regardless, an FPM is definitely a specialty item, but it may be one that is worth considering. One of the most popular companies offering new manufactured gas masks and protective gear is Mira Safety. 

The choice for a gas mask begins with the basic question; used/surplus or new. Surplus will naturally be less expensive. However, unless you buy it in person, in a brick and mortar store, you don’t truly know what condition it will be in when it arrives. The rubber mask part, as long as it was stored properly out of sunlight, should be okay. However, the elastic head harness part will deteriorate and break down over time. If the harness elastic is shot (worn out) then the mask won’t seal properly on your face.

Also, beware of super-cheap surplus masks. Many don’t have a voice-mitter to allow communication and some don’t have the anti-fogging feature. Believe me, that anti-fogging technology is important.

Size is another consideration. Most field protective masks are made for the “average sized” adult head. If you have a generously sized noggin, you need a mask that will accommodate you. Most masks are size “M”, you might need the size “L”.

Additionally, unlike the Cold War era M17A2 FPM with dual internal filters, 99 percent of modern masks are made for the NATO standard 40mm screw-in filters. Military and law enforcement gas masks today are designed to allow the end user to mount the filter either on the left or the right. If you plan to use a long gun with a stock, the filter needs to be on the opposite side. Some masks have dual filters on the left and right. I cannot imagine getting a good sight picture with a long gun when wearing such a mask. 

Other features of military/LE masks are specially designed drinking tubes that allow the user to hydrate without exposing themselves to chemical agents or contaminates. Cheap masks don’t have drinking tubes. The old M17A2 masks had excellent drinking tubes and all of our canteens had “NBC caps” that could be mated with the tubes. The masks from Mira Safety all have drinking tubes and each new mask comes with a canteen that includes the special cap.

One more thing to consider regarding the FPM is prescription glasses. I am nearsighted and wear Rx glasses, but my vision is still good enough that I can shoot (and hit targets) with a gas mask on with no glasses on my face. However, if you absolutely need glasses to function and you are going to purchase an FPM, you need to order what they call “prescription eye lens inserts.” This is another area where purchasing a new mask from a dedicated manufacturer could be a better choice than a used surplus mask. I rather doubt that your local Army/Navy Surplus store is set up to produce prescription eye lens inserts for the used gas mask they are going to sell you.

Paranoid or Prepared? You Decide

The COVID pandemic aside, there have been several instances in the United States where toxic chemicals were released into the air due to accidents or fires. The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio comes immediately to mind. Then there was the chemical release from the fire at the lab in Conyers, Georgia. There have been others, but those two instances are a couple of the most recent ones. 

While we pray that military grade chemical weapons will never be used inside the borders of the United States, the riot control agents as well as over-the-counter agents like OC/pepper spray or bear spray, can be acquired by both good guys and bad guys alike. There’s a reason why riot officers wear field protective masks when they launch gas on unruly crowds. Those agents don’t just affect the rioters, they affect everyone, even innocent bystanders.  

Highly Specialized Gear

One of the great things about being an American is that you have choices. If you choose to purchase a gas mask, you need to understand that it is a highly specialized piece of gear. I encourage you to not just leave it in the box “just in case” but to get it out, size it to your face, put it on and actually try doing things with it on. Masks take some getting used to. 

By the time I was required to put on a mask during the ground war of Desert Storm, my fellow Marines and I had spent hundreds of hours training with masks on. You don’t need to put in that much time but, if you decide to buy masks, you should invest some time wearing them to figure out just how effective you will be if the time ever comes. At very least you will be armed with fact and experience.  

 

Paul G. Markel is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran. He is also the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades.