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Articles
NEWS | Nov. 26, 2019

COMET CBRN Advice


Dear Editor,

While helping CBRN units, we’ve come up with a few suggestions to make CBRN rooms run more efficiently:
 
  • Make sure the CBRN specialist is actually trained to run a CBRN room. We’ve seen several instances of Soldiers assigned the job who have no idea what they’re supposed to do. Most posts have a two-week course that gives the basics of managing a CBRN room. Your local AMC SCB LAR or your training officer can point you in the right direction.
 
  • Pay attention to calibration deadlines. All of the radiac equipment in the CBRN room requires calibration. But it’s the M41 Protection Assessment Test System (PATS) that’s most often overlooked.  It’s supposed to have a complete overhaul every 18 months.  When PATS goes for years with no calibration, it gives bad readings and flunks good masks while passing bad masks.
It’s simple to tell if an item needs calibration. Just check its DA Label 80. It gives the last calibration date. If the label’s gone, check with TMDE.  They’ll have a record of the last
           calibration.

           Remember to notify TMDE when transferring equipment to another unit.  That lets them track the location of equipment needing calibration.
 
  • When you transfer masks, change out the drink tube. That’s just basic hygiene.  You don’t want to be drinking through someone else’s drink tube.
     
  • For goodness sake, don’t use drip pans for cleaning and sanitizing your masks.  Who knows what’s been in those pans?  NSN 7240-01-094-4305 gets the 5-gal bucket you’re supposed to use. 
     
  • For the joint services general purpose mask (JSGPM), it’s a good idea to keep some basic items as benchstock.  Here are the items that often disappear or get damaged:
 
Item NSN Qty
Valve disk 4820-01-528-9292 10
Valve disk 4820-01-528-9291 10
Outlet valve cover 4240-01-529-1400 1
Quick coupling half 4224-01-539-5593 1
Air deflector 4240-01-540-2888 1
Internal drink tube 4224-01-529-1399 1
Water canteen cap 8465-01-529-9800 1
Operator cards 7690-01-529-1398 1
 
Terry Brown
Randy Pond
Terri Gill
Rony Reyes
Jeovanny Cordova
Ft Carson, CO
Editor’s noteGreat advice, again, from all of you. Thanks!
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