Читать книгу Health Service Support in a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Environment - United States. Department of the Army - Страница 15

a. Operating on a contaminated battlefield will stress leadership. Heat stress from being in higher levels of MOPP for long periods of time may lead to dehydration. The commander/leader must ensure that his personnel rest, drink, and eat sufficiently to allow them to continue with the mission. In the midst of activity, rest, hydration, and nutrition are often overlooked; however, a good leader will ensure that his personnel needs are met. See FM 21–10 for work/rest cycles and water drinking requirements. Individuals may suffer hyperventilation because of the enclosed feelings. Personnel remaining in MOPP Level 4 around the clock may suffer from increased sleep loss. Use of CPS can reduce this problem by allowing the personnel to rest out of their MOPP gear. Leaders must share leadership responsibilities and delegate responsibilities as much as possible so that each one gets sufficient rest to maintain unit effectiveness. Further, leaders should concentrate on supervision or unit mission, rather than on generation of new procedures during and after an attack. The NBC battlefield will, therefore, require more proactive and dedicated leaders who can balance the needs of their personnel and the mission. Further, leaders will be challenged by an additional logistics burden of providing nontraditional respiratory protection for personnel against TIMs. For detailed information on combat operational stress control (COSC) see FM 8–51 and FM 22–51.

DANGER

The standard NBC protective mask will not protect personnel from most TICs.

b. Leadership must plan for and establish procedures to maintain personnel performance during NBC operations. Personnel performance while wearing MOPP is degrading. At MOPP Level 3 or 4, all but the most basic patient care procedures may have to be suspended because—

 Wearing gloves reduces the ability to grasp and manipulate small items (fine motor skill).

 MOPP impedes the ability to move about (gross motor skills).

 The mask reduces visual fields and acuity (visual skills).

 The mask and hood greatly reduces vocalization and hearing abilities (auditory skills).

 The MOPP creates significant heat and mental stress (stamina). Heat injuries can occur in a very short period of time.