You're in the command element of the 101st Airborne and you're being sent ahead of the main body to assess the situation in Liberia and the other two countries facing an Ebola epidemic.
I hope you're prepared to established reinforced forts inside those countries. They're inches away from being failed states and the US has never sent troops into this type of situation while at the same time battling a disease.
Speaking of which.
How do you do force protection against a disease that can survive outside a host? Someone vomit on the street, you walk thru it and before you know it you've brought it into your sleeping area.
How do you keep diseased locals from over running your base camps making your troops sick with restrictive rules of engagement? Remember it just won't do to shoot into a mob of Ebola victims that are simply seeking treatment while at the same time over running your base!
What about flying to deliver supplies. Do you simply kick gear out the helicopter or do you land to deliver aid? If you do how do you protect your troops from the sick but excitable natives? How do you react to villagers that believe that Western medicine is the cause of the illness? Remember they just killed people that were coming to educate them on the disease!
This will end badly. The 101st will end up leaving Africa with its tail between its legs. I just hope that AFRICOM truly understands how jacked up this situation is...the chances for success are extremely low. This thing will just have to burn itself out.
I hope you're prepared to established reinforced forts inside those countries. They're inches away from being failed states and the US has never sent troops into this type of situation while at the same time battling a disease.
Speaking of which.
How do you do force protection against a disease that can survive outside a host? Someone vomit on the street, you walk thru it and before you know it you've brought it into your sleeping area.
How do you keep diseased locals from over running your base camps making your troops sick with restrictive rules of engagement? Remember it just won't do to shoot into a mob of Ebola victims that are simply seeking treatment while at the same time over running your base!
What about flying to deliver supplies. Do you simply kick gear out the helicopter or do you land to deliver aid? If you do how do you protect your troops from the sick but excitable natives? How do you react to villagers that believe that Western medicine is the cause of the illness? Remember they just killed people that were coming to educate them on the disease!
This will end badly. The 101st will end up leaving Africa with its tail between its legs. I just hope that AFRICOM truly understands how jacked up this situation is...the chances for success are extremely low. This thing will just have to burn itself out.
The facility those troops are setting up has around 25 hospital beds. Compare that to a hospital ship like the USNS Comfort, which has 1000 beds. Then ask yourself what those troops are really there to do. What can they hope to achieve?
ReplyDeletesorry dude. i don't go for the global citizen stuff. i consider those hospitals they're building to be too many. i consider even one Soldier or Marine too many. you can hate the US but its protecting a system, not itself. europe is gonna burn and there is nothign we can do to prevent it.
Deletebut what has me scratching my head is that you either have never led or don't care about the troops going there. have you seen what a 19 year old can get into? and we're sending these youngsters over to handle a disease? its criminal. fuck Africa. i want to protect Americans.
You're missing the cynicism in my statement Sol. The humanitarian stuff is obviously bullshit. I'm wondering what those troops are really there for, which isn't to render effective medical aid to anyone but themselves. What 'American Interests' (such as pipelines) run through there?
Deletesorry about that. this deployment has me pissed though. i can't see any good coming from it. these guys are gonna wind up sick and this disease kills.
Deletewhy are they doing it and why are the American people supporting it! i just don't get it.
Look at the name of the fort for a clue. In the event of a genocidal die-off due to Ebola, they're there to survive and be ready to grab/hold strategic points before China can rush into the void.
DeleteShould probably call it operation Vulture...
China home to 1,354,040,000 One Billion, three hundred and fifty four million, 40 thousand people.
DeleteWhen Jimmy Carter (The worlds worst President) and (complete human jackass) went to china he asked to leader "Now how about opening up more immigration to the US from your fine Nation?" the Chinese leader said, "I can send you 3 million tomorrow" When the Soviets threatened China with a nuclear war, the Chinese said, "Go for it we can lose 30 million and never even notice" China, would welcome Ebola like a long lost piece of fine pussy.
Let China have Africa, no Nation and No Empire on earth has ever been successful in Africa, and as the old Blogger Kim Du Toit used to say, Africa always wins.
No nation or empire except Egypt, Carthage, Rome, Libya, & South Africa. The first three were THE major empires of their time.
DeleteThe only reason that resource-rich Africa isn't another North America is because central African diseases killed colonial Europeans in about the same ratio as European diseases killed native North Americans.
and what if a squad of the 101st becomes infected? - then you have carriers of a terminal illness, experts in assault and well armed, and bitter about the mission of death they were sentenced to carry out. How do you contain THAT?
ReplyDeleteNew word for you, STOCKADE.
Delete"How do you do force protection against a disease that can survive outside a host? "
ReplyDeleteThe Walking Dead
Resident Evil (1 and 2, deeply under rated films)
The Walking Dead
28 days/weeks later
You kill the infected or you are the infected.
As for "failed states".
Come on, this is fucking Africa, the only reason they dont already class as failed is because they never succeeded, so have no state but the current fuck up to measure against.
"How do you do force protection against a disease that can survive outside a host? "
DeleteA perimeter surrounded with Claymores, fougasse and barb wire.
Fire missions on call 24/7 and with FAE.
The one thing you do not do is CQB and forget bayonets.
I honestly don't get it. I mean, 101st? Of all US units, you send people trained in airborne assault to help in an epidemic? Why not send some NBC corps that at least have the protective gear, or even better, some mobile army hospital?
ReplyDeleteThe 101 is fully able to get in and out ASAP per mission requirements, it's known world wide as "AIRMOBILE HOOOAH!" If the training is the same as the Marines this unit is fully cognizant in MOPP and NBC warfare.
Delete1. Our CBRN gear isn't designed for Ebola, it's designed for a (very minimal) amount of function in temperate to cold climates against a first-world enemy in chemical warfare.
ReplyDeleteFor use against a biological infection in equatorial Africa, it's a total clusterf*** abortion.
(And BTW for those who didn't know this, most of our best NBC/CBRN/whatever they're currently called troops are almost entirely in reserve and NG units, so sending those troops is political suicide like you wouldn't believe.)
2. They're still struggling to build a 25-bed treatment facility for the infected local medical workers there, because anyone infected from there isn't getting evac'ed to 1st world care. With 370 dead healthcare workers already, and most of the smart ones staying away in droves, this isn't even a finger in the dyke.
3. By the time they build the other 17 100-bed treatment centers, they'll already be overtaken by events. Those three countries are over 2500 beds short right now, and by the time the centers are done, they'll be 6500 beds short.
4. There is no hope in hell of training anyone to staff them, even if they could get Harry, Ron, and Hermione to construct them overnight with a wave of the their wands. The basic problem is that nobody wants to be a healthcare worker in Ebola General Hospital, there, or anywhere else, and the people you can get aren't the ones you want or need.
5. TPTB knew the truth of 1-4 before they deployed the troops, because they had to ignore those exact factual observations from people who know before they issued the orders, therefore
6. They don't give a damn about the military, the mission, or anything but how this looks on TV, and in the unrestrained self-masturbatory fantasies of their own tiny minds.
This is thus nothing but one big group jack-off powered by malicious incompetence.
And they're betting that no one there goes public, or starts fragging officers, before they figure that out.
If the troops do anything good, despite the odds= administration win.
If the troops try and fail = administration win.
If the troops fail and die = administration win.
If the troops revolt, or end up machniegunning desperate Africans = administration win.
If the troops end up wiped out to a man in Little Big Horn II = administration win.
If the troops get infected and have to be brought back home = administration win.
There's no downside to this from the White House point of view.
It's only a problem for those who care more about the country, the military, or both, than they do about their own plummeting popularity ratings that see any downside.
That would include no one working in this administration at present, or probably at any point.
The GOP equivalent would be if a president could send thousands of illegal aliens and EBT-card members of the Free Shit Army to Ebolaville for five years, and call it workfare and a pathway to citizenship.
(Which would be brilliant, except that at that point the media would begin shrieking about racism and unfairness such that windows would shatter from coast to coast.)
N. B. C warfare. That stands for N, Nuclear and B, BIOLOGICAL as wells as C, Chemical.
DeleteFull MOPP is designed for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare.
MOPP is all they have and if done as per spec should do the job and that's with a 4 to 10% loss ratio.
did plenty of nuclear. did lots of chemical. never trained to handle a biological incident. thats something new. are you ever sure the military's suits will work against a biological agent? i mean you're not talking about self contained breathing aparatus and that kind of thing just a freaking mask and i really don't know if that will filter out contaminated air or not.
DeleteSol, Yes, My unit was trained in the use of NBC gear per mission we had at the time.
DeleteNot a secret squirrel but OpSec.
Ours was more chemicals and Radiation but Bio was covered per SoP.
I'd say these MOPP suits are adequate, much as the M-16/ M-4 is adequate as is the F-35, adequate.
Sucks to be us or them actually.
New Events make MOPP less than adequate!
DeleteA Healthcare worker, fully suited up in protective gear, fully educated and going through DECON procedures has contracted Ebola from treating Mr. Duncan.
In a Modern Western hospital fully prepared to handle Ebola.
All incoming ambulances are being turned away from this hospital's emergency rooms.
I'm betting there is a transfer of some patients already there IF another hospital will take them.
If full hospital gear cannot prevent transmission MOPP is less than adequate.
Mine Fields, Oh Damn we quit using those didn't we, NaPalm Flame Throwers! Nope do not have them either...poison gas? Out of the fucking question.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's Tazers and pepper spray with sound devices.
I bet Razor wire is banned also.
You can always tell who is the complete fucking idiot, he is the one at the podium, with a teleprompter and a gaggle of reporters listening rapt at his/her words while salivating.
Military NBC is designed for surviving an attack escaping the area.
ReplyDeleteMAYBE crossing a hot/infected zone.
Its not designed to allow soldiers to live inside the hot zone long term.
The key to all three is isolation.
Isolate the soldier from the contaminant, or the contaminant from the soldier.
I dont see how you do that in a field hospital?
Unless you have a US Clean Zone clean that no one leaves without a full suit and doesnt re enter without a full decon.
But even that isnt 100%.
And how do you operate full time, properly, as a Dr in a decon suit?
Blood samples? How long till someone gets stuck?
Need the toilet? A drink? Food?
Full decon and back to base?
Go hungry and shit yourself in war.
But for three months?
TrT, I and the Commandant did not say it was gonna be no rose garden.
ReplyDeleteNo, MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) is designed to wear 24/7 inside a contaminated area and fight or defend and guard for up to 24 hours or more if need be (The Mask is the weak spot, blood agents degrade mask filters inside an hour in some cases, filters can be changed while being worn though) units could spend days inside MOPP and inside a contaminated area. You may not be comfortable nor survive this, but that's why it's called War.
Rotation of units into and out of contaminated areas is used to limit time spent as needed and as feasible according to mission requirements and the seriousness of the situation.
The old style mask M- 17A1 was able to give mouth to mouth air through a hose attachment, it also had a drinking tube that could mate the canteen top of an NBC canteen, this could transfer water or soup as a meal. It's filters could not be changed while used. It came with inserts for eyeglasses if needed.
Medical personnel have the equipment and tools to take blood samples while suited up, wounded and contaminated personnel are stripped of all but a mask while being treated.
Be Advised: Fighter aircraft and attack aircraft do not have toilets aboard, diapers are worn on missions that may last eight to fourteen hours. Pilots regularly shit and piss themselves on long missions.
Snipers in a hide soil themselves if need be while static on a stalk as do recon personnel on a mission.
DECON is a series of long showers in a row, you step into the showers and begin to strip at the end of the showers you will be naked, masked and holding your weapon. Then checked for NBC by personnel.
Yes, I have worn MOPP circa 70's for hours, shit myself and pissed in my fighting holes grenade sump.
NO, it was not fun.
My Brother fought in desert storm, they wore MOPP sans gloves, booties and mask for two weeks in the desert hot sticky and nasty.
It can be done, BUT it sucks.
MOPP is well able to handle Ebola as good as any thing else that is designed and made by the lowest bidder to handle NBC combat.
But Ebola isnt going to done with in 7.2 hours, 72 hours, or 72days.
DeleteIt MIGHT be done in 72 weeks.
In all that time there can be no unprotected contact with the people or environment.
None
Do you helicopter in food off a logistics ship on the coast?
Or truck in it in and decon the trucks?
If someone tries to hijack a truck? Well, thats Combat Logistics Patrols, and that means decontaminating tens of trucks at a time. Possible, sure, but eventually, someone will **** up.
And thats just accidents
What do you do when a local starts throwing shit over the wall?
How long until it turns violent?
As long as it takes.
DeleteRotation of personnel is what they will do.
Day on stay on running Guard.
Someone will screw up.
Losses will take place.
People will die.
These are Marines, not boy scouts and they are where they are because that is their mission.
The United States Marine Corps Landing Party Manual says it all.
P1500.44 C
SECTION 11 ICBT-04.01 COMBAT LEADERSHIP
page 11-1
performance steps,
A:
As A Marine, you must realize that combat is a condition which subjects a Marine to intense and extreme violence.
When placed in combat situations, you will engage the enemy with individual and crew served weapons. While exposing yourself, you face the distinct possibility of direct contact with enemy soldiers and firepower.
Should you survive this fate, you risk being captured.
page 11-3
The individual Marine must realize he/she will be exposed to;
1. Violent and un nerving sights and sounds.
2. Casualties.
3. Confusion and lack of information.
4. Feeling of isolation.
5. Communication break down.
6. Individual discomfort and physical fatigue.
7. Fear, Stress and mental fatigue.
8. Continuous operations.
9. Homesickness.
page 11-5
1. Extreme risk and fear.
2. Fog of war.
3. Discomfort and fatigue.
4. Casualties.
5. Boredom.
page 11-7
To Combat these effects, adapt and overcome, the Individual Marine will;
1. Maintain high morale.
2. Discipline.
3. Esprit De Corps.
4. Proficiency.
5. Motivation.
-
These are not boy scouts but fully trained Unite States Marines.
They will endure, adapt and overcome.
I am certain somewhere there is an Airborne/Airmobile US Army manual that states the same things listed above.
DeleteThese are Paratroopers, they jump out of perfectly good airplanes in the face of certain death if they screw up, every time they are ordered to.
Day, Night, Hot or Cold good weather and bad.
Then, assemble and go hunt the enemy to fight and destroy.
These are not boy scouts either.
They know the rules, the risks and accept them as Soldiers.
I fly my big American flag even now to show my pride, and support.