PROTECTIVE MASK READINESS

File: 011696_75_1_001.txt
Page: 001
Total Pages: 2

ROU'RINE 8 6 G R ra T TOD 036 2228

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INFO RHCGSRS/USARCENT REAR FT MCPHERSON GR//CAC//
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S- E G R 9 T
SUBJ- PROTECTIVff MAsR@R;r-Al)-fN-ESS (U).,
THIS MESSAGE IS-A RETRAN B OF SECRET MSS 101345Z JAN 91,
USCINCCENT, CCJ3, SAB. QUOTE
i@L4+r,+ A DEPOT LEVEL MAINTENANCE /REPAIR FACILITY BEGAN OPERATIONS
AT DAMMAM ON 11 DEC 90. FACILITY CAN IDENTIFY UNSERVICEABLE MASKS
IRW PRODUCTION ACCEPTANCE LEVEL TEST/STANDARDS, AND REPAIR AS MANY OF
THESE ASSETS AS POSSIBLE FOR THEATER RESERVE STOCKAGE. INITIALLY, A
RELATIVELY LARGE PERCENT OF THE M17-SERIES MASKS TESTED HAD ONE OR
MORE POTENTIALLY LIFE - THREATENING LEAK PATHS. BECAUSE THE ACTUAL
HISTORY AND SOURCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MASKS THAT FAILED COULD NOT BE
FULLY DETERMINEDT WE ASKED HO AMCCOM TO INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE
THE VALIDITY OF THE TEST STANDARDS, AND THE READINESS IMPACTS
RELATING TO PROTECTION OF OUR SOLDIERS.
2(,L4@ DURING THE PERIOD 1-5 JAN 91, A HO AMCCOM TERM CONDUCTED

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FIT/VALIDATION TESTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 354 SOLDIERS FROM TWO SEPARATE
UNITS. TESTS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE SOLDIERS WEARING THEIR
INDIVIDUALLY ASSIGNED M17-SERIES MASK. PHASE ONE WAS A FIELDED
FIT/VALIDATION TEST CONDUCTED BY THE UNIT NBC NCO USING AMYL-ACETATE
(BANANA OIL). PHASE TWO INVOLVED THE USE OF THE XM41 FrT/VRLrDATION
TEST DEVICE WHICH ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE DRINKING TUBE ASSEMBLY OF
THE MASK. THIS PHASE IDENTIFIED ADDITIONAL FAILURES NOT FOUND WITH
THE BANANA OIL. IF A FAILURE OCCURRED IN EITHER PHASE9 THE SOLDIER
WAS DIRECTED TO PERFORM INDIVIDUAL LEVEL PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
CHECKS AND SERVICES (PMCS) FOLLOWED BY RETESTING. THE TEAM FOUND
EN RESULTED FROM IMPROPER SIZING. UPON COMPLETION,
ALL MASKS IN THE SURVEILLANCE TEST WERE HELD BY THE TEAM FOR
FOL@OW-UP TESTS AND THE SOLDIERS WERE ISSUED NEW MASKS.
@L'L@ TEST RESULTS INDICATED THAT OF THOSE MASKS WHICH FAILED THE
FIT/VALIDATION TESTS9 90 PERCENT WERE DETECTED USING BANANA OIL. THE
NUMBER OF MASK FAILURES WERE REDUCED BY NEARLY 50 PERCENT UPON
COMPLETION OF PROPER PMCS. (NOTE: THE MAJORITY OF PROBLEMS WERE
IMPROPERLY CLEANED OUTLET VALVE SEATS). UNITS TESTED REPORTED THATs
IN MANY INSTANCES, PROPER SIZES OF MASKS (SMALL AND EXTRA SMALL) WERE
NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT REPAIR PARTS SHORTAGES PRECLUDED PROPER PMCS.

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ROUTINE T DEC
54
Box ID = BX000000
Unit = G3 NBC SECTION
Parent Organization = ARCENT
Folder Title = MASK READINESS
Subject = PROTECTIVE MASK READINESS
Document Number = 75
Image file name = 00000059.tif