Information Paper

M8A1 Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm

Information Papers are reports of what we know today about military equipment and/or procedures used in the Gulf War of 1990-1991. This particular information paper on the M8A1 Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm is not an investigative report; instead, it is intended to provide the reader with a basic understanding of chemical detection equipment relevant to several cases currently under investigation. This paper will focus on background information on the M8A1 Alarm System, its components, how it operates, and what could cause it to sound an alarm. This is an interim paper, not a final paper. We hope that you will read this and contact us with any information that would help us better understand the M8A1 Alarm and more accurately report its use during the Gulf War. Please contact my office to report any new information by calling:

1-800-472-6719

Bernard Rostker
Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses

Department of Defense

 

Last Update: October 30, 1997

Many veterans of the Gulf War have been experiencing a variety of physical symptoms, collectively called Gulf War illnesses. In response to veterans’ concerns, the Department of Defense (DoD) established a task force in June 1995 to investigate all possible causes. The Investigation and Analysis Directorate (IAD) of the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI) assumed responsibility for these investigations on November 12, 1996 and has continued to gather information on the M8A1 Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm, its components, how it operates, and what could cause it to sound an alarm. IAD’s interim report is contained here.

As part of the effort to inform the public about IAD’s progress, DoD is publishing (on the Internet and elsewhere) accounts related to possible causes of Gulf War illnesses, along with whatever documentary evidence or personal testimony was used in compiling the accounts. The following information paper will aid in understanding incidents involving the M8A1 Alarm System during the Gulf War.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND

DESCRIPTION

Main Components

Additional Required Equipment

OPERATIONAL DETAILS

How the M43A1 Detector Unit Works

Placement

Maintenance

FALSE ALARMS

OBSERVATIONS FROM DESERT STORM

CONCLUSION

TAB A - ACRONYM LISTING/GLOSSARY

TAB B - BIBLIOGRAPHY

END NOTES


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