Downloaded from https://www.everyspec.com FM 34-54 Appendix H CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE SAMPLING PROCEDURES This appendix provides procedures for the safe and expeditious collection, transportation, and receipt of suspected CB agent samples from the integrated battlefield to approved CONUS and OCONUS laboratories for processing, analysis, and identification. During the 1980's, at the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Iran-Iraq War, the ability of US forces to collect and analyze toxic agents was questionable.
In response to this concern, an examination was conducted on the mechanisms in place to preserve the integrity of the suspected CB samples collected on the battlefield. Procedures for collecting, packaging, documenting, and transporting CB samples to laboratories must be precise to ensure the credibility of the analysis conducted on the samples. The credible analysis of suspected CB samples is critical for both battlefield commanders concerned with chemical retaliation and contamination avoidance, and medical personnel concerned with prophylactic or post- contamination treatment. SITUATION:
Current battle doctrine describes a nonlinear battlefield where the Threat NBC weapons are tactically integrated. The principles of NBC reconnaissance and detection and TECHINT teams apply equally across the battlefield. SAMPLING: H-1 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OPERATIONAL CONCEPT