Fun in the Gas Chamber

 As an 11B, we'd been hit with CS so many times, many of us became used to it and learned how to breathe properly and not give in to panic.


So fast forward to my Signal Warrant days. In Korea, 1995, I'm a senior CW2, and the Bn (304th Sig) had 2 days of NBC training culminating in the gas chamber with that pansy-ass "banana oil" crap. They bring the officers in the gas chamber first in MOPP-4, and harass us (in fun) with jumping jacks, squat thrusts, etc., just to get us breathing irregularly. The younger officers were nervous as hell. I was laughing at them to myself.


The NBC Sgts would stand in front of us and have one officer at a time unmask while the rest of us were running in place. The NCOs would ask a series of questions, until the unmasked officer succumbed to the fumes. Then they'd take off running out of the chamber and puke.


They didn't know my background. So, when it was my turn, I remembered my breathing techniques, unmasked, and smiled at the Sgts. They asked me the usual questions, and I calmly answered them, while grinning. Yes, my eyes and lungs burned, yes it hurt like hell, especially the sweat, but I had it under control.


They stoked the smoking oil on the burn can and had me walk closer. My eyes were tearing, snot running, and they finally shook their head and let me go. I remember one Sgt saying something like, "I didn't know Chief here was such a badass, where the hell did he come from?"


Once outside, and the fresh air hit me, I calmly washed out my eyes with my canteen, and walked around. Yes, my lungs were on fire up, but there were cute young female LTs in the Bn who I couldn't let see me whimper.

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