Delaware National Guard - DNG News 2002

Delaware National Guard
262nd trains for chemical environment operations
Story and photos by 2nd Lt. Michael P. Crilley, 262nd Maintenance Co. (GS)

It was ‘business as usual’ at the 262nd Maintenance Co. (GS) this weekend—with one small twist.

Members of the 262nd Maintenance Co. (GS) conducted their daily business in Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) level 1, with protective masks donned, for two hours Sunday morning. Training conducted at MOPP 1 included vehicle preventative maintenance checks (PMCS), tool box inventory and updates in the Power Generator Repair section, issuing of parts and tools by the Tech Supply section and scheduled services in the motor pool.

Sgt. Brian Moyer, Sgt. Alfred Reed, Sgt. Daryl Duffie and Spc. Timothy Taylor conduct PMCS on a 10-kilowatt generator.

With the recent military buildups for operations in the Middle East, the possibility of working in a chemical environment is greater than ever. This weekend’s MOPP training should increase soldiers’ awareness of how different– and difficult—working in a contaminated environment could be.

The biggest problem encountered while in MOPP 1 was communication. Soldiers performing PMCS had particular difficulty. "It’s hard enough talking over the noise of a loud engine," said Sgt. Brian Moyer. "It’s that much harder trying to yell through the mask at the same time."

"Of course, it’s an inconvenience for everyone," said company Executive Officer, 1st Lt. Michael Murphy, his voice muffled by his M40 protective mask. "On the other hand, it’s necessary for our troops to be prepared to work in a chemical environment."

Spc. Matt Jester had a similar view on the training. "If we get into a war situation, we’re probably going to have to wear them. We’d better get used to them now."