I put this in the communal living area because I feel that the army is most definitly a different self-sustaining commune. I don't know where else to put it, but I thought some people might think it was interesting. Well, everyone in basic training has to go through this. You are also supposed to do it once a year. I have done it twice (they don't make you do it in Iraq. I have been in for 3.25 years). They make you walk into a room with CS gas then stand there for a little bit. Then you have to open the bottom of your mask to let gas in. It burns the skin and eyes really bad. Your throat and nose start running like crazy. Then you have to let the mask set back on and clear your mask so you can breath. After you feel the gas the first time for a few seconds, you REALLY don't want to take your mask off. But you REALLY don't have a choice... So you stand in there and wait for them to tell you to take off your mask completely. They yell "left side, remove your pro-maks." Then they do it then its the right sides turn. When I took it off my nose started running all over my uniform and burning the shit out of my eyes and skin. (you can feel it burn your hands before the mask is off). I started coughing and freaking out, with everyone else. You have to stand there until they say to leave, but some people just run out. They have to do it all over again. I started to breath deeply through my throat and jumping up and down. I was shaking and I could hardely see. (if you drop your gas mask, you go through again.) I wanted to run so bad, but I knew I would just have to do it again. The fear of what a real chem warfare gas would feel like sets in heavily. It starts to scare you quite a bit. If CS gas feels like that, what would mustard gas feel like? After I ran out I stepped in various peoples vomit. It was pretty nasty. I luckily didn't puke, although I wanted to quite a bit. (if you puke, guess what? you go back through...) They say this is a 'safe' gas, but it does NOT feel safe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CS_gas#Toxicity Afterwards I found out that breathing in deeply through my throat was the exact opposite thing you want to do. I could not help it though, no one could. I guess if you have to you are supposed to take shallow breaths through your nose, the exact opposite of what I did ><. I guess that was the turning point when I realized that the army isn't what I thought it would be. Its not a joke or a game. It is as real as it looks on TV. It is not 'fun' either. None of it is. The army has a way of making things that should be fun horrible. Like shooting a .50 cal machine gun at a tank. Sounds fun right? Not when you did 500 pushups before hand, your shaking from lack of sleep, your hungry and thirsty as hell, there is someone yelling at you while you are doing it, its 120F outside, and you only shoot 25 rounds. Oh, and don't even dream about doing it any other way then the drill sergeants tell you to, because at that point they DO lay hands on you. Hard too. The army sux. It is not fun. Save yourselves and let the dumb people join (like me...).
Damn dude, that's intense. The military is most certainly not a place for me. On a scale of 1 - 10, how would rate the CS gas pain? Most painful thing you've ever experienced?
Yeah, my husband has to go through that with the mace/pepper spray stuff they use in the prisons down here ~ he's a correctional officer. ( don't ask... :rofl: ) i don't believe that it was as harsh on him as the other spray was on you, but he looked, sounded and acted pretty miserable, even so.
Yeah, pepper spray sucks too. I have had that in my eyes from rubbing. This was a gass though, its like pepper spray but you can feel it in all of your pours and holes. It gets into your lungs too. Imagine like pepper spray gas that feels like a poison all over. So thick you can't see 15ft in front of you. I would rate it a 8 or 9 out of 10. 10 being a broken bone or something. It does not burn that bad on your skin though, probably like a 3. Its the eyes and nose and ears and throat and lungs and where you shaved. It got stuck in my cloths. If I rubbed my eyes like 2 hours later it would burn pretty good. I smelt like CS gas for like 2 days. Its not that the pain was off the chart. Its the realization of the situation. Plus not being able to move while your sucking down poison isn't good. Like standing letting someone punch you in the face over and over.
Oh, yeah, the gas is a million times worse than the pepper spray! It "targets" moisture, 'cuz just like Instant, all you add is water!
had you been in Kuwait when the Republican Guard laid fire to 100's of oil wells that gas would of tastes like chicken.. Imo vets are still reeling the effects of the smoke and oil laden air..
I don't know. I am in Baghdad. I had to go through Kuwait to get here tho, so I have been there. I didn't notice the air there. It is just hotter there. Different time different war. I am GREATLY appreciative of them for doing that though. I am just happy that I don't need to go through what they did!
I remember doing that at bct, lol. It sucked hella, bad, but once they let you out, it felt like I was really high. And hella cats tried and run, and the DS's just made them stay in there longer. It was mad lolz. Props for serving brother!
Lol, yeah. It sucks really bad... Its this type of shit that fucks with your mental state... I am definitely way different than before the army. I have anxiety now, well there is to much to list. But I also am dumber since I joined the army for sure.
Gas chamber sucks. Feels like you are going to fucking die. Kid puked in his mask when we went through.
Yeah, I heard he was a douche clown. Heard he thought u were one of the coolest, though he might be gay or something saying that... haha..
Yeah man, I know this guy who was an officer and went to P.O.W. camp. I they like, prepare you to get captured, and beforehand you sign a waver that allows them to break small bones. It's fuckin crazy, people get like, buried alive and stuff.
I give props to all those that endured things like this, my dad was in the Army 22 years, got to hand to him for staying in so long. :cheers2:
If he did it like he was supposed to he went through the gas chamber at least 10 times... That DOES deserve props. 22 years would drive me mentally insane. 4 years already changed me.
