And no snot. I didn't know the human body could produce that much snot until I went through the gas chamber at Ft. Benning in '81. OC training twenty years later was a breeze compared to that.
CS never bothered me as much as it did the other guys. Kind of cleared my sinuses and made my eyes water a little - while other guys were crying their eyes out and some were puking.
I remember there being a big tree outside the gas chamber on Ft. Benning. More than one guy ran out of the chamber and bloodied their nose.
At Ft Knox there was a tree about 6ft from the exit door and the DS's sat on the nearby bleachers and watched the privates come out and slam into the tree. The Cadre specifically told us to watch for it but about 1/4 would run smack into it. I was one of the first groups in so I got to watch a few others hit the tree too. Good times! My sinus have never been the same
I remember that tree. When I was there in '72, they had a guy standing there who pushed away anyone headed for the tree. What happened to you after that was not their problem.
That was a yearly ritual until I got out of Joint Services and got back into the regular Air Force where I never had to do it again. For me it was eyes watering, snot running down to the ground, and occasionally puking. There were some that the CS had little to no effect like the sadistic asshole who ran the chamber.
I was at Fort Knox in '69 or so for Reserve Summer Camp. A bunch of us were in the NCO club having a few when we noticed a fog rolling in from the office area. It was a big barn-like building. I said, well if it's on fire, it's back there so I finished my drink and ambled outside. People were bent over coughing and throwing up. I had barely gotten a whiff so no problem. It turned out that several senior NCO's had put tear gas in the A/C and robbed the office. Don't know if the visited the tables but I know some money was left on ours.
Served in 81 US Navy. For me the gas chamber was a breeze. My eyes watered abit my nose ran slightly. There was a little coughing but nothing compared to what it did to others in my group.It definitely effects different people in different ways.
Late winter 1965 Great Lakes Naval Training Center. First thing in the morning after chow. CS gas house. Hand on the shoulder of the guy in front of you, cause we all had our eyes closed and weren't breathing. The bastards made us march around the inside of the gas house three or four times until everyone got a good lungful and started coughing. They were observing us from behind their gas masks, looking for streaming snot and running eyes before they let us out into fresh air.
Then when I arrived at my permanent duty station about a year later, I had to do it again. Pricks.
Basic Training 1964, Fort Polk, La. Company in formation after the tent, I heard a soft "pop" behind us. "Oh, shoot," I thought. There was the initial scent and "Gas! Gas! Gas!" Most of us got our mask on, but one dude took off running when the cloud formed -- straight into a pine tree, head and chest smack. You can laugh in a mask, but nobody can hear you.
Don't know if you recall, but there was an NCO and an officer in that chamber with you. You got to leave, but they stayed in there as long as it was operating. CS really soaks into your clothes and hair when you're in it for a long time. I know, it did to me.
And no snot. I didn't know the human body could produce that much snot until I went through the gas chamber at Ft. Benning in '81. OC training twenty years later was a breeze compared to that.
ReplyDeleteCS never bothered me as much as it did the other guys. Kind of cleared my sinuses and made my eyes water a little - while other guys were crying their eyes out and some were puking.
DeleteI remember there being a big tree outside the gas chamber on Ft. Benning. More than one guy ran out of the chamber and bloodied their nose.
I had snot from my face to the ground but no puke.
DeleteAh. Good times. I had the tears, but I wasn't one of the vomit ones. So there's that.
ReplyDeleteAt Ft Knox there was a tree about 6ft from the exit door and the DS's sat on the nearby bleachers and watched the privates come out and slam into the tree. The Cadre specifically told us to watch for it but about 1/4 would run smack into it. I was one of the first groups in so I got to watch a few others hit the tree too. Good times! My sinus have never been the same
ReplyDeleteI remember that tree. When I was there in '72, they had a guy standing there who pushed away anyone headed for the tree. What happened to you after that was not their problem.
DeleteThat was a yearly ritual until I got out of Joint Services and got back into the regular Air Force where I never had to do it again. For me it was eyes watering, snot running down to the ground, and occasionally puking. There were some that the CS had little to no effect like the sadistic asshole who ran the chamber.
ReplyDeleteThat's the first thing I thought of, too--where's all the snot!
ReplyDelete40 years later and I still feel his pain..
ReplyDeleteReally clears out the sinuses. Infantry OSUT at Ft. Polk in 1976, good times.
ReplyDeleteIt was all rather unpleasant, as I recall...
ReplyDeleteI was at Fort Knox in '69 or so for Reserve Summer Camp. A bunch of us were in the NCO club having a few when we noticed a fog rolling in from the office area. It was a big barn-like building. I said, well if it's on fire, it's back there so I finished my drink and ambled outside. People were bent over coughing and throwing up. I had barely gotten a whiff so no problem. It turned out that several senior NCO's had put tear gas in the A/C and robbed the office. Don't know if the visited the tables but I know some money was left on ours.
ReplyDeleteLast time for me was 17 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI miss having my sinuses cleaned out like that, Hawaii really filled them up, especially the rotting pineapple in the fields next to the fence.
Served in 81 US Navy. For me the gas chamber was a breeze. My eyes watered abit my nose ran slightly. There was a little coughing but nothing compared to what it did to others in my group.It definitely effects different people in different ways.
ReplyDelete1980. Ft. Leonard Wood. Good times.
ReplyDeleteLate winter 1965 Great Lakes Naval Training Center. First thing in the morning after chow. CS gas house. Hand on the shoulder of the guy in front of you, cause we all had our eyes closed and weren't breathing. The bastards made us march around the inside of the gas house three or four times until everyone got a good lungful and started coughing. They were observing us from behind their gas masks, looking for streaming snot and running eyes before they let us out into fresh air.
ReplyDeleteThen when I arrived at my permanent duty station about a year later, I had to do it again. Pricks.
Nemo
Basic Training 1964, Fort Polk, La. Company in formation after the tent, I heard a soft "pop" behind us. "Oh, shoot," I thought. There was the initial scent and "Gas! Gas! Gas!" Most of us got our mask on, but one dude took off running when the cloud formed -- straight into a pine tree, head and chest smack. You can laugh in a mask, but nobody can hear you.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if you recall, but there was an NCO and an officer in that chamber with you. You got to leave, but they stayed in there as long as it was operating. CS really soaks into your clothes and hair when you're in it for a long time. I know, it did to me.
ReplyDeleteAlien