Gas, Gas, Gas!!!

Today was tear-gas day. Needless to say, it was a new experience.

Show up at the tear gas room at 0645, stand around, work yourself up, get nervous... Then get in a line, groups of 24, 12 on each side. Put on your mask and filter and try your hardest to breath deeply and calm your heart... Not so easy with the mask on.

After they're ready, you march into what can only be described as a totally indescribable room - solid block walls with sheet metal siding, one or two lights, and basically nothing but dark terror. I think the overall experience was more psychologically terrorizing than anything else. The actual course of instruction, not so terrible.

I was the first in, thus placing me closest to the exit - score one for Kevin. Sadly, this also placed me directly next to the hot plate where they put the CS pellets (what is used to make the tear gas) - Score one for the gas chamber.

After it was good and gassy, and we weren't all dead, they had us lift the bottom of our masks off from our faces, then put it back on and clear it out. Not so tough to do if you take a deep breath and keep your eyes closed so you can clear it out well. Still, it gets in the face and sinuses - Score another one for the gas chamber.

Then was the slightly more bizarre process of unscrewing your filter from the mask, passing it to your buddy who then passes it twice behind his back and then twice under each leg before giving it back. Screw it back in, clear the mask, and it's game time.

Not to terrible over all, but I got ahead of myself here - no one mentioned that in addition to the burning in the breathing and seeing portions of the body, it also burns the bejesus out of any part of your body that may have been sun burned or recently shaved... If you've seen my head / face, it qualifies for the second one, and if you read my last post I qualify for the first. In short - it was less than fun.

Now, before all you prior service grunts start with the whole "In my day it was way worse, Nancy boy..." crap - I know. You had it way worse, and they don't make them like they used to, and your branch of service is way cooler than my branch of service and whatever. Doesn't make my head any less burny...