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American Morning
Look at U.S. Troop Protection Gear
Aired February 13, 2003 - 07:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go back to Kuwait City, or actually not Kuwait. We have Bill Hemmer on standby at a very exclusive location.
Bill -- for those folks that weren't with us at the top of the hour, where are you this morning?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are at a location known as Camp Virginia, Paula. We're essentially 35 miles just about south of the Iraqi border, outside of Kuwait City, but nonetheless still locked dead solid in the Kuwaiti desert.
I want to talk about something right now that's known as NBC, much more than a television network, nuclear, biological and chemical. These are the suits that U.S. soldiers would use into battle if indeed they were to encounter chemical or biological weapons.
Sergeant Travis Abernathy (ph) is a bit of a tour guide for us today, and Private Concheras (ph) over here is also going to take us through as well.
You know, I think the first thing that I notice essentially is that these suits look an awful lot like a regular Army uniform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they do, exactly, just like our regular uniforms.
HEMMER: Yes, how do they work now? What's the component within this uniform right here that keeps a soldier safe in the event of a chemical attack?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, on the inside, the lining has a carbon sewn on to the inside. This carbon absorbs chemical agents.
HEMMER: So, that is what protects a soldier in the field of battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it does.
HEMMER: If we go over here to Private Concheras (ph), he's -- in the interest of time, it takes about what, 8 minutes to get the entire suit on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the military standard, 8 minutes.
HEMMER: OK, so we cheated just a little bit. He put on the boots first and put on the pants, and he's trying quite quickly right now to complete the uniform with the top, the gloves and eventually the mask. How often do you train out here in these chemical suits?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, this is -- for me and Private Concheras (ph), this is our actual job. Since I've been here since the 4th of February, we've done this approximately three times for the whole compound out here.
HEMMER: So, you're doing it quite often then, I would assume.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.
HEMMER: Almost on a daily basis trying to get it suited up here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
HEMMER: OK, as we come to the very end here, obviously this is something you have to do with precision, because there is no time for a mistake in the field of battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HEMMER: OK. And as Private Concheras (ph) finishes his suiting up here, next hour we're going to come back and actually show how you guys utilize these in the field, how you work, how it may hinder you and offset things. And just as I say that, he finishes. Great timing, Private Concheras (ph). Thank you for your help over there.
Paula, next hour, back here we'll talk more about this, and we'll also give you an in-depth look at what's known as a Scud bunker. Stay tuned for that and more, when we continue here live in the Kuwaiti desert -- Paula.
ZAHN: May those soldiers never have to use that gear. Thanks, Bill -- see you in a little bit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 13, 2003 - 07:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go back to Kuwait City, or actually not Kuwait. We have Bill Hemmer on standby at a very exclusive location.
Bill -- for those folks that weren't with us at the top of the hour, where are you this morning?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We are at a location known as Camp Virginia, Paula. We're essentially 35 miles just about south of the Iraqi border, outside of Kuwait City, but nonetheless still locked dead solid in the Kuwaiti desert.
I want to talk about something right now that's known as NBC, much more than a television network, nuclear, biological and chemical. These are the suits that U.S. soldiers would use into battle if indeed they were to encounter chemical or biological weapons.
Sergeant Travis Abernathy (ph) is a bit of a tour guide for us today, and Private Concheras (ph) over here is also going to take us through as well.
You know, I think the first thing that I notice essentially is that these suits look an awful lot like a regular Army uniform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they do, exactly, just like our regular uniforms.
HEMMER: Yes, how do they work now? What's the component within this uniform right here that keeps a soldier safe in the event of a chemical attack?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, on the inside, the lining has a carbon sewn on to the inside. This carbon absorbs chemical agents.
HEMMER: So, that is what protects a soldier in the field of battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it does.
HEMMER: If we go over here to Private Concheras (ph), he's -- in the interest of time, it takes about what, 8 minutes to get the entire suit on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the military standard, 8 minutes.
HEMMER: OK, so we cheated just a little bit. He put on the boots first and put on the pants, and he's trying quite quickly right now to complete the uniform with the top, the gloves and eventually the mask. How often do you train out here in these chemical suits?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, this is -- for me and Private Concheras (ph), this is our actual job. Since I've been here since the 4th of February, we've done this approximately three times for the whole compound out here.
HEMMER: So, you're doing it quite often then, I would assume.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.
HEMMER: Almost on a daily basis trying to get it suited up here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
HEMMER: OK, as we come to the very end here, obviously this is something you have to do with precision, because there is no time for a mistake in the field of battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HEMMER: OK. And as Private Concheras (ph) finishes his suiting up here, next hour we're going to come back and actually show how you guys utilize these in the field, how you work, how it may hinder you and offset things. And just as I say that, he finishes. Great timing, Private Concheras (ph). Thank you for your help over there.
Paula, next hour, back here we'll talk more about this, and we'll also give you an in-depth look at what's known as a Scud bunker. Stay tuned for that and more, when we continue here live in the Kuwaiti desert -- Paula.
ZAHN: May those soldiers never have to use that gear. Thanks, Bill -- see you in a little bit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
