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CNN Live Today

Weather Could Still Affect Troops

Aired April 02, 2003 - 10:54   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about the increasing weather temperatures and how it may impact the military movements on the ground. The military likes to say Mother Nature is neutral. If it's hot for one side, it's hot for the other.
Renay San Miguel standing by with the general again at CNN Center -- Renay, hello.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you, Bill. We are speaking with retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd about the heat and its impact on the coalition forces. Just what the coalition forces don't need, General, is a heat wave in the desert, but -- when we have seen video of the coalition forces slogging through the desert, 80 to 100 pound backpacks on their backs but they don't always fight with that full backpack, do they?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: They don't. In fact, some of them are carrying up to 120, even as much as 150 pounds, Renay. But they shed that when they go into a fight. The British call it a burgen (ph), according to Dave Grange, but they have an assault pack in which they shed all that heavy stuff and carry with them the things they need: ammunition, communications, water, food, that type of thing.

SAN MIGUEL: Just the basics for a fire fight.

SHEPPERD: Indeed. Indeed.

SAN MIGUEL: And Chad talked about the MOPP suits, the chemical protection suits. There are also differing levels of what you would need to wear, according to the threat.

SHEPPERD: Right. It is called MOPP gear. M-O-P-P, stands for mission oriented protective posture, zero through four. Zero means all your chemical gear is readily available. Four means you've got it all on, including the gloves, and it is miserable to wear.

SAN MIGUEL: You could have, at MOPP level three, everything except the hood, and of course, the hood is where the heat escapes, and that might be a little bit better for a soldier than having to wear the entire outfit.

SHEPPERD: Yes, it is indeed. Now you can stay in the stuff for two or three hours. The problem is it's impervious, so you're sweating inside of it. You must stay hydrated, and staying in it longer than two or three hours really brings heat problems. It is miserable stuff. SAN MIGUEL: Now, we talk about the heat, but the sandstorms could always come back, and with all the close air support in the eyes of the Central Command doing so much damage to the Republican Guard to have to pull that back when the sandstorms comes in could pose a problem.

SHEPPERD: The sandstorms cause two problems. One is it affects the air and the ability to provide close air support, and the other thing it does is it provides cover for forces that want to get up along your supply lines and shoot at you close. So it becomes a real problem. We have things that will work day and night through all kinds of weather, but it's a pain in the neck for you.

SAN MIGUEL: And we have about -- what, about 30 seconds left to talk about how the heat affect on the civilian population, humanitarian groups believing that they are low on food and water. The military trying to get that help to them, and then the heat is not helping that.

SHEPPERD: Yes. Heat, you have to stay hydrated, no matter whether you are a soldier or a civilian, and the key is clean water. Now, the forces have bottled water. The population depends upon electricity. If electricity has been affected by the military action and can't be restored to pump water, the civilians are in trouble.

SAN MIGUEL: General Shepperd, we appreciate your time as always.

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 April 2, 2003 - 10:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about the increasing weather temperatures and how it may impact the military movements on the ground. The military likes to say Mother Nature is neutral. If it's hot for one side, it's hot for the other.
Renay San Miguel standing by with the general again at CNN Center -- Renay, hello.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you, Bill. We are speaking with retired Air Force Major General Don Shepperd about the heat and its impact on the coalition forces. Just what the coalition forces don't need, General, is a heat wave in the desert, but -- when we have seen video of the coalition forces slogging through the desert, 80 to 100 pound backpacks on their backs but they don't always fight with that full backpack, do they?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: They don't. In fact, some of them are carrying up to 120, even as much as 150 pounds, Renay. But they shed that when they go into a fight. The British call it a burgen (ph), according to Dave Grange, but they have an assault pack in which they shed all that heavy stuff and carry with them the things they need: ammunition, communications, water, food, that type of thing.

SAN MIGUEL: Just the basics for a fire fight.

SHEPPERD: Indeed. Indeed.

SAN MIGUEL: And Chad talked about the MOPP suits, the chemical protection suits. There are also differing levels of what you would need to wear, according to the threat.

SHEPPERD: Right. It is called MOPP gear. M-O-P-P, stands for mission oriented protective posture, zero through four. Zero means all your chemical gear is readily available. Four means you've got it all on, including the gloves, and it is miserable to wear.

SAN MIGUEL: You could have, at MOPP level three, everything except the hood, and of course, the hood is where the heat escapes, and that might be a little bit better for a soldier than having to wear the entire outfit.

SHEPPERD: Yes, it is indeed. Now you can stay in the stuff for two or three hours. The problem is it's impervious, so you're sweating inside of it. You must stay hydrated, and staying in it longer than two or three hours really brings heat problems. It is miserable stuff. SAN MIGUEL: Now, we talk about the heat, but the sandstorms could always come back, and with all the close air support in the eyes of the Central Command doing so much damage to the Republican Guard to have to pull that back when the sandstorms comes in could pose a problem.

SHEPPERD: The sandstorms cause two problems. One is it affects the air and the ability to provide close air support, and the other thing it does is it provides cover for forces that want to get up along your supply lines and shoot at you close. So it becomes a real problem. We have things that will work day and night through all kinds of weather, but it's a pain in the neck for you.

SAN MIGUEL: And we have about -- what, about 30 seconds left to talk about how the heat affect on the civilian population, humanitarian groups believing that they are low on food and water. The military trying to get that help to them, and then the heat is not helping that.

SHEPPERD: Yes. Heat, you have to stay hydrated, no matter whether you are a soldier or a civilian, and the key is clean water. Now, the forces have bottled water. The population depends upon electricity. If electricity has been affected by the military action and can't be restored to pump water, the civilians are in trouble.

SAN MIGUEL: General Shepperd, we appreciate your time as always.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com