is the tear gas at army boot camp gas chamber dangerous?

Question

does it hurt your eyes and lungs? can it kill you?

Answer 1

Ah, the joys of CS gas. I remember it fondly. Honestly. It was one of my more memorable parts of Marine Corps boot camp. We filed into the quonset hut with gas masks on and properly sealed. The door was closed behind us. We witnessed the seargent melting the tablet over a small fire, and the whitish smoke that quickly spread in the room. We were ordered to drop and do pushups on the dirt floor. We were ordered to run in place. Then, when our heart rates were elevated, we were ordered to break the seal on our gas masks and have a nice deep breath of the 'fresh' air.

With tears and snot uncontrollably running down our faces, were were ordered to place one hand on the shoulder of the recruit in front of us and slowly file out being absolutely sure NOT to touch or rub our exposed skin. We were ordered that upon leaving the chamber we would hold our arms up and out to our sides and let the air soothe our eyes and skin until told to return to formation.

Some people handled it much better than others. The drill instructors thought I was insane, as I came out laughing, with a lout "Marine Corps, Sir!" Maybe it just didn't effect me physically as badly as it did most, or maybe I just handled it better psychologically.

It's not something I'd do for kicks as it was far from pleasant, but I'd not have hesitated if told to do it again. By contrast, the gas used in Navy basic training was almost nothing by comparison. It made the eyes sting a little, but that was about it. Amazing, that people came out of there bawling like little babies.

I'd not be surprised to learn that they'd have toned it down a little in the Corps in the last 24 years, though I should hope they would not.

Answer 2

The gas you're referring to is CS (2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile). Actually, it's a misnomer -- CS gas is solid at room temperature. What they'll do is set a tablet on a heated pad, and gas will begin to circulate throughout the room. This is after you have the gas mask on, of course.

CS gas is classified as non-lethal. Lethality would be determined by two main factors: whether gas masks were in use, and whether the occupants were trapped in the room for prolonged exposure.

When CS is metabolized, cyanide can be detected in human tissue.

If you have a history of asthma or other pulmonary conditions/disorders, let someone know immediately.

Having gone through boot camp, I can tell you that the effects of CS gas can range from mild tearing of the eyes to immediate vomiting and prostration. You will not be exposed to it long enough to cause any long term ill effects, but if needed, there will be medical personnel standing by -- this is a precaution. Hundreds of recruits pass through the gas chamber every day, and only a fraction experience severe health problems. (If this is incorrect, someone please correct me.)

If you do snott or vomit, it's not allowed to hit the deck. You either catch it with your hand and wipe it on you shirt if it gets full, or just puke down the inside of your shirt. If you dirty the deck you don't leave until it's cleaned up. Not fun.

Answer 3

Hell yes it hurts the eyes!!! It is an inflamatory agent- reacts very well with tear duct- thus the name tear gas. Your eyes stream tears and your nose runs snot like you've never had before. But you better capture the snot in your helmet, the DI's do not want it touching their Earth. It does burn the skin also.Not a real burn it just inflames the nerves. No you cannot die from it.Okay, maybe on a massive od but they won't let that happen to you here in the USA. They'll wait til you're overseas.

Answer 4

Anything can kill you under the right circumstances, however in this case you will be fine.

It burns like a mother and makes snot come out of your nose in insane amounts.

However, it's very cool as well and would do the gas chamber again in a heartbeat.

Some advice:

DO NOT SHAVE OR SHOWER the day you go. It opens your pores and creates little nicks in your skin that will burn when it comes in contact with the gas.

Answer 5

I know the tear gas the Navy used (which I would guess to be the same as the Army's) Burns the hell out of your eyes.
The whole point of gassing you in boot camp is so that you understand and trust you gas mask 1st you spend some time in the room with the gas with your gas mask on and then take it off, this shows how well it works.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

NO, it is not lethal at the doses found in the chamber -- it can be unpleasant as all heck, but not lethal unless you rin outside and into the path of an oncoming tank.

There are three major riot control agents in use by the military:
CN, CS, and OC.

CN is more correctly known as chloroacetophenone, but is also known as "Mace". The median incapacitating dose (ICt50) of CN is 80 mg-min/m³, while the median lethal dose is 8750 mg-min/m³ -- that means that you need 110 times as much CN in the air you breath over time to die than to make you want to get out of the room.

CS is even less toxic: the ICt50 is 10 mg-min/m³, while the LCt50 is 61000 mg-min/m³ -- that's a factor of 6100 times less toxic.

OC, or pepper spray, is even better yet. The ICt50 is even lower than that of CS (I have no specific figure for it), and the LCt50 is so high that they don't even bother to calculate it. As a natural product that people consume in great quantities daily, it is not considered a toxic material at all.

In order to receive a toxic dose of any of them, you have to stick your head in a barrel of the powder and snort all day long.

Answer 8

It's to give you confidence in the mask offering you protection. After standing in the room for 1 or 2 minutes without suffering effects you will remove the mask take a deep breath and be allowed to exit in an orderly fashion.

If you had a stuffy nose going in your sinus will drain, wax in the ears....gone, a little congestion..it won't be cured but it will be loosened up, something in an eye..the next 2 minutes of watering will get that little speck right out.

I survived a direct blast from a CS grenade while in the front leaning rest with my weapon on top of my hands. My Co's boots did not survive my deposit of my breakfast on his highly polished jump boots.

Ahh the good old days!!

SSG US Army 73-82

Answer 9

No the Gas is not dangerous it is called CS gas it is used in Riot or Crowd Control in other words Tear Gas. The purpose of the Gas Chamber in Basic Training to for you to gain confidence in yourself and your equipment

Answer 10

Been there, done that, yes it is an irritant but will not kill you, what it will do is impress upon you the need to be able to don that mask in the time they want you to. Eyes will burn, lungs will be short of breath and your nose will snot like nothing else before, feeling will dissipate quickly when you get in the fresh air.