The Gas Chamber...

Today, I went to the gas chamber! The chamber itself is a simple block building with a very elementary system of creating gas. Small gas canisters are exposed to heat (burner) and "poof", CS gas begins to fill the room. You can read all about CS gas here. We were transported by 7-ton trucks to the Lejeune gas chamber where we divided into groups of 25. MOPP Gear (like a chemical suit) was distributed and we were given a safety brief. When our turn came, we ran in formation to the gas chamber, put our masks on and entered the chamber single file, lining the four walls of the chamber. We were instructed to make sure that our masks were on correctly and then the training began. Gas was released into the room and the fun began. Even with the mask, I could sense the gas. It was kind of hot (peppery) and my eyes were watering slightly. The back of my neck was burning like a real good sunburn. Once the gas filled the room we instructed to close our eyes, take a deep breath, hold it, and break the seal of the mask allowing gas into our mask. Maybe 10 seconds later we were allowed to clear our masks and breath again. Clearing the mask is a simple step of opening a vent in the mask and blowing air out. You then reseal the mask and continue breathing. My eyes watered a little more and my nose began to run. Next, we took our masks off entirely for about 10 seconds and put them back on again. I was tempted to panic not knowing how long I would have to hold my breath but it went pretty quick. I struggled to get my mask on again and sucked in a little gas but was able to get my mask sealed and cleared it a few times and was still ok (eyes burning quite a bit and nose running a lot). Finally, the door was opened and we were told to file out single file like we came in. One difference--we were instructed to take off our masks, open our eyes, and breath in the gas before we left. I couldn't get out quick enough. Back outside, I could hardly keep my eyes open and my nose was running like water. It took about five minutes and then I was pretty much ok. it wasn't fun--but it was a great experience!