PART C -CROSSING A CONTAMINATED AREA
Forces on the move may encounter contaminated areas. These areas may
result from prior attacks by Threat forces or attacks by friendly
forces against the enemy. Commanders may have received NBC reports
indicating the location of these areas, or the commander may have
received information to indicate that the unit is approaching a
downwind hazard area. Forces may find the contaminated areas marked
by contamination markers.
NOTE
A contaminated area will not have a boundary line in the
sense that all contamination is on one side of the boundary
and the other side remains uncontaminated. Instead, a
contaminated area will contain lesser amounts of
contamination in its outlying areas. These amounts will
decrease until an area is free of all contamination.
Markers will be placed just outside the contaminated area.
Occasionally, however, forces will encounter a contaminated area not
identified previously. When that happens, the unit must send
information about the area to higher headquarters in an NBC 4 report.
When forces encounter a contaminated area, the commander may direct
that a limited reconnaissance be made to determine if troops can
bypass the area.
If time permits, the commander may direct the NBC survey teams to make
a complete survey of the area to determine the extent of the
contamination. These measures might be done if the area was not
previously identified. The size of the contaminated area may
determine whether the unit as a whole must cross it. The area may
contain the only direct route to supplies, for example, or it may be
so large that troops cannot reasonably avoid it. Whatever the reason,
soldiers must know how to recognize contaminated areas, how to prepare
to cross a contaminated area, the best methods for crossing, and the
procedures they should follow after the crossing to ensure minimal
casualties.
1.
Contamination Markers.
When a contaminated area has been identified, its boundaries are
marked with contamination markers. Either NATO Forces or Threat
Forces may mark the area. NATO Forces use triangular markers of
plastic, wood, metal, or other rigid material. These markers have
holes for hanging them above the ground. Personnel place the markers
on wire boundary fences, poles, trees, or rocks. They must mark each
identified area of contamination unless they abandon the area to
Threat Forces.
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