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Message: <blockquote data-quote="El Mahdi" data-source="post: 5586356" data-attributes="member: 59506">I honestly don't know about your first two questions (Pathfinders and Marines in Vietnam). I don't even think there's anything on Wikipedia about that. Might need to hit a library. From talking to my Dad, it sounds like Chem Warfare training was essentially the same during the Vietnam era. Though the suits and masks of the day were a little different to what we have today (though the old suits and masks were still the issued suits when I enlisted in '86). They covered all the same basics: antidote kits, donning and wearing mask, the gas chamber, donning and wearing a suit, MOPP's, detection and decon prodedures, etc. However, in the Vietnam theater, I doubt they ever really used chem gear. I honestly don't think they would even carry a mask with them, though I don't know that for sure. I Don't know if there's any Vietnam Vets on the forum, but they'd be the ones to ask.   The Mask and Chem Gear <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/M17_Gas_Mask.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/M17_Gas_Mask.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>\ The M17 Gas Mask. It had two filters, one installed in each cheek of the mask from the inside (mask had to be removed to change filters). The two seperate goggle like lenses kind of gave you wall-eye vision, and were made of hard plastic (not flexible). All the suits and masks of their day were made to be compatible throughout NATO, though to varying degrees of success.  The M17 mask was used up into the early 90's (it was the mask issued during the Vietnam War, all the way up through the Gulf War).  It was replaced by the MCU-2/P in the early to mid 90's.  <img src="http://www.olive-drab.com/images/gasmask_mcu2p_700.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> The MCU-2/P Gas Mask. The filter was on the outside, but could be repositioned to either the left or the right side of the mask (for right and left handed shooters). The filter can be changed without removing the mask (just hold your breath, unscrew, and screw on a new one). The person above is taking a drink from their canteen through the drinking tube. The M17 had the same type drinking tube. Issued Canteens come standard with a connection for the drinking tube in the cap. This mask also had a hard plastic overlay that clipped over the soft clear vinyl lense, and their was a tinted version. The single lense screwed with your focus and depth perception a little less than the M17, though it still takes some getting used to. It also had connections to add a microphone inside it (for use with an intercom system), and could clip an optional amplified sound projector on the front (a miniature bull-horn). The picture above is with the older chem suit (same one as used with the M17). The older chem suit required a plastic/vinyl hood which was attached to the gas mask (snaps to the masks straps with an elastic opening that fits around the mask, a draw string around the neck, and straps that go under the arms to hold it down). The newer suits (JSLIST) have a hood as part of the jacket (fabric rather than vinyl), and are a bit lighter (which is kind of like saying the Philippines are cooler than Thailand...). It also has pull on rubber boots with elastic hook-and-eye closures rather than the old lace up overboots (they were very cumbersome, could catch on foliage and objects, etc.). <img src="http://www.sc-ems.com/ems/NuclearBiologicalChemical/MedicalAspectsofNBC/chapters/images/P374_Fig16-16.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> Old <img src="http://www.sc-ems.com/ems/NuclearBiologicalChemical/MedicalAspectsofNBC/chapters/images/P374_Fig16-15.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />New  There's an even newer mask that is now in use since I retired (started issuing in 2009), called the M50 mask. Though I don't know much about it. <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Air_Force_chem_suit.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Air_Force_chem_suit.jpg/709px-Air_Force_chem_suit.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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