WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M., April 8, 2010 - Good field sanitation can be a key part of keeping a unit combat effective, especially a deployable unit.
To ensure that every deployable unit is properly trained in field sanitation each company is required to have a noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier trained as a field sanitation team. "Basically we're teaching the troops how to be preventive medicine specialists, they are our eyes and ears in the field," said Staff Sgt. Danielle Maddox, an environmental health team leader from William Beaumont Army Medical Center. The training of a field sanitation team is a 40 hour course.
Besides proper waste management and disposal, field sanitation includes the proper storage and preparation of food and water, the prevention of injury and disease caused by animals and insects, the prevention of heat and cold injuries, proper management of industrial hazards and materials, and hearing loss prevention.
While advanced sanitation should be left to trained personnel, there are some tips that every Soldier should know that can help keep him and his unit in fighting shape.
Properly treating water before drinking it or using it for cooking can do much to prevent waterborne diseases and parasites. Water can be treated through several different methods, but three of the recommended methods are through the use of iodine or calcium hypochlorite (a type of bleach), and by boiling.
While the establishment of a trusted clean supply of water is a high priority when establishing a base of operations, individual Soldiers can use these methods when a trusted water source is not available. According Army Field Manual 4-25.12 a one quart canteen requires two iodine tablets to ensure adequate disinfection. To treat the water, place the tablets into the canteen and give them five minutes to dissolve. Then shake the canteen to properly mix the contents and loosen the top to allow the treated water to cover the neck and make sure that any water there will also be treated.
Calcium hypochlorite is a much more concentrated material and is available to Soldiers through their normal supply chains. To use it to treat individual water supplies, mix one ampoule with half a canteen cup of water. Use half a canteen cap full, a full capful if it has a Nuclear/Biological/Chemical drinking adapter, of this mixture to treat a 1 quart canteen of water using the same method as you would if using iodine. Both iodine and calcium chlorite require a full 30 minutes to completely disinfect the water. Boiling can also be used to disinfect water when disinfecting compounds are not available. It's recommended that the water be brought to a rolling boil for five to 10 minutes before being used. However, in an emergency only 15 seconds will do. While boiling is an effective short term solution, unlike chemical treatments boiling does not prevent later contamination. "Boiling is the least preferred method since it doesn't last," Maddox said. In all cases it's recommended to use the cleanest water available.
Contaminated or mishandled food can also be a source of disease and parasites. For this reason Soldiers should not get food from local sources, including street vendors. "The best place to get food is from your unit's food source," Maddox said.
While extremely unlikely, it is possible that some missions may require a Soldier to dine with local civilians or indigenous military units. In this case, try to limit exposure to their foods. "If you have to go on a mission that requires you to go into their communities, limit the amount of food to what you can without being disrespectful, and if you start feeling sick, don't try and self treat, go directly to you medical staff," Maddox said. To help limit exposure to local food supplies Soldiers are encouraged to carry MREs with them even on missions that are expected to be short.
While the dangers of wild animals should be clear and well known to most Soldiers, there are other issues regarding pets and unit mascots. Unit mascots may only be adopted in accordance with regulation 40-905. Adoption of indigenous animals as pets, regardless if they are domesticated or wild, is prohibited. "Stay away from them and take actions to keep them out of your areas. Properly dispose of waste and keep food up and off the ground," Maddox said.
Rodents can also be a problem in the field as they can carry and spread disease. One of the leading causes of rodent infestation in the field is poor sanitation. "When we see someone get a rodent problem, the first place we go is sanitation... are they cleaning out their hooches, keeping clothing off the ground, to prevent the animals from making nests," Maddox said. Even if the rodents themselves aren't directly causing problems, their urine and droppings and parasites that they may carry can spread disease. When cleaning up dusty areas where rodents may have been Soldiers are to use a dustless method like wet mops, and avoid methods that could kick up dust like sweeping and compressed air sprayers. Keeping areas clear of materials that a rodent could nest in will also prevent the spread of fleas, which are well known for transmitting disease between rodents and humans. Soldiers should also take measures to avoid exposure to biting insects by treating their uniforms with permethrin or DEET.
Heat and cold injuries, including heat exhaustion and stroke, hypothermia and frostbite, can be avoided through awareness. When working in hot conditions Soldiers should maintain a good balance of hydration and nutrition. While drinking larger than usual amounts of water is important to staying hydrated in hot conditions, Soldiers should avoid drinking more than one liter an hour. Soldiers should be familiar with the symptoms of heat exhaustion and dehydration from predeployment training. When operating in cold environments Soldiers should layer their clothing so that they can adjust what they are wearing as conditions change. Hydration may also be an issue and Soldiers should make sure that even though it may not be hot that they are still drinking enough fluids. It should be kept in mind that while heat and cold injuries may not always seem like long term injuries, once your body suffers a heat or cold injury it tends to be more vulnerable to it again later.
Soldiers who regularly work with industrial chemicals need to make sure that they know the hazards and handling procedures required. "Read the material safety data sheet and that will show you what you have and what to do with it," said Staff Sgt. Luis Rubio, the environmental health NCO in charge for B Company at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. Rubio explained that not only should Soldiers be mindful of signs of acute chemical exposure, but also for the signs of chronic long term exposure. "It takes a while for some chemicals to build up, and then they start to show symptoms," Rubio said.
Preventing hearing loss is also something that Soldiers need to be wary of. Hearing protection is required when operating around anything that emits a sound louder than 85 decibels. Preventive medicine can be contacted to test an area and determine if hearing protection is required.
While Soldiers are typically good at wearing hearing protection around things like weapons fire or aircraft, Humvees also tend to produce sounds loud enough to damage one's hearing and Maddox advises that Soldiers wear hearing protection when operating them as well.
For more information on field sanitation call 678-1331.
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