CBRN

            CBRN sounded like the name of a radio station the first time I heard it. It also sounded like a T.V. station. Little did I know that it stood for Chemical, Biological, Radiology, Nuclear Chamber. It’s more commonly known as the Gas Chamber. It was all part of my training at Basic Combat Training for the Army.
            It was a hot summer day when we loaded up onto the cattle truck that would take my platoon to the small brick building that would cause so much temporary pain. We had already reached heat category five at 10 in the morning. Our Colonel had already signed off on the papers necessary for us to continue our training. We had been briefed early that morning on safety and just exactly what was going to happen while we were in the chamber. We learned how to “clear” our masks and put them on our faces properly. It was about mid-afternoon when we loaded on the trucks. We were already hot but having 58 people cram into a very small truck made it even hotter. We arrived at an open field, the only building in sight was a small rectangular brick building that sat underneath a giant tree. Behind the building was a big tire pit. From the beginning of the time we were there we knew that this would be no easy task.
            Our entire company lined up by platoon. My platoon was chosen to go through first only about 10 could go through at a time. I was in the third group and anxiously waited as the first two groups went through the torture first.  I was nervous due to the screams we heard inside the chamber. There was no running from this task it was necessary to do for me to complete my training. I stood right by the entrance and could feel the chemicals touching my neck. It felt as though my neck was on fire, yet I hadn’t even entered the chamber. When it was time for me to go in the door opened up and a Drill Sergeant yanked me in. It felt as though I was thrown to the opposite side of the building as my other nine buddies followed my lead. My neck definitely had to be on fire there was no other explanation for the burning I felt on my skin that wasn’t covered. There was a weird smell within my mask; I quickly realized that I must not have placed my mask on right. Never in my life have I moved so fast to breath, I re-cleared my mask and was noticed that the smell had almost disappeared. About that time I heard the entrance close shut, we were in there for good now there definitely was no escaping.
            I listened intently to the instructions we were given. The first instruction was that we were to break the seal of our mask and clear them once more placing them back on our faces. Once that was done, and everyone’s mask was checked, we listened to the next instructions. “Take off your mask and hold it high above you in your right hand, and breathe while reciting the Soldiers Creed.” We were to breathe in the chemicals; it was the fastest way to get out of there. So I did. I yelled at the top of my lungs until I felt the burning within my lungs. I began coughing and wheezing like the rest of my buddies. I felt as though I had entered a miniature Hell.
            After being inside the chamber for what seemed like forever we were allowed to leave. Once outside we were yelled at to begin flapping our arms like a bird and run around the big tire pit. The idea was to get the remaining chemicals off of our uniforms. Many of our friends were pointing and laughing at us forgetting that only a few minutes earlier they had looked the same way. I will never forget how fresh air tasted in my mouth. It was much better than the taste of CS gas in my mouth. It was such an adrenaline rush that many of us wanted to go back through, call us crazy but it was an amazing experience and we didn’t want to leave. Now I brag to my friends that I got to experience something that they never will. Honestly not many people can say that they went through a gas chamber and felt so awesome afterward that they wanted to do it again.