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Your concerns about chemical equipment are probably overblown. During the time I spent in the Army, we received technical bulletins, I believe on a monthly basis, which told us, by production lot number, which protective mask filters, chemical protective suits, etc., were no longer good, and had to be destroyed or turned in. Each company had an NCO designated to maintain the chemical gear for the company, and to ensure that the gear was still operational. When we deployed to the Gulf for Desert Shield, we checked all this equipment very closely, and made damn sure that all lot numbers were good. It is safe to assume that our troops are doing the same thing to prepare.

Twenty Eight years ago when I was the unit CBR NCO, the Army was a different place. Then I would have said that the units I was familiar with were not prepared to fight in a CB environment. I believe that is where Hackworth is coming from.

Times have changed and todays troops know damn well and good that their equipment and their knowledge of CB could be what stands between them and the reaper. I'm so far out of the loop that I couldn't offer an educated opinion but my guess is that the line units are damn well prepared for CB attacks.