LESSON 2
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL IN THE FIELD
Section I. INTRODUCTION
2-1.
GENERAL
In the Army, manpower is the most valuable asset. Everything possible must be
done to conserve this asset. Success in battle? the ultimate objective of any military
force? demands that troops be maintained in a constant state of combat readiness.
Field hygiene and sanitation contribute to this effort by employing all of the measures
designed to protect and improve the health of the fighting force.
2-2.
MEDICAL IMPORTANCE OF FIELD WASTE DISPOSAL
A substantial part of the waste produced each day in the field consists of solid
waste such as garbage and rubbish. If this solid waste is not removed promptly and
thoroughly, a camp or bivouac area would soon become a smelly, filthy dump. Flies,
rats, and other vermin would be attracted and would add to the individual's discomfort
as well as endanger each soldier's health. Even with the relatively good level of
sanitation maintained in the U.S. Army camps of World War II, records show a total of
nearly 1 million hospital admissions for filth-borne diseases during that period. Here are
two examples.
a. The 134th Artillery and the 404th Engineer Battalions were part of a Pacific
Ocean task force preparing to attack Guadalcanal. Fifty-five percent of the engineers
and 65 percent of the artillerymen contracted a disease called "filariasis" which was
transmitted by mosquitoes. Both units had to be replaced (medically evacuated) without
firing a shot against the enemy. With the use of insect repellent, insecticides, and
elimination of standing water, this loss of soldiers could have been prevented.
b. During the initial stages of Desert Storm, after the U.S. Armed Forces had
landed and were setting up in Saudi Arabia, the troops did not follow standard
procedures. In their rush to prepare to fight in the operation, field sanitation measures
were not enforced and bacteria multiplied. The numbers of operational latrines and
hand washing facilities (or antiseptic hand cleaners) were not sufficient. Some soldiers
failed to wash their hands after visiting the latrines and others were bitten by the
infected flies and mosquitoes. Some deep pit latrines and pail latrines were not cleaned
and spilled over, enticing flies and mosquitoes who transmitted diseases. Therefore,
many soldiers became sick with a bowel disease known as dysentery and others
contracted malaria. They were rendered incapacitated for a while. Television coverage
showed the unsafe conditions and aftermath. They also showed preventive medicine
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