United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-03-29 monographic deposited born digital 46 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-96-103 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103 P0b002ee180398321 f:ns96103 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103 NSIAD-96-103 Combat readiness Biological warfare Chemical warfare Defense capabilities Military operations Military training Military materiel Military research Medical equipment Immunization services Persian Gulf War Desert Storm Fox Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaisance Vehicle DOD Biological Integrated Detection System DOD Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm JCS Universal Joint Task List JCS Status of Resources and Training System Letter Report NSIAD Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed U.S. chemical and biological warfare defense capabilities, focusing on: (1) the chemical and biological warfare defense problems identified during the Gulf War; and (2) the preparedness of early-deploying ground forces to survive and fight in a chemically or biologically contaminated environment.<p/>GAO found that: (1) DOD has taken steps to improve the readiness of U.S. forces to operate in chemically or biologically contaminated environments, but equipment, training, and medical shortcomings persist and could cause needless casualties and a degradation of U.S. combat capability; (2) during the Gulf War, many early-deploying units did not have all of the chemical and biological detection, decontamination, and protective equipment they needed; (3) the services continue to place lower emphasis on chemical and biological defense activities than or other high-priority activities; (4) research and development efforts to improve the detection and decontamination of biological and chemical agents have progressed slower than planned because of other priorities and personnel shortages; (5) the Army and Marine Corps have acted to improve their biological and chemical training, but many problems encountered during the Gulf War persist; (6) there was little biological or chemical defense training included in joint training exercises because regional commanders in chief (CINC) believe that this training is the responsibility of the individual services and have assigned other types of training a higher priority; (7) medical units often lack adequate biological agent vaccine stocks and immunization plans, appropriate defense equipment, and sufficient instruction on how equipment is to be used; and (8) the lower emphasis the services give to chemical and biological defense activities is reflected in the funding, staffing, monitoring, and mission priority levels dedicated to these activities. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103.pdf GAO/NSIAD-96-103 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-96-103 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-96-103; Chemical and Biological Defense: Emphasis Remains Insufficient to Resolve Continuing Problems; Combat readiness Biological warfare Chemical warfare Defense capabilities Military operations Military training Military materiel Military research Medical equipment Immunization services Persian Gulf War Desert Storm Fox Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Reconnaisance Vehicle DOD Biological Integrated Detection System DOD Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm JCS Universal Joint Task List JCS Status of Resources and Training System Public Law 103-160