How Blister Agents Changed Our EquipmentWe, as CBRN soldiers, can trace our bodies' roots back to World War I, where chemical agents were widely used by Allied and German forces. . One chemical used was called mustard (H) gas. Mustard gas is a type of blister agent that causes large blisters (vesicles) on the skin, lungs, and eyes of people who are exposed to it. According to Heller (1984), when mustard gas was introduced onto the battlefield, soldiers did not even know they were exposed to it. Unlike other chemicals used at that time (chlorine or phosgene), the effects of mustard gas were not obvious. According to Namazi, Niknahad and Razmkhah (2009), exposed people did not feel the effects for 4 to 8 hours after exposure, causing serious injuries. According to Heller (1984), the Germans were the first to use mustard gas in 1917 on British soldiers. When British soldiers observed the gas shells exploding, they neither saw nor smelled any gas; so they believed that the Germans were trying to deceive them. It was only several hours later that they began complaining of pain in their eyes, throat and lungs. By the time the United States entered World War I, we had no protection from the chemicals used on the front lines. According to Heller (1984), "on April 6, 1917, when the United States declared war on Germany, the army not only lacked defensive equipment for chemical warfare, it also had no plans concrete measures to develop or manufacture gas masks or any other defensive equipment. (p. 38). Although the history of our Corps is very interesting, I will show the effects of mustard gas on unprotected soldiers and how early protective equipment changed to what we are equipped with today. ......a new branch was needed to combat these new threats on the battlefield. Since 1918, that is exactly what the Army has done, we have adapted to new technologies and techniques used by today's enemies. Works Cited Cochrane, R. C. (1960). 26th Division east of the Meuse, September 1918. Army ChemicalCenter, MD: US Army Chemical Corps Historical Office, Office of the Chief Chemical Officer. Heller, C. (1984). The Leavenworth Papers. Chemical Warfare in WW1: The AmericanExperience, 1917-1918, 10. Accessed May 18, 2014 from http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/pdf/chemwarfare.pdf Namazi, S., Niknahad, H. and Razmkhah, H (2009). Long-term complications of sulfur mustard poisoning in intoxicated Iranian veterans. Journal of Medical Toxicology, 5(4), 191+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA231350837&v=2.1&u=40mwrlib&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w