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The United States Chemical Corps begins its lineage in World War I. During this conflict, trench warfare was the primary means of gaining ground and remaining protected on the war front. In order to combat the long and tiring battles of trench warfare, axis powers began using chemical weapons to draw allied forces out of the trenches or to kill them with the effects of the chemicals themselves. After these types of attacks became more relevant within World War I, the U.S. developed the Gas Service, assisting forward deployed allied troops against gas attacks within the ongoing trench warfare. As the war waged on, the Gas Service’ scope became larger than one of only defensive aspects; the Gas Service also began to include offensive …show more content…
Near the end of World War I on June 28, 1918 the Chemical Warfare Service was established; “the CWS was activated to supervise the offensive and defensive aspects of gas warfare throughout the Army” (Brophy, Miles, & Cochrane, 1959), it was not until 1920 that the CWS was established as a permanent branch of the Army. The role of the Chemical Warfare Service progressed over the years spanning the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. The CWS’ mission during these years was one of great importance; research and development of offensive and defensive chemical capabilities in order to protect U.S. Soldiers and other interests while discouraging enemies from using chemical weapons as a means of attack. Entering World War II, chemical Soldiers stood ready to deploy retaliatory attacks against German forces if chemical agents were used, however, most of these chemical troops were only utilized in large area smoke missions to support river crossing operations. Drafts for an invasion of japan had initially intended the use of chemical weapons, but after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the war had ended without an invasion being necessary. On August 2, 1946 the Chemical Warfare Service was re-designated as the Chemical Corps and identified as an official branch …show more content…
“In Vietnam, the Chemical Corps continued its support of combat operations through the employment of incendiary munitions, herbicides, riot control agents, and other efforts” (Mauroni, n.d.). Chemical Soldiers practiced to the use of herbicides and napalm in order to destroy vegetation throughout the jungles of Vietnam in order to significantly impact the concealment available to enemy forces. Riot Control Agents such as CS gas were also employed, and used to saturate large unoccupied areas of jungle or abandoned control posts in an attempt to deter enemies from accessing said locations. Chemical Soldiers faced many controversies over the use of herbicides and riot control agents, with many countries viewing the use of these as a violation of the Geneva Conventions, arguing that agents such as these are technically chemical in nature; because of the uproar cast upon the United States military forces an executive order was passed deeming presidential approval for the use of riot control agents. During the 1980s the Chemical Corps entered a stage of improvement to upgrade its capabilities. Extensive research was done to upgrade and improve the current protective masks and protective clothing. The overhaul did not stop there, chemical detection devices and decontamination systems were also undergoing improvements to make them more reliable and readily deployable. Biological warfare
The United States Chemical Corps begins its lineage in World War I. During this conflict, trench warfare was the primary means of gaining ground and remaining protected on the war front. In order to combat the long and tiring battles of trench warfare, axis powers began using chemical weapons to draw allied forces out of the trenches or to kill them with the effects of the chemicals themselves. After these types of attacks became more relevant within World War I, the U.S. developed the Gas Service, assisting forward deployed allied troops against gas attacks within the ongoing trench warfare. As the war waged on, the Gas Service’ scope became larger than one of only defensive aspects; the Gas Service also began to include offensive …show more content…
Near the end of World War I on June 28, 1918 the Chemical Warfare Service was established; “the CWS was activated to supervise the offensive and defensive aspects of gas warfare throughout the Army” (Brophy, Miles, & Cochrane, 1959), it was not until 1920 that the CWS was established as a permanent branch of the Army. The role of the Chemical Warfare Service progressed over the years spanning the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. The CWS’ mission during these years was one of great importance; research and development of offensive and defensive chemical capabilities in order to protect U.S. Soldiers and other interests while discouraging enemies from using chemical weapons as a means of attack. Entering World War II, chemical Soldiers stood ready to deploy retaliatory attacks against German forces if chemical agents were used, however, most of these chemical troops were only utilized in large area smoke missions to support river crossing operations. Drafts for an invasion of japan had initially intended the use of chemical weapons, but after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the war had ended without an invasion being necessary. On August 2, 1946 the Chemical Warfare Service was re-designated as the Chemical Corps and identified as an official branch …show more content…
“In Vietnam, the Chemical Corps continued its support of combat operations through the employment of incendiary munitions, herbicides, riot control agents, and other efforts” (Mauroni, n.d.). Chemical Soldiers practiced to the use of herbicides and napalm in order to destroy vegetation throughout the jungles of Vietnam in order to significantly impact the concealment available to enemy forces. Riot Control Agents such as CS gas were also employed, and used to saturate large unoccupied areas of jungle or abandoned control posts in an attempt to deter enemies from accessing said locations. Chemical Soldiers faced many controversies over the use of herbicides and riot control agents, with many countries viewing the use of these as a violation of the Geneva Conventions, arguing that agents such as these are technically chemical in nature; because of the uproar cast upon the United States military forces an executive order was passed deeming presidential approval for the use of riot control agents. During the 1980s the Chemical Corps entered a stage of improvement to upgrade its capabilities. Extensive research was done to upgrade and improve the current protective masks and protective clothing. The overhaul did not stop there, chemical detection devices and decontamination systems were also undergoing improvements to make them more reliable and readily deployable. Biological warfare