Emergency War Surgery NATO Handbook: Part I: Types of Wounds and Injuries: Chapter VI: Chemical Injury
United States Department of Defense
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Since some of our potential adversaries maintain large stocks of chemical agents, train under realistic conditions, and aim for tactical surprise, the threat from chemical warfare (CW) agents on the battlefield is very real. It should also be borne in mind that CW agents are easily synthesized from readily available chemicals and could therefore be employed to advantage by third-world nations. The operational scenario may well be one of initial chemical attack compelling defending troops to "button up" followed by assault with conventional weapons. Thus, the high likelihood of having to deal with combined chemical and traumatic injuries must always be kept in mind.
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