SOFREP Pic of the Day: US Soldiers Get Used to the Heat During Operation Desert Shield, 1990

Today’s Pic of the Day features a striking throwback photo from the early days of Operation Desert Shield. Take a close look at this photo. Given half a glance, you might think they were in their MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) gear. Not exactly. Look closer. Those are indeed M-17A1 protective masks, but they are being worn with rain suits (AKA “puke suits”) and regular old Army-issue leather gloves.  These four soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were trying to acclimate to the Saudi Summer.

It appears to be that these soldiers, deployed to the region during the buildup to the Gulf War in 1990, donned the heavy protective (and for sure sweltering hot) gear to acclimate their bodies to extreme conditions and ready themselves for the possibility of chemical warfare—a very real threat at the time.

Back then, we called it NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) gear and it was designed to shield against toxic chemical and biological agents. Let’s just say it added an extra layer of challenge to an already harsh environment.

With temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, wearing this gear for long periods pushed the limits of human endurance. For those folks who got deployed in the desert, if you know, you know. I remember my first time moving out in the heat in MOPP-4 (the highest level of protection) with a weapon in the heat. I honestly didn’t know a human body could get that hot. To say it sucked, put it mildly, and your peripheral vision was almost nil. To fire your weapon, you had to raise it to your eye and cant it over gangster style to get a good sight picture. We were told repeatedly the enemy threatened to use chemical weapons to put us in those suits, to lessen our will to fight.

The men in today’s pic knew the stakes were high, especially with Saddam Hussein’s history of using chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War. The possibility of facing a similar threat during Operation Desert Storm was a constant concern. Thus, the chem suit.

The Early Days of Operation Desert Shield

In the summer of 1990, after Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, the world witnessed a rapid and strategic buildup of American forces in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield.

This deployment marked the beginning of what would become one of the most significant military engagements of the late 20th century: the Gulf War.

The primary goal of Operation Desert Shield was to defend Saudi Arabia from an Iraqi invasion and to protect critical oil supplies from falling into Saddam’s hands.

However, beyond the geopolitical motives, there was a pervasive and chilling concern that loomed over the troops—the threat of chemical warfare has entered the chat (as kids these days would say it).

The Iran-Iraq War had ended only two years earlier, and Saddam’s forces had already demonstrated a willingness to deploy chemical weapons, such as mustard gas and nerve agents.

These agents had been used against Iranian soldiers and Kurdish civilians, leaving tens of thousands dead or severely injured.

The Chemical Warfare Threat

When US troops arrived in Saudi Arabia in 1990, the shadow of chemical warfare—born from the trenches of the First World War—hung heavy in the air.

There were genuine fears that Saddam Hussein would once again use chemical agents as a weapon, especially as the coalition forces prepared for what would eventually become Operation Desert Storm, the offensive phase of the Gulf War.

The enemy they faced was not just conventional weaponry but potentially invisible, toxic agents that could kill or incapacitate without a single shot being fired.

In many ways, this was the first modern conflict where chemical weapons were a legitimate concern for American forces since WWI.

While Iraq had used these weapons against Iran and in its internal conflicts, the potential of facing these agents on a large scale in the Gulf War created an unprecedented level of anxiety among the troops.

For the soldiers, this meant more than just being ready for battle; it meant preparing for a type of warfare that could strike without warning.

The Chem Suit: A Soldier’s Lifeline

The standard issue NBC suit became a lifeline for every deployed soldier during Desert Shield—gear designed to protect against harmful chemical and biological agents that were bulky and uncomfortable. Not to mention having to wear it under the intense heat of the Middle Eastern desert!

Nonetheless, they were essential. You carried it wherever you went. The gear included a heavy overgarment made of charcoal-lined fabric, rubber boots, gloves, and a gas mask that covered the entire face, protecting the lungs and eyes from harmful exposure. For those of you who were never in the military, imagine this…You are wearing a full-body snowmobile suit and a tight-fitting, full-face motorcycle helmet on a beach somewhere near the equator. On your feet are Goretex boots over wool socks. Now, pick up a big stick and run up and down the beach. Yeah, it sucks that bad.

The suits were not just about shielding soldiers from immediate danger but about giving them a fighting chance to survive in a chemical attack scenario.

Despite their discomfort, the NBC suits were a necessity, particularly as intel at that time indicated that Iraq possessed large stockpiles of chemical weapons, including sarin and VX nerve agents (a.k.a ‘the most toxic of the known chemical warfare agents’). We also carried atropine autoinjectors just in case that were capable of penetrating the layers of the chem suit and your uniform. They packed quite a wallop.

These agents could be dispersed through artillery shells, bombs, or even missiles, leaving soldiers vulnerable if caught unprotected.

Prior to deployment, troops underwent rigorous training to ensure they could don their chemical gear at a moment’s notice.

Time was critical: in the event of an attack, soldiers had to be able to put on their gas masks and suits within seconds. I believe we had 9 seconds to don our mask and do a fit check after we heard some sadist yell, “Gas, Gas, Gas!!!” Good times.

The training was grueling, notably as temperatures regularly soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Still, the troops knew their survival depended on it.

The Evolution of Preparedness

Although Saddam Hussein never used chemical weapons during the Gulf War (thank God for that), the threat shaped much of the military’s preparedness strategy in Desert Shield and continues to influence military training today.

The experience in the Gulf highlighted critical areas for improvement in the protection of soldiers and sparked advancements in chemical and biological defense technologies.

Since 1990, the US military has made significant strides in NBC defense.

Modern chemical protective gear is lighter, more breathable, and easier to don than the bulky suits worn during Desert Shield. Advances in detection technology now allow forces to identify chemical agents faster and more accurately.

Today’s gas masks are equipped with improved filtration systems and communications technology, allowing soldiers to stay connected while protected.

Training, too, has evolved. Soldiers now undergo more comprehensive chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) training incorporating lessons learned from Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Simulated chemical attacks are part of standard military exercises, ensuring that troops remain prepared for the worst-case scenario.

These exercises not only focus on individual soldier readiness but also on decontamination procedures, medical treatment, and rapid response measures in the event of an attack.

Final Thoughts: Ready for Anything

Looking at this image of soldiers from the early days of Operation Desert Shield, you can almost feel the intensity of the moment. These troops were bracing for the worst in the scorching heat, having to wear heavy, cumbersome protective gear designed to defend them from chemical attacks.

This scene from Generation Kill is from our second war in Iraq, but the idea is the same. If you are from this era, chances are this will make you laugh out loud.

Fast forward to today, and the military has come a long way in refining protective gear and training. The legacy of that readiness lives on, ensuring that US troops are always prepared—no matter the threat.

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Disclaimer: SOFREP utilizes AI for image generation and article research. Occasionally, it’s like handing a chimpanzee the keys to your liquor cabinet. It’s not always perfect and if a mistake is made, we own up to it full stop. In a world where information comes at us in tidal waves, it is an important tool that helps us sift through the brass for live rounds.