The Battle of the Cold

Major Thomas E. Taylor During the winter of 1985, the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment, headquartered in Nuernberg, Federal Republic of Germany, had many opportunities to experience Europe’s coldest temperatures in recent history. Such opportunities included REFORGER 1985 i n northern Germany, cavalry platoon maneuvers in southern Bavaria, tank gunnery and scout training at Grafenwoehr Training Area, and continuous border surveillance of East Germany and Czechoslovakia. The leaders of the regiment believe the lessons learned during this cold weather are too valuable not to be shared with other units who plan to train in cold weather conditions. Concentrating on leadership techniques, this article discusses cold weather lessons learned or reconfirmed. The impact of cold weather can be categorized into adverse effects on personnel, equipment, and tactics. Leadership Factors Regarding leadership and the welfare of personnel, the following observations were made. When in great discomfort, people quickly focus upon themselves rather than those for whom they are responsible. If leaders allow themselves to feel sorry for either themselves or “... The individual will disregard his own safety in favor of warmth and sleep... I. their subordinates because of the environment, they will fail to care for soldiers and equipment properly. It is critical that the leaders set a good example by wearing the proper equipment and by not trying to be “macho”. Since the soldier looks to his sergeant, he may try to emulate the “tough guy from Montana” and wind up with frostbite. Leaders need to pay particular attention to less motivated soldiers since they may neglect themselves earlier than a motivated soldier. The individual will disregard his own safety in favor of warmth and sleep. Last winter, for example, one man was found asleep in a snowdrift, in a sleeping bag, in the path of a track. Leaders must take time to check themselves in addition to their subordinates. Training in the cold requires extraordinary attention to leadership fundamentals and draconian adherence to absolutes. Cold Weather Clothing All soldiers should be properly fitted with clothing which is not too tight. This means that the central issue facility must properly fit the soldier and that the leader must check the fit. Tight clothing is,not conducive to cold weather survival because it inhibits the insulating advantage of layered clothing. Everyone should have the same type of cold weather gear available but should not be made to stay in the same uniform. Flexibility must be provided, based on local conditions and the type of work being done. Uniform choice should not be left up to the soldier. Leaders must designate - according to temperature and moisture - whether soldiers should wear the parka, or overshoes, or sweaters, or other combinations of clothing. Soldiers need training on how to wear their field clothes during cold weather, especially in regard to cleaniness and layering. Military clothing is adequate in cold weather, while civilian clothing is sometimes too warm and causes excessive sweating. Excessive clothing, too, can cause just as much of a problem as not wearing enough clothing. Overshoes are required regardless of temperature, because the rapid temperature decrease of wet boots can cause frostbite. Soldiers should be encouraged to buy slight- 28 ly larger sized boots for the winter so that they can wear two pair of socks comfortably. Also, the boots should be waterproofed with special polish or a sealant. Leather vesicant dressing works very well. Boots and socks should be changed at least daily. Wearing the wet weather and/or MOPP gear during the cold months could increase the risk of injury due to the retention of moisture. This is especially true if strenuous work is performed. When riding in a cab of a truck for an extended period, overshoes should not be worn if the heater is operational. A good glove to wear if a person has to work on or handle metal is NSN 841500-227-1220 (Small), -1221 (Medium), -1222 (Large). (The reference is CTA 50-900, CL, dated 29 Aug 75). If a soldier inadvertently touches bare skin to metal, and it adheres, pour water or other liquid on the metal to thaw and save the skin. Encourage soldiers to wear wool caps or sleeping hoods in sleeping bags to prevent heat loss because the majority of body heat exits through the hands and head. Cleanliness is very important, yet very difficult. A dirty field jacket is easily penetrated by moisture. If the activity is stove cleaning, the soldier should be clothed in wet weather gear to protect more porous uniform articles. Feeding in Cold Weather Ensure that soldiers eat well because they bum more calories in the winter. This is especially difficult early in the morning since many soldiers may try to avoid eating breakfast. Leaders must be sure everyone eats breakfast. Increased food and water helps offset increased energy expenditure in producing body heat. Fluids (water, juice, milk) must be forced on soldiers. Simply making fluids available does not meet the requirement. Avoid coffee, tea, cola, and beer, which cause dehydration. A hot meal, preferably an A ration, becomes a necessity rather than a luxury in cold conditions. Drugs, medications, alcohol, and Gloves and overshoes are essential in cold, damp winter weather, especially when troops are exposed. The authors urge units contemplating cold-weather training to prestock adequate repair parts for stoves and heaters and to have skilled repair personnel available should the equipment break down. nicotine decrease the body’s resistance to the cold because they affect body metabolism. Be aware of the soldiers using medication and prohibit alcohol use. Cold Weather Health Sergeants tend to think that allowing their soldiers to stay in their tents as much as possible helps to reduce cold weather injuries. The reverse is true: active work prevents cold weather injuries. Troops need to exercise in the cold. Exercise not only warms them, but prevents the degeneration of fitness which normally occurs during field exercises. The soldier should have a list of simple exercises which he can perform on duty. Designate a Cold Injury Control NCO and a medic who will check personnel daily for hygiene, injuries, clothing, and equipment. Make sure all extremities are inspected, not just the one about which a person complains. Make spot checks of soldiers’ understanding of cold weather survival. Kitchen staffs and KPs are among the most vulnerable to injury. A person does not necessarily have to be exposed to extremely low temperatures to get hypothermia. Individuals with histories of cold weather injuries should have their temperatures monitored by a medic, situation permitting. White 29

Vehicle movement, fuel pumping. and engine replacement are routine tasks greatly complicated when the mercury drops, as it did last winter when a record cold wave enveloped Europe. cloth loop marking of those most susceptible to injury is a great technique. Medics should have cold-weather, low-reading thermometers for possible hypothermia cases. These types measure down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit while some fever thermometers only go down to 96 degrees. Guards must understand the increased importance of their duties to ensure the safety of all personnel. Also, if they realize they have a warm dry area to retire to after performance of duties, and if length of duty tours are based on existing weather conditions, soldiers more willingly perform duties in an alert manner. Rotate guards and other personnel more frequently as it gets colder. Guidelines must be clearly established and enforced. Do not leave personnel stranded for long in disabled vehicles, especially if the heater is inoperable. The buddy system must always be used. Soldiers left alone are much more prone to cold weather injury. Equipment Maintenance Cold weather starting procedures, following the operator’s manual for all types of vehicles, need to be drilled at home station. Leaders cannot allow shortcuts. Perhaps the most important phase of the exercise is a detailed pre-combat inspection of vehicles and people to ensure proper equipment and personal items are present prior to the exercise. Cold weather starting and operational checks must be scheduled in mass by the commander. Equipment, particulary generators, need to be started periodically to prevent freezing. Idling at the correct RPM is all the more important in the cold. Radios need to be kept warm and be allowed proper warm-up time prior to use. All 3-kw generators should be modified with the electric starting system. Electrolyte batteries will freeze more quickly when overfilled. Consideration in handling all equipment must be emphasized as radical changes in temperature (rapid expansion/contraction of metals and plastics) cause brittleness and breakage. The most difficult aspect of vehicle maintenance is keeping windows and lights clean. Special supplies are required, such as ice scrap-ers and de-icer. Fogging and the development of condensation in optical gear can be partially prevented by avoiding movement of these devices between areas of extreme temperature differences. Shortages of equipment needed to combat cold weather must be identified early and placed on order. Winter shortage of parts for all heaters must be anticipated. Heaters must have proper ventilation and must constantly be checked, and units must designate a heater repairman who is skilled and has the repair parts. Stoves must be periodically cleaned and serviced by teams. Fire watch is mandatory, especially at night. Keep tents clean of snow. As heaters operate, snow melts and dampens tentage and gear inside. Tents with stoves and straw must be checked continuously to prevent fires. Store water inside heated areas. 30

P Reconnoitering assembly areas for wheeled vehicles is more critical in winter. Slight slopes in wooded trails that normally are not noticed can prove to be disastrous in a training area as the temperature drops and snow falls. Commanders must recognize that driving conditions are different in snow and ice, and that there are differing snow and ice conditions. Commanders must constantly assess whether trails and roads are trafficable, rather than allow convoys to stumble into dangerous conditions. Be especially aware of black ice on roads. The time it takes to execute almost any operation is increased dramatically. At least 1/3 to 112 more time must be allocated in preparation and execution of movements and operations. Map reading is more difficult, as many features are obscured by snow and ice. Camouflage needs to be tempered with common sense. For example, do not clean stoves in the middle of a snow covered field. Camouflage nets still help disguise installation and assembly areas, regardless of their color. Painting vehicles with whitewash is unnecessary. After a day of rain, the whitewash is gone anyway. Soldiers on Of's are prone to snow blindness and must be rotated more frequently. Prevent snow blindness by putting soot under the eyes, wearing sunglasses, or using cardboard with narrow slits cut out for the eyes as sunglasses. Range perception is much more difficult when everything is covered with snow. Summary Fortunately, by following these common sense procedures for fighting in the cold, the regiment encountered no serious cold-weather injuries. Unfortunately, several of the key procedures, such as heater maintenance, parts stockage, and degree of personal protection, were learned through cavalry training experiences during the winter of

1985. This led to the one most important lesson learned: prepare to fight in the cold when the weather is warm.

COLONEL WILLIAM W.

CROUCH is commander, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment, West Germany. He served pre-viouslywith the 2dACR as 1 st Squadron S3 and XO and as regimental S3 and XO. He also commanded F Troop and regimental HHT, 11 th ACR in Vietnam, the 1 st Squadron 3d ACR, Ft. Bliss, TX. and was assistant division commander, 2d Armored Division (Forward), West Germany. He also served as assistant PMS, Texas Christian University and as armor assignment officer, colonel's division, US. Army Personnel Center. He holds a bachelor's degree in Government and a master's degree in Diplomatic History. He is a graduate of the US. Army War College and the U. S. Foreign Service Institute.

LOR is regimental signal officer, 2d Armored Division in West Germany. He was commissioned into the Signal Corps from ROTC and has served as artillery communi-cationsplatoon leader and signal battalion adjutant in the 25th Infantry Division. He was an instructor in the US. Army Signal School andserved as signal companycommand-er and battalion XO at Ft. Gordon, GA. He holds a bachelor's degree in Management from Georgia Tech and a master's degree in Education and an Education Specialist degree from Georgia Southern College. 31