Fatigue Management

Fatigue in Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Conditions
Operating in a contaminated battlefield requires great stamina. Fatigue
tends to be magnified by the range of difficulties and threats associated with
nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) environments such as thermal burden,
decreased quality of communication, distorted and reduced visual field (eg,
fogged masks), diminished manual dexterity, resistance by mask filters to
breathing, restricted body movement, complications in eating and drinking
and the unfamiliar, persistent and invisible nature of the threat. Select
findings from field studies of simulated chemically contaminated operational
environments suggest:
a. Any task taking three times longer to complete when wearing
protective clothing is likely to be modified by the soldier or simply not
done.
b. During a 12-hr NBC scenario in a 72-hr exercise, time to complete a
mechanised infantry attack increased almost 100 per cent from
baseline, and engagement proficiency decreased with all weapom
types.
c. Due to difficulties in communicating, the number and duration of
radio calls typically increases, eg, there was a 28 per cent increase in
the number of repetitions and clarifications of messages in one trail.
d. Most pilots could not safely fly a single standard mission (one fuel
load or two hr) in Chemical Protective Clothing (CPC) in ambient
temperature conditions of 41 o C.
e. Endurance of armour crews ranged from just 3.3 to 36 hours in a
49-hr NBC scenario. Self-propelled artillery crews could sustain
firing missions for only 1.5 to four hours, depending on workload and
ambient temperature (those lasting four hours operated in 23-27 o C
conditions).
f. Reduced field of vision and recognition problems, due to the wearing
of masks, contributed to a 20 per cent fratricide rate (simulated)
from small arms fire, compared to 4 per cent with normal field dress.
g. During a 72-hr exercise, tank company teams, in simulated NBC
conditions, destroyed 74 per cent fewer targets in attack mode than
control teams in non-NBC conditions.
46