Chemical Soldiers

The United States Army's Chemical Defense Training Facility at Fort McClellan, Alabama, is the Department of Defense's only training center using live toxic chemical agents. At the facility, soldiers undergoing Advanced Infantry Training, are taught how to identify, handle and neutralize the highly toxic chemical agents GB (sarin) and VX. the center has trained more than 40,000 military and civilian students since opening in 1987.

Text and photos copyright 1998 Michael
A. Schwarz


Soldiers are exposed to Stannic Chloride. The
irritating gas will then be sprayed when they are
masked to prove to the soldiers the effectiveness
of the masks.


Before training with live agents, soldiers go through a replication of that training outside, using inert agents. The training prepares the soldiers to deal with the live agent training.


Soldiers masking up and waiting to enter the live agent training area.(left) Warnings mark the entrance to the live agent area. (above). Instructors apply live agent with syringe.(right)


Students dilute and wash live agents from a training table.
About the photographer
Michael A. Schwarz is a freelance editorial and corporate photojournalist based in Atlanta, GA. His work can often be found in Fortune, The Chronicle of Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, Business Week, National Geographic Traveler, and USA Today. He can be reached at ms@michaelschwarz.com or 404-687-8127. Return to Schwarz Illustrated Home Page.

A word about copyright
All text and photos on this page are © copyright Michael A. Schwarz and may not be legally reproduced without prior permsission beyond the screen you are currently viewing . The text and photos are not in the public domain and are not freeware. I respectfully ask that you do not copy them to another computer, transmit, publish, reproduce, alter or use them to base an illustration or other photographic interpretation. I thank you for abiding by the copyright laws of the USA. If you would like to reproduce these photos I can direct you to the proper licensing agencies. Contact me at ms@michaelschwarz.com or 404-687-8127.