Barksdale’s IPE section issues out new gas mask

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. John Gordinier
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The 2nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Individual Protective Equipment section performed a gas mask mass issuance to the 2nd Security Forces Squadron here April 18.

"We handed out more than 400 gas masks to security forces personnel today, and it took about a month to leak test them and get prepared for issuance," said Staff Sgt. Lauretha Richardson, 2 LRS deployment processing lines NCO-in-charge.

Security forces were the first to receive the new masks; however, Airmen who deploy will be allowed to check them out. Upon return from deployment, the mask will be returned to the IPE section, Sergeant Richardson said.

"Security forces is our first line of defense against any threat on base. They are an essential part of the emergency first responders and are required to have the necessary protective equipment to protect our base resources," said Tech. Sgt. Alonso Perez, 2 LRS IPE assistance NCOIC. "Although the old gas mask is 100 percent real-world operational, upgrades to our protective equipment are necessary for the war on terror."

The new M50 mask has a two-filter system, unlike the current MCU-2 mask, which has only one filter.

The M50 is designed to provide the capability to change filters in a chemical environment and is much easier to breathe when worn with two filters compared to just one, Sergeant Perez said.

The IPE section has more than 5,000 masks, and is required to conduct a leak test for each mask prior to issuance, Sergeant Perez said. Once the old masks are phased out, the IPE section will begin base-wide distribution.

"There is no projected phase out date at this moment, but IPE will continue to work hard to have M50s ready for issue once we receive notification from higher headquarters," Sergeant Perez said.

"IPE plays an essential role for the 2nd Bomb Wing," he continued. "We are responsible for equipping our war fighters with the most technically advanced life-saving equipment in our inventory. The base relies heavily on my Airmen to ensure equipment is 100 percent operational and all inspections have been conducted for each piece of equipment prior to issue."