Composed of elements from 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade, Fort Benning, Georgia, Task Force 1-1 deployed in late January as part of Operation Intrinsic Action. The Army is inoculating soldiers deployed for Operation Desert Thunder against Iraq's anthrax arsenal. The immunization program will consist of a series of six inoculations per Service member over an 18-month period, followed by an annual booster. Secretary of Defense Cohen and General Henry H. Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were the first to take the shots. As an additional force protection measure, anthrax exposure can be treated with antibiotics before symptoms occur.
Antibiotics are in place with forces in the region in sufficient quantities.
Other force health protection measures include education, health risk assessment, and joint medical surveillance. NBC defense is achieved through the detection equipment, protective apparel, and post-exposure medical treatment procedures already in place in the Gulf. Additionally, every service member deploys with a full ensemble of NBC protective equipment. Biological agents have incubation periods and, undetected, can infect entire units before symptoms appear. Biological agent detectors identify biological agents before symptoms set in, allowing soldiers to take preventive actions.