'HAZMAT Man' Meets the Challenge in Former Yugoslavia 
by Jack Shipley 

When your boss asks you to do great things in a faraway land, go for it. That's the advice of Lt. Col. John R. Jones, Deputy Commander of the St. Louis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 

From June through October 1996 his Base Camp Coordinating Agency (BCCA) tackled the challenge of urgent base construction in the former Republic of Yugoslavia as part of Operation Joint Endeavor. The BCCA worked with USACE, the 1st Armored Division Engineer Brigade, and the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program to support U.S. forces in quickly building and sustaining the base camps. 

One soldier who exemplified this go-for-it attitude was Staff Sgt. Giani Manieri, hazardous materials manager for the 1-1 Cavalry Squadron's headquarters. He organized and monitored the environmental management program at Camp Snead, Bosnia, and earned perfect marks for meeting all environmental mission requirements from the division Base Camp Assessment Team (BCAT). 

"Manieri had it all together. He took tremendous pride in his work," said Maj. Charles Litzelman of the BCAT effort that was responsible for inspecting over 24 base camps, forward supply points, and several hilltops in Bosnia. Environmental assessments were an important part of the 1st Armored Division's daily battle update briefing. The Army's environmental program during Operation Joint Endeavor incorporated four areas: environmental surveys, an assessment program, a closure team, and a cleanup and remediation team. 

"I have always felt that the environment was important and I was concerned about what happens afterwards," said Manieri. "I wanted to come up with a plan that would make it easy for the soldiers so the program would be implemented," the 13-year veteran added. He is a petroleum vehicle supervisor in the first-line Support Platoon and was accustomed to meeting environmental challenges. 

Manieri established a waste collection point with secondary containment that protected against accidental spills and fuel leaks, and organized spill prevention and response teams. He set up eye wash stands at the hazardous material area and ordered up-to-date information on the safety requirements for various materials to increase safety and environmental awareness. 

Spills of hazardous substances can cause myriad technical and legal problems for U.S. forces so troop units must learn fast response procedures. Simple things such as gas spillage and dropped nozzles can cause environmental concerns. 

Manieri's program included training squadron soldiers in topics such as spill response and proper waste handling. He used videotapes borrowed from the Base Support Battalion, 35mm slides he shot, and his own research in key environmental areas. He posted important information in areas where soldiers would see it, including Material Safety Data Sheets. These contain information provided by manufacturers of hazardous materials that outline safe handling procedures. He also developed a program booklet, complete with maps, lists and information the soldiers needed to leave the foreign land in the same condition as when they arrived. 

Finding humor in a war-torn country may be challenging, but the support troops found ways. When soldiers put a call over the radio concerning hazardous material handling, they asked for "HAZMAT Man." The name stuck. 

"Hey, they can call me whatever they want. If that's what it takes to get the job done, I'll put on a blue cape," Manieri said. He had fun with it, as did his sidekick Spec. James Martinez. His nickname was "Toxic Tot." 

And the job got done. Over 200 soldiers learned from Manieri's instruction and guidance at Camp Snead during Operation Joint Endeavor. The program received such widespread attention that a contingent from a U.S. Army Europe environmental team recently took a close look at the Bosnia success story. 

Manieri also saved the Army thousands of dollars by documenting conditions at the base camp. His pictures of potential contaminated sites proved invaluable during base camp closure and augmented the final environmental survey for the operation. 

"I enjoy it. I'm glad everything worked out great," he added. Manieri now holds quarterly classes for the 1-1 Cavalry headquarters in Buedingen, Germany and is completing his bachelor of science degree in psychology. 

As Manieri's experience in Bosnia shows, consideration of environmental impacts from Army operations applies to deployment in peace-keeping and humanitarian missions as well as to garrison and training scenarios. Environmental stewardship must be considered an integral part of all Army planning and operations.