Deploying Portable Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to Military Users for the Identification of Toxic Chemical Agents in Theater

The use of portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an important capability that has been available commercially for almost 25 years. These systems have been used within a variety of different industries, including their extensive use by environmental scientists for the analysis of hazardous air pollutants. Recently, these systems were deployed to conventional military forces for use in theater to detect and identify toxic chemicals including chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The challenges of deploying such complex analytical instruments to these military users are unique. Among other things, these organizations have considerable and variable mission strains, complex and difficult logistics and coordination needs, and variability in user backgrounds. This review outlines the value portable GC-MS systems offer to these warfighters in theater, discusses some important aspects of the design of portable systems that makes their deployment to this type of end user possible, and proposes methods that can be used to overcome challenges to successful deployment of portable GC-MS to non-scientists working within hostile environments.