High School chemist now helps marines survive chemical attacks
By Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

Playing with chemicals has always been a passion of Lance Cpl. Peter W. Duffy. He never could have imagined that his love for chemistry in high school would bring him to Iraq, where he would use his interest in science to protect more than 1,000 Marines from chemical weapons.

A lot of countries have chemical weapons and the means to use them, said Duffy. It’s my job to make sure the Marines here understand and are prepared for that.

The soft-spoken 20-year-old from North Hampton, Mass. added, There isn’t a lot of time for infantrymen to think about chemical threats when they’re out there fighting, so I make sure they’re prepared before they leave for the fight.

While deployed to Iraq last summer, Duffy’s actions earned him a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a combat distinguishing device.

Preparing the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment is a full-time job. Duffy, with the help of another lance corporal and a chief warrant officer, is responsible for educating and training 1,000 Marines.

There’s a lot to know about chemical weapons and things are always changing in that field. I have to keep on top of it so my Marines can too, he said.

The most hands-on many Marines get with chemical weapons is an annual trip to the gas chamber, where they are exposed to orto-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile (tear gas).

This chemical causes severe burning sensations on the skin, eyes and throat. It is necessary for the Marines’ safety despite its physical discomfort.

It’s a confidence exercise. We do this so the Marines know what it’s like to be exposed to a chemical agent, Duffy said.

Once inside the chamber, only Duffy’s 5-foot-11-inch frame can be seen through the fog of gas. His hazel eyes stare out from the lenses of his gas mask as he runs Marines through the drills in the chamber numerous times a year.

Duffy is good at reading a crowd, so he can figure out the best way to grab their attention, said Lance Cpl. Austin B. Glover, a nuclear, biological and chemical specialist with the unit. The native of Los Gatos, Calif. added, That comes in handy when the platoon you’re talking with just finished a five-mile hike and all they want to do is sleep.

It’s important that Marines pay attention inside the chamber. Panic can take hold of a Marine in an instant, which is why Duffy and the unit’s corpsmen are always ready to offer assistance.

Duffy definitely knows what he’s doing. He’s very forthcoming with his knowledge because he realizes the threats against his Marines, Glover said. He’s good at his job because he loves the subject.

Duffy plans on taking his experience in the NBC field to a profitable job someday.

I plan on majoring in engineering and I can take that degree and work for Homeland Security as a consultant, Duffy said. But until then, my job is here, preparing Marines for what they could face.