ATTACK TEAM--One or two fully manned hoses,
BATTLE BILL--The ship's Battle Bill is tailored to
your ship for battle organization. You may need to
according to NWP 3-20.31.
provide information to the operations department
ATTENUATION--The reduction in the intensity of
when it is updated.
nuclear radiation as it passes through a substance.
BATTLE DRESSING STATIONS--Most ships have
AUTOGENOUS IGNITION TEMPERATURE--
a minimum of two battle dressing stations equipped
for emergency handling of personnel battle
The temperature just adequate to cause the vapors
casualties. Each battle dressing station must be
from a petroleum product to burst into flames
accessible to the stretcher-bearers from repair
without the application of a spark or flame.
parties within the vicinity. Medical department
AU T O - I G N I T I O N P O I N T -- T h e m i n i m u m
personnel as assigned by the senior member of that
temperature required to initiate self-sustained
department should man each battle dressing station.
combustion of a substance independent of external
BATTLE LANTERNS--Provided throughout the
ignition sources of heat.
ship for emergency lighting whenever normal
lighting is unavailable.
AUTO-IGNITION/SELF-IGNITION POINT--The
lowest temperature to which a substance must be
BATTLE TELEPHONE CIRCUITS--The battle
heated to give off vapors that will burn without the
telephone circuits are sound-powered circuits.
application of a spark or flame.
Therefore, they require no outside source of
electrical power. The transmitter of a sound-powered
AU X I L I A RY C I R C U I T S -- A u x i l i a r y c i r c u i t s
telephone transforms sound waves into electrical
duplicate primary circuits. This helps to minimize
energy. The receiver transforms this electrical energy
the danger of both the primary and the auxiliary
back into corresponding sound waves.
circuits being placed out of commission at the same
BETA PARTICLES--A form of ionizing nuclear
time. An X in front of the circuit designator
r a d i a t i o n c o n s i s t i n g o f n eg a t ive l y c h a rg e d
identifies auxiliary sound-powered circuits.
subatomic particles emitted by some radioactive
materials. A beta particle is a high-speed electron.
BACKDRAFT--An explosion that results from
The mass and electrical charge of a beta particle is
combining fresh air with hot flammable fire gases
the same as those of an electron but a beta particle's
when they have reached their auto-ignition
energy level is higher due to its speed.
temperatures.
BIOLOGICAL VECTORS--These are animals in
B AC K G R O U N D R A D I AT I O N -- L o w - l e v e l
whose bodies the infecting organism develops or
radiation from natural sources in the environment
multiplies before it can infect the recipient animal.
that is always present. The intensity varies in
BLACKOUT--Disruption of electronic emissions from
different regions of the world.
radio and radar after a nuclear weapon explosion. It is
BACTERIA--Very small single-cell organisms, large
caused by changes in atmospheric ionization.
enough to be visible through an ordinary
BLISTER--An enclosed bulging bubble-like projection
microscope.
(as in paint) that may be filled with a liquid (saltwater
or solvent) or a gas (air). Blisters can occur in any
BALANCING VALVE--Automatically proportions
painted tank (that is, JP-5, gasoline) due to improper
the correct amount of AFFF concentrate with
painting procedures, such as poor ventilation during
s e a w a t e r. T h e b a l a n c i n g v a l v e i s a
application and curing or incomplete surface
diaphragm-actuated control valve that responds to
preparation. Broken blisters must be repaired
pressure changes between the AFFF concentrate
because of potential for occurrence of rusting.
supply line and the firemain.
BLISTER AGENTS--Chemical agents that affect the
BASE SURGE--Is from an underwater burst and is a
eyes and lungs and blister the skin, producing
rapidly expanding cloud or mist of water droplets.
long-term incapacitation or death. Blister agents are
This cloud is produced by the collapse of the water
odorless and vary in duration of effectiveness. The
column that was thrown up by the underwater
primary blister agents, HD and HN, are most
detonation.
effective for general use.
AI-3
