The primary status of the air base was Alarm Green, normal wartime conditions, which only required that people keep their MOPP gear on hand at all times. Alarm Yellow indicated that an attack was probably in less than thirty minutes and put everybody at MOPP II, where some gear was worn and the rest carried.

The highest level of pre-attack alert was Alarm Red, indicating that a missile attack was imminent or in progress and all personnel were to assume MOPP IV status-wear all protective gear. The alarm level also dictated whether or not personnel had to dress in their MOPP suits or merely keep the gear close by. The air base had four levels of alarm status, ranging from green to black, each indicating the magnitude of the threat. Though soldiers dutifully donned their MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) gear each time the alarm sounded, familiarity was definitely breeding contempt, and enthusiasm for the drills was waning fast. It was always followed by an announcement indicating that the following alarm was only an exercise, and then the alarm itself. The sound of the warning siren had become almost commonplace to the 112th Signal Battalion soldiers stationed at Ali al Salem Air Base, Kuwait in the first few months of 2003.

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