HALO jumps + smokers

There was something similar in the beginning of Metal Gear Solid 3. Snake smoked a cigar (and was scolded for it) just before the jump, but it went fine.

Of course, Metal Gear videogames aren't the best sources of realism...

Considering the number of soldiers who make these jumps and the number who probably smoke, I don't think I'd worry about it too much. Wanting a smoke before the actual jump is different from actually having to have one - and frankly, I would think they'd be too stoked up on adrenaline to really need one.

shadowwalker said:

Considering the number of soldiers who make these jumps and the number who probably smoke, I don't think I'd worry about it too much.

Click to expand...

HALO jumping is not an ordinary parachute drop. This is an elite special-forces jump, High Altitude, Low Opening, for covert infiltration. Normally done during the night. It is incredibly dangerous and only performed when there is great need.

@The Thinker

I didn't come in contact with many special forces types when I was in the Army, but I do know some of them simply used nicotine patches when they went operational. The risk of being caught because the enemy sees an ember at night, or smells your smoke is too great.

Also, in the Canadian forces, it is common practice for all soldiers to 'field strip' cigarettes when they're finished a smoke. You roll the cigarette between your fingers, cherry pointed down, stamp out the embers and crush the tobacco into the ground, then pocket the filter and paper. That way you're not leaving clues behind for the enemy to interpret more than necessary.

The smokers I knew all got used to smoking when there was an opportunity and going without when there wasn't.

It's actually a complex question and answer because the drug that smokers crave is nicotine, which is available in smokeless forms. Nicotine itself has more effect on the heart and blood pressure than the lungs. Increasing O2 demand during a low O2 environment is a definite risk of syncope. So putting a patch on a non-smoker or a casual smoker having a smoke is a defintie problem.

OTOH, chronic smokers have adapted to their relatively high carbon monoxide levels (due to the smoke) and have elevated levels of hemoglobin which might actually compensate during the relatively short duration of a HALO jump.

Severe smokers will have lung disease and so any potential compensation from elevated hemoglobin will likely be lost.

In other words, it probably really doesn't matter that much how you want to write it.