The United States Chemical Warfare Service was officially created on June 28, 1918. Dabbling and discussion about this had taken place as far back as the American Civil War, but with chemical warfare being utilized during World War I, the government got more serious about it. This Service was responsible for formulating various chemical weapons, training people how to use them, and implementing protective measures against other chemical attacks. I have never heard of this Service, later renamed the Chemical Corps, and I am certain a lot of other people haven't as well. This is a very interesting and important part of Unites States defense and warfare, and if you are interested in either of those things, I would strongly suggest picking up this book. It was very well written and I learned a great deal from it.