We have been somewhat remiss in letting you know that the Soldier Systems APBI slides have been published. However, we have been informed that some of the presentations have been altered from what was shown at the event and others are missing altogether. Other than that, they are quite informative.
When we posted the recent article on the Army’s plan to test and certify commercial Soldier Systems items we inadvertently omitted this briefing. It contains some additional details and if you are interested in this subject we highly suggest your read it.
PEO-Soldier mentioned this item at the APBI in May, but didn’t have any details on implementation. However, they have just made a formal announcement of the Team Soldier Certification program. The reasoning behind the program is sound. The point is to help Soldiers identify soldier systems items that meet certifications for issue. This will help both individual Soldiers as well as units to avoid purchasing substandard equipment. Certification has already been implemented for Protective Eyewear, FR Gloves, and the Family of Flashlights.
PEO Soldier is developing Authorized Products Lists (APLs) for certain types of gear. When an item is authorized, it is placed on the APL. The APLs are published on the PEO Website, furnished to the Army/Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), and communicated to Army commands. Eventually every commercial item authorized for use by Soldiers will have this certification.
One VERY interesting piece of information on the program has surfaced. Vendors selling authorized items in commercial retail stores may use the logo on the item and in their advertising. The logo will be the way Soldiers can verify that the item is authorized. Vendors using the logo for commercial retail sale of authorized items will require a License and Royalty Agreement with the US Army. And as a warning to those who might counterfeit the new logo, the PEO-Soldier website says this, “PEO Soldier, working with Army Legal Services, will take action to ensure that only actual authorized items have the logo. A range and series of actions will be taken against any fraudulent use of the logo.”
Each item will be identified with a tag similar to this one.
Both the USMC and USAF have indicated that they will follow suit.
There has been much talk over the past few years about “green” technologies. To some this means recycled materials and to some it means renewable supplies. For Natick’s Program Manager for SOF Survivability Systems green technologies are a move from olefin-based materials to natural based fibers. The largest concern is that the natural materials provide similar durability and performance as the currently used petroleum-based ones. One technology that has shown promise is bamboo fibers treated with coconut oil. At the recent Soldier Systems APBI representatives from PM-SSS briefed that these new green technologies might find their way as early as FY09 into the Protective Combat Uniform program or another combat uniform. While it remains rumor, there has been a great deal of buzz over SOCOM developing a new camouflage pattern and that a solicitation for both a pattern and new combat uniform may come in FY09.
The Army plans on testing two new variants of the ACU beginning in July. The overall goal of the test is to remedy shortcomings of the current design. Specifically, they will be testing a 50/50 NYCO Twill instead of the current 50/50 NYCO ripstop fabric. The new test fabric features more mechanical stretch than the ripstop. In addition to the current wrinkle free finish the Army will also investigate a soil release treatment. The Army also aims to reduce the amount of hook and pile tape on the uniform by 16% for the coat and 33% for the trousers. For the coat this will be accomplished by moving the top piece of velcro down and reducing the size of each piece to 1/2″ squares. The bicep pocket velcro will also be reduced in overall size and the glint tape will be moved to the velcro. The trouser cargo pockets will undergo a major overhaul and the hook and pile tape will be replaced with either buttons or snaps. Additionally, the pen pocket is being modified. There will be a pen pocket on the inside of the front closure and sleeve pen pocket will be enlarged to accommodate three sharpies in addition to a new closure flap. They are reshaping the collar so that it will stay down. Finally, the crotch of the trousers is being reinforced.
1400 Soldiers at Ft Lewis, Ft Bliss, and Ft Carson should begin receiving candidate ACUs in July. Testing will last for 60 – 90 days.
The mythical Airman Battle Shirt based on the Army’s successful (Army of One chest logo aside) Army Combat Shirt has yet to even see prototype stage. The original plan was to leverage the Army ACS contract and just change the color to the Air Force pattern in order to get the garment to the troops as quickly as possible. However, sources tell me that the entire program has been held up by one action officer in theater who feels that forearm pockets would be superior to the current bicep pockets found on the ACS.
And the band played on…
Look for comments and other industry information from the Soldier Systems Advanced Planning Brief for Industry held May 6-7 in Springfield, VA.
Watch this space to find out about the upcoming ACU test.
Watch this space to find out why Airman Battle Shirt hasn’t even reached the prototype phase.
Watch this space to find out about the Winter FROG Shirt program from the Marine Corps.
PEO Soldier was supposed to publish the presentations to their website but it hasn’t happened yet.
