SOTECH 2010 Volume: 8 Issue: 5 (July)
When I deployed to Iraq the first time in 2004, I had the basic equipment and apparel I had been wearing since I joined the military five years earlier. Sure, I had a desert patterned uniform, but my body armor carrier was still woodland green. My brown t-shirts were the same ones I had been wearing to work every day at Fort Hood. When I arrived in Kuwait, I was shuttled through the rapid fielding initiative warehouse, where I received some desert tan boots and a few other goodies that that Army felt would make me more comfortable in the environment of Iraq.
However, when I arrived in theater, it was more my own ingenuity that made me cool or kept me cool in the intense heat. My t-shirts and socks were not the best, but I did not know any different—it was simply hot. I was and am a big believer of mind over matter. I feel the human body can do amazing things if the mind will let it. To that end, I feel I did a great job of not letting the heat get to me, and just getting my job done.
Fast-forward to attending the SOFIC event in Tampa Bay this year. There were smart t-shirts, boots that fit like a glove and body cooling systems, just to name a few. The defense industry and the military have done a wonderful job in responding to the needs of the servicemember serving in austere environments. I received a new smart shirt from one of the vendors in attendance and I’ve worn it quite a few times since then. I think it is awesome, along with lots of other products and gadgets I saw. The inventors and suppliers of these devices owe themselves a huge pat on the back and a hearty thank you from those in the field whose comfort level has risen because of these advances. When a servicemember’s morale goes up, so does their productivity. So by extension, a new pair of boots or socks can in fact make the mission more successful and America safer. I know when I was deployed, nothing made me feel better than a new clean shirt or socks, even if I did not get a shower. Please look in the Black Watch section of this magazine in the coming months for profiles of these new pieces of gear.
 Phil Kiver, Editor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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