ABERDEEN PROVING
GROUND, Md. – Within the Joint Service Physical Protection
Engineering (JSPPE) Branch, a unique blend of seasoned engineers work together,
apply their collective and individual protection expertise, and counter Chemical
Biological (CB) threats.
Within the last year, realignments brought the Collective
Protection (ColPro) and the Individual Protection (IP) teams closer under the
JSPPE Branch.
“We’re able to draw off the technical resources – there’s a
lot of back and forth between ColPro and IP staff because we have common issues,”
said Trish Weiss, IP Team Leader. “The combined Branch has been a really good
thing for us.”
John Clayton, ColPro Sustainment and Fixed Site Team Leader,
agrees with this sentiment: “Our team doesn’t operate in a bubble; we
collaborate across other groups within ECBC and our customers harness this
efficiency.”
The recent retirement of Jim Church, former JSPPE Branch
Chief, extracted more than 40 years of knowledge. Yet his predecessor, Don
Kilduff, is confident in the remaining and ever-growing knowledge in the Branch.
“Jim’s retirement may seem like an overwhelming gap for the Branch,
but I would consider it a success story,” says Kilduff. “Jim felt passionate
enough about what we do here within the branch to be able to amass those years
of knowledge and build upon them by staying with us for so long.”
Despite Church’s departure, the Branch remains packed with
experts, passionate about protecting the Warfighter. Prior to the Branch Chief
position, he served as the team leader for the Apache Joint Service Aircrew
Mask (JSAM) project since 1999. Clayton, who started supporting ECBC as a student
contractor during college, is approaching a two-decade term of service. Weiss
has built a career on loyalty to the Army, with more than 28 years of
experience.
“There are several other people in this Branch who have many
years of experience in the physical protection commodity area,” Weiss
said. “For example, Sam Carter, our
Systems Manager for the M45 series mask, has over 25 years experience with the
M40 and M45 series masks. He is our ‘go
to’ technical resource and ‘corporate memory’ on these systems. Such experience
and technical expertise is highly valued here.” Weiss and Clayton also note
other long time experts in their Branch, Wayne Gulian, a ColPro engineer, has
nearly 30 years direct experience, and Allen Swim, an ECBC representative SME
for PM Ground Combat Vehicle, has a diverse skillset extending to most things
related to CB.
Weiss, who marked her start with ECBC before a six year
assignment with the then-U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency’s Non-Stockpile
Chemical Materiel Project, supporting the Explosive Destruction System,
eventually found her way back to individual protection.
When Weiss first began working with ECBC in the early 1980s,
the M40 mask was what she calls “the new toy,” now as her IP Team manages the
sustainment of the M40 as a legacy mask; Weiss values the experience she has of
working with a mask from its conception to its sustainment.
“Sustainment in those systems is very important because the
M40 and M45 are still in production at Pine Bluff Arsenal,” says Weiss. “Even
legacy systems have issues arising in production, such as tooling or
availability of materials or components, and these things require technical
support.”
In addition to sustaining the legacy M40 mask, the IP team
also aids with the current fielding of the Joint Service General Purpose Mask
(JSGPM), the M50 and the JSAM. Recently,
they began providing support to the Combat Support Team, conducting Personal
Protective Equipment training.
Weiss and her team are passionate about protecting the
warfighter, and work to inform and educate the military community on issues
involving safety of use of individual protection systems through forums like
Army Chemical Review and PS Preventative Maintenance Monthly Magazine.
“For example, we recently published an article in the Army
Chemical Review about the importance of using the authorized military C2A1
Canister with the M40 series mask versus look-alike commercial canisters. We are
advocates for the safety of our soldiers,” Weiss said. Weiss and her team
earned a Silver Quill award for an article appearing in Army Chemical Review
about this topic. Many within the IP Team also share knowledge with their
co-workers in the ColPro Team.
“I have several team members who are part time with the
ColPro Team and move between the two,” Weiss said. While IP focuses on individual systems such
as protective masks, ColPro focuses on the protection of multiple people. The
ColPro Sustainment and Fixed Site Team mission has three major focus areas:
sustainment of legacy ColPro equipment, support to active acquisition programs,
and support to protected fixed site facilities. Each heavily focuses on
fielding and maintenance of various ColPro systems, such as protective
filtration systems incorporated into the Heating, Ventilation and Air
Conditioning system of a protected building.
“If there was an attack, these filters are there to protect
the people,” explains Clayton. “The systems filter incoming air and provide overpressure
in the protected space; as pressure is increased, air travels from the
protected area to the contaminated area through any leaks (instead of vice
versa), so we don’t have to worry about absolutely sealing every leak
point. This results in a protected space
for work and relief from wearing IP equipment.”
To ensure the efficacy of these systems, the team also
conducts semi-annual leak tests and periodic surveillance involving removal and
tests of filters to analyze degradation and predict when they should be
replaced. These tests indicate how well
the system is performing; some systems use hundreds of individual filters. If
the filters need to be replaced, the team coordinates with TACOM to order
replacements and conduct change outs – an area of growth for the team, says
Clayton. An Interagency Agreement is in review to provide support to the State
Department Bureau of Overseas Buildings.
ColPro also draws from the knowledge base within the
Research and Technology Directorate’s Chemical Biological Radiological (CBR)
Filtration Branch. Clayton explains the synergy between his group and CBR
Filtration: “We’re linked; they’re developing new filtration technologies, such
as work on new adsorbents to address the change in threat. Jerry Young, a team
member, is also working with them on the Rapid Filter Protection Assessment
Tool, a smartphone app that will assist Users by estimating filter life given
potential field scenarios. We execute against User requirements, leverage what
they develop, and work to field the technology.”
Clayton observes the shifting threat from Chemical Warfare to
Toxic Industrial Chemicals, noting that customers within JPM Protection have
expressed an interest in the new absorbent technologies, with the hope that
they can be transitioned into the newer mask series.
JPM Protection is currently working the Joint Expeditionary
Collective Protection (JECP) program, which Clayton considers a new development
program for ColPro; Allen Lai, from the JSPPE Branch, represents ECBC on the
program. “They are using engineering to make products lighter without
sacrificing durability,” explains Clayton. “The program is driven by weight –
legacy systems are heavy.” Field expedience and strike-erect times are also
important.
Clayton said he thinks JECP is where the future of ColPro is
headed, and is glad that ECBC can be a contributor to the future of ColPro.
“There is a lot of good working going on at ECBC and there
is a lot of talent here,” says Weiss. “And there are a lot of folks with years
of experience in their respective areas; we just like for that to be
recognized.”
