Rapid Equipping Force has gizmos and gadgets a plenty

Courtesy Photo | Pvt. Coty Seiler, a student in the REF course, practices using the Phraselator, a translator device with pre-programmed phrases at NTC. REF quickly procures equipment for soldiers outside of the standard military supply system.  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

08.07.2010

Courtesy Story

354th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – The ability to adapt and overcome is a must for the Army to accomplish missions under constantly-changing circumstances.

Sometimes, however, the equipment at a unit’s disposal can severely limit how well soldiers in the field can adapt to certain circumstances. Fortunately, the Rapid Equipping Force can provide non-lethal solutions to ongoing problems in theater.

Soldiers at the National Training Center train on new items and a new acquiring system for that reason.

Those familiar with REF, like Spc. Coleman Marshall, 603rd Military Police Company, of Belton, Miss., might know it for supplying soldiers with uniforms, armor and other miscellaneous equipment before deployment and while in theater. Soldiers might not be aware, however, of REF’s primary goal.

REF, a military organization operated largely by civilians, receives guidance from units stationed overseas, said Oscar Miller, executive officer of Viper Team. Commanders who face challenges that standard equipment can’t handle contact REF. In turn, REF finds items not in the military supply system, but still commercially available, which can help Soldiers accomplish their mission better.

The Viper Team, responsible for counter IED courses at NTC, offers REF training to all rotational units at NTC, Miller said.

“Requests are a combination of ‘I need something like this’ and ‘I need this exactly,’” Miller said. Most of the equipment is commercially available but not already within the Army system. Eventually, the items REF provides become standard in the military supply system, and REF moves onto new items soldiers need.

The Jaws of Life, for example, is a commercially accessible hydraulic tool for cutting open vehicle doors that has saved countless lives. The military now uses that tool, but it was not always in their system. Before, service members relied on blowtorches and jigsaws to do the same job. REF heard commanders’ calls for a better way and provided it using something that already existed, Miller said.

“There are over 2,000 different items out in the field that have been provided by REF,” said Patrick Padilla, the REF trainer here. Padilla trains soldiers on how to use those items REF provides – such as imaging, acoustic and detection devices – to units in theater and shows them how to contact REF if needed.

One such item is the Gizmo: a compact, collapsible, light-weight metal detector. Soldiers can adjust Gizmo’s settings to modify sensitivity and feedback, such as lighting up or vibrating to alert the user instead of the loud beeping associated with normal metal detectors.

Situated in a desert, NTC provides soldiers with a unique environment for the REF training. While the course is not exclusive to NTC, the natural environment helps by exposing Soldiers to the same terrain they may face in Iraq and Afghanistan, Miller said. Soldiers in the REF course were able to put devices such as the Gizmo to the test, searching for metallic objects hidden beneath the sand outside the classroom.

“This is the most realistic environment soldiers can train in prior to deployment,” said Mike Collabrollatta, a contractor with Viper Team. “Our training mirrors what’s happening in theater.”

“The things at NTC happen overseas,” Miller said. “Our goal is to replicate in-theater training and get much-needed gear into soldiers’ hands.”

While it may not happen at NTC, the training is geared towards where soldiers are headed, and the language barrier can pose a greater threat than the desert heat. Two other REF procured items, the Phraselator and SQUID (Squad Interpretation Device), offer easily implemented solutions.

“If you can use a cell phone, you can figure these things out,” Padilla said.

The Phraselator translate pre-programmed phrases from English into various languages, Padilla said. The Phraselator, designed much like a larger Blackberry, breaks up phrases into categories on an LCD screen. The SQUID functions similarly but also features voice recognition.

“That would be a great help,” said Marshall, , a native of Lenexa, Kans. Coleman had tried to memorize phrases out of a smart book during his 2005-2006 deployment, but had a hard time when it came time to recite them.

“Even if you memorize some phrases, sometimes you just can’t pronounce some of those words,” said Marshall. “This is quick … instead you just hit a button.”

Pvt. 1st Class Nicholas Canaan, 603rd Military Police Company, hopes to have the translator devices when he deploys. “It’d be quick and easy,” said Canaan, a native of Paola, Kans. More than a translator, Canaan thought the translators could double as learning aids. “Being able to hear the words … you might recognize things being said around you easier.”

Like the translation device, most of the items REF procures support escalation of force scenarios, Miller said. The Escalation of Force kit is used to react to threats without lethal force, Padilla said. The kit features a variety of “eye dazzlers,” such as the Ghost and Helios lasers which can disorient or temporarily blind individuals.

“These can be used to warn civilians without potentially lethal force and protect civilians and soldiers,” Padilla said.

“There’s a lot of things you could do with the lasers,” Marshall said. “You could put it on a gun track, or you could put it at a control point and use it if hand gestures don’t work.”

Items like the Gizmo, Phraselator and the Force Escalation Kit may seem unattainable in any timely manner. However, as REF only handles items outside the military’s supply, it is also not tied down by the same regulations and procedures, Miller said. REF is able to bypass normal channels based on operational needs and procure items much faster than normal.

Whatever gizmo or gadget soldiers may need to complete their mission, REF stands ready to scour the shelves, skip past the middle man and ship the goods straight into the soldiers’ hands.

• Date Taken: 08.07.2010
• Date Posted: 08.07.2010 13:50
• Story ID: 54124
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US