Photo By Lillian Putnam | Navy Medical Readiness Logistics Command Detachment Naval Ophthalmic Readiness...... read more read more
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – One often overlooked, but essential requirement to serve in the military is the capability to see. The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville recently completed a critical infrastructure project in support of the Naval Medical Readiness Logistics Command’s Naval Ophthalmic Readiness Activity, NORA, a facility responsible for producing prescription eyewear issued across the U.S. military.
Many service members may recall basic training glasses as “buddy holly’s” or “birth control glasses”. Iconic glasses like these and many more styles were produced at NORA, where they currently make roughly 37 percent of the 1.3 million pairs of glasses fabricated annually for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, according to NORA facility manager, Ezekial Coffman.
Huntsville Center’s Facility Repair and Renewal branch upgraded electrical and plumbing infrastructure to support the installation of new high-capacity eyeglass surfacing equipment. The project scope included installation of new electrical systems, epoxy flooring cleaning and repairs, plumbing, ceiling tile replacement and connections for a new exterior dust collection system.
Joseph Abrego, Huntsville Center FRR project manager, explained how the infrastructure project replacements and upgrades were critical for NORA’s mission.
“The outdated equipment was failing, and that created a negative mission impact,” said Abrego. “Our contract provided the foundation for installing and operating the new systems needed to keep this mission-critical lab running effectively.”
The upgrades are expected to more than triple the facility’s daily output of eyeglasses, increasing capacity from about 400 pairs per day using obsolete equipment to more than 1,500 pairs per day using state-of-the-art surfacing technology.
“The surfacing equipment refresh completed at NORA will increase capacity and quality while reducing turnaround time for every optical device produced for U.S. warfighters, which is a critical part of readiness,” said Coffman.
Coffman emphasized that reliability is paramount to their mission of providing the ‘Sight to Fight’ since 1945.
“Any delay in production due to facility or equipment issues results in downstream delays in providing vision readiness to warfighters,” he said. “Ensuring our equipment and the facility they are housed in are current and up to standards is vital to ensuring there are no delays.”
The project was complex due to the unique scope of work, requiring careful coordination with NORA’s facility manager. Adding to the challenge was an aggressive schedule designed to minimize downtime in the 24/7 mission-critical facility.
“This project had a very aggressive schedule due to the minimal downtime that the Ophthalmic Activity could suffer,” said Brian Roden, Huntsville Center contracting officer’s representative. “It was a delicate balance to ensure quality was delivered while maintaining the completion date. Nonetheless, we were able to deliver a quality upgrade on time and within budget.”
Those involved with the project say the laboratory upgrades will have long-term benefits, both for the facility’s workforce and the service members they support.
“The laboratory was long overdue for an upgrade,” explained Abrego. “The new laboratory will function more efficiently and reliably for decades to come.”
The new facility directly impacts the warfighters relying on timely delivery of prescription eyewear.
“The products that leave this facility will be delivered right into the hands of military members around the globe, providing essential optics that allow them to do what they were trained for,” said Abrego.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2025 15:58 |
| Story ID: | 546682 |
| Location: | YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Huntsville Center helps NORA see success for upgrades to Military Eyewear Lab, by Lillian Putnam, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
