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- [Reporter] Sequana Robinson

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is an Assistant Product Manager for PEO Soldier's

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Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment

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at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

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She's one of many civilians working for PEO Soldier.

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Recently, her job had her travel

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to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to take part in an RFI.

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RFI stands for Rapid Fielding Initiative,

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and is designed to get soldiers scheduled for deployment,

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equipped for the rigors of their mission,

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wherever that might be.

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Women have always been a part of the Army's mission,

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and their role continues to expand.

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And so does the focus on female-specific equipment.

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The most recent offering is the female version

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of the flame resistant Army combat uniform.

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- So I was there to educate, to inform, to get questions

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on ways to make it better, to get feedback.

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You know, some of them were positive,

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there were a few that were negative.

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And to take that feedback and we're gonna collect data

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from these female soldiers while they're deployed,

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and see if there's things that we can make better

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or to improve the uniform.

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- Being flame resistant is an obvious enhancement,

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but the changes don't stop there.

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- Well, because the Army and DOD as a whole

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wants to make sure that every soldier has the best fit.

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You know, not just, here's a uniform

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that everybody can wear, unisex.

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If they can get an optimal fit for every soldier,

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then that's the goal.

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So everyone deserves the best or the best equipment.

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So giving a female soldier a better-fitting uniform

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was the goal.

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- Soldiers put a lot of trust in the equipment

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they are issued.

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Along with that, it helps having some veteran experience

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as a force multiplier.

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- But one thing about bein' a former soldier,

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it allows me to reach the soldiers very quickly,

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although they look at me now and they see a civilian,

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but once I start askin' questions or talkiin' to them,

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I can get to questions pretty quickly, very pointedly,

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because there's a little respect there.

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So it's a benefit.

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- There are a number of benchmarks that must be achieved

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preparing soldiers for deployment.

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Equipping the complete force with the right equipment

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is job number one.

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Reporting for PEO Soldier, from Fort Bragg, North Carolina,

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I'm Ron Lee.