Eng Edge May Newsletter 2014 v2

THE ENGINEERING EDGE

EDGEWOOD CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL CENTER

Volume 6, Issue 5

May 2014

Engineering’s Dedication to Protecting & Training Our Nation’s Warfighters ECBC Engineers Field M50 Mask to Army Soldiers Stationed in Japan and Korea pg.3 ADM Division’s Artists and Model Makers Create High-End Animations and Visual Aids to Enhance Warfighter Training and Customer Programs pg.4-5

To access the electronic version of this newsletter, visit: http://www.ecbc.army.mil/news/ENG/ APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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2 | EDGEWOOD CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL CENTER

INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE: pg.3|ECBC Engineers Field M50 Mask to Army Soldiers Stationed in Japan and Korea pg.4-5|ADM Division’s Artists and Model Makers: Create HighEnd Animations and Visual Aids to Enhance Warfighter Training and Customer Programs pg.6|Employee Spotlight: Stephen Harper pg.7|29th Combat Aviation Brigade Answers the Call of Duty from APG to Maryland, the U.S. and Beyond

Engineering Directorate Launches Business Management Tool to Track Business Development Efforts

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s part of the implementation of the Engineering Directorate’s Business Development (BD) Plan which stems from the Engineering Balanced Scorecard, a new Business Management Tool is being piloted in SharePoint to assist the Divisions with tracking their BD efforts and client relationships. Over the next year, the Directorate’s BD Strategic Initiative Core Team will be working with Engineering leadership and the Strategic Planning and Business Operations Branch to integrate the tool and data collection efforts with the Directorate’s existing business processes.

The tool is still in development, but the initial version has received positive feedback from Directorate leadership. “I am pleased with the progress of our business development efforts this year and believe the new Business Management Tool will strengthen those efforts by providing a method for tracking, forecasting and strategic planning,” said Acting Director Bill Klein.

The tool was presented at a series of Division-level roadshows held the weeks of April 7 and April 14. It organizes projects into three categories – core work, adjacent work and white space – and provides a mechanism for consistent project reporting across Divisions. Feedback was collected at the roadshows that will be integrated into the final tool. Overall progress with BD efforts and the tool will be further reviewed during the first Engineering Directorate Semi-Annual Review scheduled for May 15.

“Launching the Engineering Business Management Tool establishes a process for the Directorate to track our business across Divisions in a consistent manner. It will assist in strategic planning and better leverage our human capital resources in the future,” said Humberto Galarraga, who is leading the Directorate’s BD initiative. “It will be exciting to have a tool in place that provides a view of the overall health of the Directorate and facilitates planning for the future.”

BD Training Sessions Extend to Workforce in July

The BD training sessions have continued throughout the past few months. All Branch Chiefs have completed the training and sessions will be open to the workforce in July. There are two trainings planned for July and one for August. The training covers the methods of pursuing business opportunities, preparation for business meetings, customer service skills and how to approach new business prospects.

This newsletter was published through the Balanced Scorecard.

For article suggestions, questions or comments please contact Ed Bowen at edward.c.bowen8.civ@mail.mil.

Ask a Tech Tip: Household Plumbing Systems Mike Kauzlarich, of the Pyrotechnics and Explosives Branch, reveals how the techniques and lessons learned in labs can help you solve your household problems. Submit a question to him at usarmy.APG.ecbc.mbx.engineering-directorate@mail.mil.

The plastics used in household plumbing systems are coming under scrutiny again as rumors of the leaking of chemical compounds into the water supply come up from time to time.

The good news: science has not found a link between plastic pipe and the migration of the plastic’s components into drinking water. But tell that to our health-conscious society! The three major types of household plumbing – plastic, copper and black iron – all have upsides and drawbacks. Plastic is cheap and easy to install, but prone to leaks; copper is expensive, but long-lasting and naturally resistant to mold; and black iron is strong, but prone to severe corrosion. Many factors come into play when deciding which piping is best to use in your home.

My suggestion: consider the “science” and weigh your options.

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THE ENGINEERING EDGE |May 2014| 3

ECBC Engineers Field M50 Mask to Army Soldiers Stationed in Japan and Korea

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fforts to meet the full operating capability requirement of the M50 mask continue this month as the ECBC Joint Service General Mask (JSGM) Team fields the mask to Soldiers stationed in Japan and Korea. On March 12, the team departed for a seven-week-long campaign to field masks at six different Army sites in the region. By the end of April, more than 39,000 masks had been successfully inspected, trained, and fielded to the Soldiers in the region.

Led by Bill Fritch, JSGM Product Manager, the JSGM Team has worked for more than 15 years to develop an advanced, ergonomic, and effective respiratory protection mask that can be utilized across the U.S. military for defense of chemical agent threats. “The team is responsible for the total fielding of this capability,” said Akanksha W. Raja, systems and logistics engineer for the JSGM Team. “We have been involved in every step of the design, validation, testing and modification process, as well as filter testing and product quality and deficiency reporting.”

A significant improvement over legacy masks, the M50 provides increased comfort, visibility and hydration for the user, as well as easier use and maintenance, and is considered one of the most heavily-tested pieces of personal protective equipment developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Self-sealing valves allow for changing filters in a threat environment, and a single lens across the face allows for a wider area of view and improved compatibility with sighting devices such as binoculars.

The mask has been outfitted across the Services since 2008, beginning with the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Fielding to the Army began in 2013 at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and has been conducted regionally to Soldiers in the U.S. and abroad. The latest fielding effort began in Korea in October 2013; then the fielding team moved to Japan in March 2014 and back to Korea in March 2014 to complete fielding to the region. Lisa Silks, lead logistician, oversaw the fielding on behalf of the JSGM Team.

Extensive planning is required to complete a fielding campaign. A New Materiel Introduction Briefing is given to command leaders that details the number of masks required, as well as plans for training, coordination and storage. The required number of masks is shipped from the U.S. storage site to a warehouse at the training site. Once the fielding team arrives onsite, an inspection is conducted for random sampling of five percent of the inventory to ensure quality of the shipment. Masks are then staged by commands in advance of training. The training sessions are conducted in the style of “train the trainer” for classes of approximately 20 to 25 CBRNE or maintenance specialists, who will then train command Soldiers. The four-hour training sessions include instruction on how to properly use and store the mask.

“We also authored the technical manual and after the training we remain a touch-point for the Soldiers to answer any questions they have about the training, usage or storage of the mask,” said Raja.

The JSGM Team is currently updating the M50 Training Manual (TM) based on changes that have been made through six years of fielding and support. Comments from all Services are being factored into the manual.

U.S. Army TACOM currently oversees the sustainment of the M50 masks and will continue to do so after fielding to the Army has been has been completed in 2019.

“The compliments we’ve heard directly from Warfighters make every bit of effort spent on this program well worth it,” said Raja. “Using the M50 as the baseline for modifications and enhancements, our team looks forward to developing an even greater capability to protect Soldiers of the future.”

Army Soldiers train with the M50 mask.

SharePoint Tip: Exporting SharePoint Lists to Excel Data stored in a SharePoint list can be easily exported to a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. To do this, first click on “List” under the “List Tools” tab; then select “Export to Excel.” By exporting your SharePoint list to Excel, you can take advantage of the rich set of list features and formatting options in Excel. After exporting the list, you can choose whether to keep it linked to the SharePoint list.

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ADM Division’s Artists and Model Makers

Create High-End Animations and Visual Aids to Enhance Warfighter Training and Customer Programs

Credit: ADM CM&A Branch.

Future Soldier Armor Concept for STEM Recruitment Asset.

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CBC’s Engineering Directorate workforce is known for its chemical, mechanical, design and test engineers, whose extensive training and experience have made them subject matter experts (SMEs) in the areas of detection, protection and obscuration. But did you know that the Directorate also has its own artists – a highly-skilled creative team that uses the latest technologies in graphic design, animation and modeling to create customized illustrations, interactive training aids and realistic models for Warfighter training and other customer programs. These artists are members of the Conceptual Modeling and Animation (CM&A) Branch and the Rapid Technologies Branch of the Advanced Design and Manufacturing (ADM) Division. “Our job is to help customers and Soldiers visualize their ideas and concepts through use of the latest multimedia tools,” explained Jason Gitlin, industrial engineer, animation project manager and senior artist with the CM&A Branch. “While we have degrees in fine art, think of us as visual problem-solvers for the Army.”

With a cultural shift from mostly print media to digital multimedia, the team’s expertise is in increasingly high demand. They have been tasked to provide everything from concept of operations and engineering concept design support, using animation, digital effects and photorealistic 3-D rendering, to multimedia training aids using video game engines. The team recently developed a short animation to help explain the capability of the Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS). The animation was even used for ECBC Director Joseph Wienand’s interview on Baltimore’s CBS Channel 13 News. “We created an animation of the full system assembly, and completed it in a short amount of time. For Mr. Wienand’s interview, it provided a great example for the audience of how the system worked,” said Gitlin. “We had to work closely with project SMEs to understand the equipment, terminology, functionality–everything that is necessary to create a precise and realistic animation.”

Rapid prototyping and 3-D printing technologies continue to generate buzz, and ADM’s Rapid Technologies Branch staff have been the center’s go-to experts for a variety of concept-to-product solutions. To support the FDHS, they used a technique called “reverse modeling” to turn the two-dimensional (2-D), conceptual hydrolysis process into a structurally sound, useable 3-D system. “We collected data points from the system and used computer-aided design (CAD) to create a physical scale model of the system,” explained Brad Ruprecht, engineering technician and model maker with the Rapid Technologies Branch. “The model was used as a presentation tool to help explain the system to stakeholders. But while our branch is best known for 3-D printing, we are also available for prototyping, sculpting and casting, and can respond quickly to customer requests.”

The CM&A Branch and Rapid Technologies Branch have supported customers within the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD), U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command and U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), including the ECBC Research and Technology (R&T) Directorate, and Army Research Laboratory (ARL), by creating everything from concept support, to prototyping, to making 3-D models.

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THE ENGINEERING EDGE |May 2014| 5 For the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), the CM&A Branch developed a fully-immersive interactive application of the Husky Mounted Detection System (HMDS) that the Soldiers could use for training. “The HMDS is a vehicle with ground-penetrating radar capable of detecting buried explosives and anti-tank land mines,” explained Gitlin. “Soldiers use the application as a refresher training on the internally-mounted computer display unit.” Soldiers were also provided with tablets so they could use the application in any location.

The CM&A Branch has found that Soldiers respond well to animations and training based on video game technology. “Most Soldiers are familiar with video games and operating the game-like application makes sense to them,” said Brianna McNamara, an animator/artist with Camber Corporation who works for the CM&A Branch. “The trainers like it because it can be tailored to the specific threats that Soldiers could encounter in the field.”

Credit: ADM CM&A Branch.

FDHS Overview Animation.

Since the creative and technical landscape for computer animation and interactive multimedia is constantly changing, it is important for the ADM staff to stay educated on the newest technology in the industry and how they can be applied to customer work. “The latest trend is sophisticated interactive media, such as augmented reality and virtual reality,” said Daniel Beasley, engineering technician and artist with the CM&A Branch. “Products like Google Glass and Oculous Rift integrate the user directly with the software. The Army could use this technology to put the Soldiers in a completely virtual environment that could be used to train and educate them about hazardous scenarios without any physical risk.”

The team also emphasized that, as the need for multimedia support for projects grows, there is convenience and efficiency to using staff that are working right here at ECBC. “Many people think that they need to hire someone from a design firm for creative support, but we are right here at Aberdeen Proving Ground, close to customers, with a working knowledge of many Army programs and customer needs,” said Gitlin. “Our team has a variety of technical and creative skills so our customers benefit from access to an entire team that presents high-quality work at a lower cost.”

Credit: ADM CM&A Branch.

Illustration from First Responders Guide to Mass Civilian Decontamination in a HAZMAT/WMD Incident.

Credit: ADM CM&A Branch.

Instructional Animation for CRESS Kit.

Credit: ADM CM&A Branch.

HMDS Interactive Application.

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Employee Spotlight:

Stephen Harper This month’s Engineering Edge Employee Spotlight is on Stephen Harper, Branch Chief of the Environmental & Field Testing Branch in the Engineering Test Division. He is also a Black Hawk Helicopter Instructor Pilot and Safety Officer with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

What is your current job in the Engineering Directorate?

The Environmental & Field Testing Branch is responsible for environmental testing, including pressure testing, vibration testing, temperature testing, fog testing, etc., to determine how various equipment, filters and materials will perform under extreme conditions. Our test chambers can simulate various environmental scenarios and conditions encountered by the Warfighter in the field. As Branch Chief, I consider myself a “working facilitator” for our team’s operation. Although I serve in a supervisory capacity, I enjoy being hands-on and assisting the team with projects. I also serve as a liaison assisting Division Chief Eugene Vickers and Associate Director Ron Pojunas in helping the branch to acquire new customers.

Tell us about your service in the Army National Guard.

Growing up, I always enjoyed military movies and TV shows and dreamed of flying helicopters. Initially I joined the Air National Guard working as a sheet metal mechanic on A-10s. The National Guard was a means of supporting myself through college, and it has been a huge part of my life ever since. I have served in the National Guard for 24 years; most of those years have been in the Army National Guard. My tenure in the Army National Guard has been in aviation as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, except for the one-year waiting period prior to flight school. I am currently stationed with the Alpha Company 2/104th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard located in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. What some folks may not know about me is that I also served as a Deputy U.S. Marshall for two years in Washington, D.C. ECBC has supported me as a Soldier and civilian employee through the course of two deployments to Iraq (in 2003 and 2009), a recent

deployment to Afghanistan (in 2013), and multiple military training schools and other missions and commitments. With a background in chem-bio, I was able to serve as an assistant to the Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) officer during my deployment to Iraq in 2003.

What kind of perspectives do you bring to your work at ECBC by also being a Soldier?

From the perspective of being both a scientist and a Soldier, I am able to harmonize the research and end user sides. This perspective is unique and advantageous simply by being able to explain the Army’s needs to the scientists and by answering any technical questions about protective equipment for the Soldier. It is essential that Soldiers have confidence in their equipment. ECBC’s capability of the rapid-fielding of chem-bio defense equipment and technologies is impressive to Soldiers; they trust the quality and safety of the equipment provided by the Center. Also beneficial is my experience of working with certain equipment used in theater.

If there is a piece of equipment that didn’t work well, I can explain what occurred to scientists and researchers so that improvements can be made.

What are your other hobbies outside of work and the Guard?

Besides work and the National Guard, I also spend a lot of time in school. I am grateful to both ECBC and the National Guard for supporting my education, including my Master’s degree in Environmental Policy & Management and my current pursuit of a Ph.D. in Engineering Management. Perhaps when I am finished with school I will finally have a chance to renew one of my favorite hobbies of all time – riding motorcycles!

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THE ENGINEERING EDGE |May 2014| 7

29th Combat Aviation Brigade Answers the Call of Duty from APG to Maryland, the U.S. and Beyond

Credit: SGT Margaret Taylor.

Soldiers from the 231st Chemical Company were transported by CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to the “contaminated” site downrange on the Edgewood Area of APG.

Credit: 29th CAB/Maryland Army National Guard.

More than 100 personnel work at the Weide Airfield as pilots, instructors, mechanics, fuelers, and sheet metal workers.

Credit: SGT Margaret Taylor.

A chemical decontamination specialist simulates the aircraft decontamination process.

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he Maryland Army National Guard’s 29th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), located at the Edward J. Weide Airfield on the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), is positioned and prepared to answer the call for service – whether that call comes from the Governor of Maryland or the President of the United States.

The Guard’s role includes coordinating state responses to any major emergency or disaster; supporting local government organizations; assisting the U.S. military and federal government agencies; and responding to requests for assistance from other states. The 29th CAB specializes in helicopter and other aerial combat operations, surveillance and reconnaissance, and rescue and training efforts.

“We have been very busy the past several years in support of domestic and international missions,” said CAPT Mark Chambers, 29th CAB assistant operations officer and Black Hawk assault helicopter pilot. “Our activity has ranged from deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Kosovo in support of U.S. military operations, to providing critical assistance during Hurricanes Gustav, Irene, and Sandy. We also support rescue training for the Baltimore County fire and police departments, and even aerial assistance for the Governor of Maryland and for Presidential inaugurations and activities at Camp David.”

The 29th CAB also provides test and training support for other National Guard units and Army Soldiers and organizations. On April 4–6, Soldiers from the Maryland National Guard 231st Chemical

Company partnered with the 29th CAB to conduct a chemical reconnaissance and decontamination training exercise downrange on Edgewood. Soldiers were transported by helicopter to the “contaminated” site; then one team performed the reconnaissance portion of the training to detect the hazardous material, while another team waited to decontaminate the Soldiers and aircraft when they returned. The 29th CAB provided the aircraft and aerial insertion of the Soldiers into the training site. Safety, communication, and proper reporting procedures were also emphasized during the scenario. This was the first time that these two units had worked together on a training exercise, as well as the first time that the 231st Chemical Company has trained with rotary-winged aircraft. The 29th CAB has also participated in tests for ECBC and Army Test and Evaluation Command, as well as other organizations on APG. The 29th CAB provides command and control to a variety of aviation and other units, and is home to over 100 personnel serving as pilots, instructors, mechanics, fuelers and sheet metal workers. The 29th CAB also has more than two dozen aircraft. The pilots perform 10 to 12 flights per day Tuesday through Sunday and extensive inspection and maintenance is required for each aircraft every 360 flight hours.

Major renovations and upgrades to hangar space, buildings and runways at Weide Airfield were completed in 2013, which included a new 98,870-square-foot hangar that can house 16 Black Hawks and five Chinooks. With these improvements, Weide Airfield is now classified as a fully-functional U.S. Army heliport.

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