Technology empowers Soldiers downrange

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan—Fighting insurgents who can melt into the local populace while negotiating Afghanistan’s rugged and austere terrain is a daily reality for U.S. Soldiers. Technology is one facet of today’s conflict that is an integral part of the battlefield and finding innovative solutions that give Soldiers the advantage they need for continued success is now one step closer.

The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command or RDECOM, is opening a new facility in late October on Bagram Airfield to help develop, modify and improve weapons, vehicles and equipment used by Soldiers in Afghanistan.

"Our main focus is to take Soldier ideas and innovations and apply engineering rigor to develop a prototype that does the job better and safer and to quickly integrate that product into military systems,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alan Samuels, the director of the RDECOM Field Assistance in Science and Technology Center, or RFAST-C.

Today’s Soldiers use many variants of weapons, vehicles and peripheral devices, thanks in part to the speed at which new equipment is fielded. The team of specialists at the Bagram RFAST-C minimize the time it takes for solutions to equipment problems to get back out to the Soldier, and they can manufacture the equipment right here in theatre.  

“Soldiers go out with units that have those pieces of equipment and find out the good, bad and indifferent about those items,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Matthew DeLay, the noncommissioned officer in charge of RFAST-C.

The RFAST-C specialists take the feedback from the Soldiers in the field and can immediately start troubleshooting problems, implementing suggestions for improvement and manufacturing new parts for the equipment.

“By having both the engineers and technicians in the field, we are able to produce the products onsite and prototype them,” said Granitzki.”The advantage of this is speed.”

In order to support the warfighter on the ground, RDECOM brought together the brightest minds and according to Granitzki, allowing the “ten-pound brain types,” do what they do best - solve problems.

“The engineers working here all have bachelor’s degrees in engineering and some have masters and doctorates,” said Jim Granitski, a mechanical engineer for RDECOM.

To man the 10-person shop at RFAST-C at Bagram, RDECOM pulled experts from various research and engineering centers, and deployed them in order to facilitate meeting Soldiers’ needs in the field. Since RDECOM is the Army’s primary source for integrated research, development and engineering capabilities, its Soldiers, civilians and contractors have seen most of the U.S. Army’s current inventory of fielded equipment.

“About 80 percent of the things the Army uses came through RDECOM,” said De Lay.

“We are here to support the Soldier - any part whether it’s big or small, whether it’s a tank part or gun part, anything; if it comes in the door we will help find a solution to the problem,” said Granitzki.

If Soldiers have suggestions for improvement, they can visit the RDECOM homepage for instructions on how to submit suggestions at http://www.rdecom.army.mil/STSP/index.html.