Phantom Blooper
04-07-05, 04:19 AM
April 07,2005
CYNDI BROWN
DAILY NEWS STAFF
It might not have been a traditional holiday, but that didn't dampen Lance Cpl. Alexander Degrado's enthusiasm for Marine South 2005.
"It's like Christmas," Degrado said as he showed off a bag filled with samples and information from some of the 115 companies that filled Marston Pavilion and carried over into the parking lot.
Marine South is one of three annual expos that allow distributors to display their military products and technology to the Corps. The other two are Modern Day Marine, which will be held in September at Quantico, Va., and Marine West at Camp Pendleton, Calif., in January. Marine South continues today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to offer Marines and sailors a hands-on look at some of the items they may be soon using in the field or around the office.
Degrado, however, wasn't sure about getting what he considered a too-close look at the Taser International display - company representatives were zapping willing participants with the nonlethal weapons.
Degrado, who like most in the hall had probably heard the agonizing sounds after someone had agreed to step up, was not one of them.
"I can learn from other people's mistakes," said Degrado, laughing.
Degrado and a few other guys in communications with the Anti-Terrorism Battalion went to the expo to visit the McDowell Research and Bren-Tronics booths, which held $400,000 worth of communications gear their unit would be getting soon, as well as other technology that might be headed the Marine Corps' way. His buddy, Lance Cpl. Wesley Carter, got caught up in checking out the improved M72 Light Anti-armor Weapon from Talley Defense Systems, even though he most likely would not be using one.
"You shoot stuff with it and blow stuff up," explained Carter with a shrug. "You know, we're Marines. We like to blow stuff up."
The M72 was tested at School of Infantry in early February and will be in use in Iraq in September.
"They love it," said Larry Sanks, a Talley business manager. "Number one, it's lighter than what they carry â?¦ The other issue is length."
The M72 LAW weighs about 7 pounds and is about 2 ½ feet long, making it easier to carry and maneuver out of Humvees or through doorways said Mark Trexler, Talley's Eastern Region marketing rep.
"We haven't heard one negative complaint," Trexler said. Then he remembered that there was one: "The only negative complaint is, 'Why wasn't it fielded sooner?'"
Trexler said showcasing Talley products at Marine South and West is ideal since the average Marine end-user, who can have significant input into purchasing decisions, sees what is available and what might work well for them.
"This show is one of the keys," said Trexler, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "(Because of) the feedback from the guys that have been deployed, this show is probably more beneficial to us than Quantico â?¦ You don't get the combat guys there."
VNU Expositions show manager Luke Durocher credits that level of interaction for the expo's success.
"I think that the big draw for this show is it provides one-on-one conversations with troops for the distributors," Durocher said.
"They can continually be improving their products and get the guys what they need over there."
Marine South drew approximately 100 exhibitors last year. In this, its 13th, there were 115.
"We've had a pretty good turnout, even with the troops moving out," said Durocher.
Some of the exhibitors, themselves, doubled as attendees.
Brian Heishman, a retired master sergeant, and Kip Schultz, a former sergeant, were demonstrating Nomadics' new Fido X series handheld explosive detectors. They were also checking out the other new technologies out there.
"We kind of look," said Shultz, who noted a steam cleaner and writing products that would have an application in his line of work.
But they also liked seeing what their Marine successors have to work with.
"To see the gear they have today compared to '89 is amazing," Schultz said. "Somebody's doing their job right."
Cpl. Trevor Hammett, a light armored vehicle mechanic with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, was attending his first Marine expo. After three hours at the show, he still had one wing of the pavilion left to walk through.
"It's a good show. I'm enjoying it a lot, and I have a bag of stuff to take to pull out later," said Hammett, who was awed by a hands-on look at an M16 thermal sight.
"They let me play with it too, and it's a $22,000 sight," said Hammett, shaking his head. "Some of their stuff is advanced way beyond us."
CYNDI BROWN
DAILY NEWS STAFF
It might not have been a traditional holiday, but that didn't dampen Lance Cpl. Alexander Degrado's enthusiasm for Marine South 2005.
"It's like Christmas," Degrado said as he showed off a bag filled with samples and information from some of the 115 companies that filled Marston Pavilion and carried over into the parking lot.
Marine South is one of three annual expos that allow distributors to display their military products and technology to the Corps. The other two are Modern Day Marine, which will be held in September at Quantico, Va., and Marine West at Camp Pendleton, Calif., in January. Marine South continues today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to offer Marines and sailors a hands-on look at some of the items they may be soon using in the field or around the office.
Degrado, however, wasn't sure about getting what he considered a too-close look at the Taser International display - company representatives were zapping willing participants with the nonlethal weapons.
Degrado, who like most in the hall had probably heard the agonizing sounds after someone had agreed to step up, was not one of them.
"I can learn from other people's mistakes," said Degrado, laughing.
Degrado and a few other guys in communications with the Anti-Terrorism Battalion went to the expo to visit the McDowell Research and Bren-Tronics booths, which held $400,000 worth of communications gear their unit would be getting soon, as well as other technology that might be headed the Marine Corps' way. His buddy, Lance Cpl. Wesley Carter, got caught up in checking out the improved M72 Light Anti-armor Weapon from Talley Defense Systems, even though he most likely would not be using one.
"You shoot stuff with it and blow stuff up," explained Carter with a shrug. "You know, we're Marines. We like to blow stuff up."
The M72 was tested at School of Infantry in early February and will be in use in Iraq in September.
"They love it," said Larry Sanks, a Talley business manager. "Number one, it's lighter than what they carry â?¦ The other issue is length."
The M72 LAW weighs about 7 pounds and is about 2 ½ feet long, making it easier to carry and maneuver out of Humvees or through doorways said Mark Trexler, Talley's Eastern Region marketing rep.
"We haven't heard one negative complaint," Trexler said. Then he remembered that there was one: "The only negative complaint is, 'Why wasn't it fielded sooner?'"
Trexler said showcasing Talley products at Marine South and West is ideal since the average Marine end-user, who can have significant input into purchasing decisions, sees what is available and what might work well for them.
"This show is one of the keys," said Trexler, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. "(Because of) the feedback from the guys that have been deployed, this show is probably more beneficial to us than Quantico â?¦ You don't get the combat guys there."
VNU Expositions show manager Luke Durocher credits that level of interaction for the expo's success.
"I think that the big draw for this show is it provides one-on-one conversations with troops for the distributors," Durocher said.
"They can continually be improving their products and get the guys what they need over there."
Marine South drew approximately 100 exhibitors last year. In this, its 13th, there were 115.
"We've had a pretty good turnout, even with the troops moving out," said Durocher.
Some of the exhibitors, themselves, doubled as attendees.
Brian Heishman, a retired master sergeant, and Kip Schultz, a former sergeant, were demonstrating Nomadics' new Fido X series handheld explosive detectors. They were also checking out the other new technologies out there.
"We kind of look," said Shultz, who noted a steam cleaner and writing products that would have an application in his line of work.
But they also liked seeing what their Marine successors have to work with.
"To see the gear they have today compared to '89 is amazing," Schultz said. "Somebody's doing their job right."
Cpl. Trevor Hammett, a light armored vehicle mechanic with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, was attending his first Marine expo. After three hours at the show, he still had one wing of the pavilion left to walk through.
"It's a good show. I'm enjoying it a lot, and I have a bag of stuff to take to pull out later," said Hammett, who was awed by a hands-on look at an M16 thermal sight.
"They let me play with it too, and it's a $22,000 sight," said Hammett, shaking his head. "Some of their stuff is advanced way beyond us."