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thedrifter
01-18-07, 10:20 AM
Weapons, equipment show draw Camp Pendleton Marines

By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer

CAMP PENDLETON ---- Those were no ordinary consumers examining all manner of military weapons and equipment arranged in long rows at the 15th annual Marine West Military Exposition at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.

The junior Marines who turned out for the event, which concludes today, made clear to many of the 180 vendors that a well-chosen protective vest or even a humble pair of sunglasses can be the difference between life and death during battle. Some of the equipment is already being used by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, some is only weeks away from full-scale production and other items are still in the testing phase.

Camp Pendleton officials said the expo is an opportunity for enlisted Marines, who bear the brunt of combat, to inspect military hardware for their own use or to let vendors know how it might be improved.

"They're pretty canny buyers. They can detect the faults and flaws of equipment that doesn't work well,'' Maj. Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, commander of all seven West Coast Marine bases, said in an interview after the expo's opening ceremony.

Seemingly routine details can suddenly acquire enormous importance during battle. One member of a tank crew examined a protective vest made by ProTec Composite Technologies, a vendor from Dublin, Ohio, and pronounced its bulk a "hindrance" for someone trying to escape from the turret of a flaming tank.

"You cannot get in and out of a turret with all this," he told Mark Fiedler, director of program and security for Protec.

Across the aisle, another Marine tried on a pair of battery-powered goggles that alternate between light and dark shading without changing lenses.

"That's impressive. What's the battery life?" he asked Mike Turner, western regional director for Eye Safety Systems Inc. of Sun Valley, Idaho.

One junior Marine who asked not to be named said most enlisted men and women are much more interested in small, simple items they can easily carry with them than some of the flashier high-tech devices on display.

"Weight is a big issue," he said.

While many of the weapons and equipment were modest enough that a Marine could choose to pay for them out of his own pocket, others clearly required lobbying up the chain of command to make a purchase.

John Owens of Ibis Tek, a Pennsylvania-based firm, showed off a Humvee bearing a long list of add-on equipment manufactured by his company. One of the more visible features was a clear shield made from steel and transparent armor. The shield is designed to protect the gunner while allowing him to keep his head up in his perch atop the vehicle, Owens said. An Ibis Tek military products catalog lists the price for the gun shield at $2,485 each.

"As delivered, the gunner has to keep his head down in a Humvee. Now he can stay in place and be aware," Owens said.

James Bracken, the show coordinator, said he expected 3,000 to 3,500 people to attend the expo over two days. Bracken said the 180 vendors at the show represents a 15 or 20 percent increase over last year. He and several other Marine officials said the expo attracts more vendors every year.

"Our problem is, where do you put them? We have a waiting list every year," Bracken said.

Several high-ranking Marine officers said a quickening pace of technological advances has been evident from the exhibits over the last five years.

"The war has provided the impetus for rapid change that didn't exist five years ago," said Col. James B. Seaton III, commander of Camp Pendleton.

Lehnert said there is still plenty of room for improvement in vehicles and other items used by the Marines.

"We'd like to see more equipment being fielded that has more fuel economy and lower mean times between failures," he said.

-- Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.

Ellie

thedrifter
01-18-07, 12:41 PM
War wares on display at expo

180 vendors exhibit at Camp Pendleton
By Rick Rogers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

January 18, 2007

CAMP PENDLETON – Five years ago, 30 vendors' booths barely filled a corner of the base's noncommissioned officers club for the Marine West Military Exposition.

Yesterday, 180 vendors' exhibits filled the club and spilled into adjacent acres for the annual event.

Wartime has certainly increased the number of merchants attending the expo, which gives businesses and Marines the chance to share ideas about what helps troops survive or feel more comfortable in Iraq's battle zones.

In this age of modern warfare, the vendors are trying to satisfy service members' different needs with a growing array of combat gear. In response, Marine commanders are not only giving their units the go-ahead to use a wider range of products but also buying many of those items for them.

So the Iraq war might be viewed as creating boutique warriors, a generation of troops who have left behind the days of standard issue.

“The rise of personal gear is probably the biggest change I've seen in recent years,” 1st Sgt. Troy Black said at the expo, which continues today. “We are allowing the Marine to choose his own gear, which is more user-friendly and more tailored to the individual Marine. It's a big change.”

For example, some companies hawk premium-quality protective vests and boots, which are supposedly lighter and better-fitting than their cheaper counterparts. Other vendors show off the latest rifle slings, which are more functional and reliable than their predecessors.

If the Marines want something that doesn't exist yet, a few words to a vendor might spawn the product soon enough.

“Just look around at all the equipment to protect our Marines,” said Col. Rory Talkington, the operations chief for Marine Corps Installations West. “You have optics and electronics and laser designators. You did not have any of this five years ago.”

This year's event seems to emphasize personal-use items for keeping troops safe. The products include gun-mounted lights designed to disorient foes and breaching equipment for breaking down gates. Such items are valuable for the highly urbanized warfare of Iraq.

“Conflict breeds better products,” said Ken Good of Blackhawk, a company that sells gear to military and law enforcement agencies.

It also breeds better procurement.

Marines who attended last year's expo at Camp Pendleton estimated that they spent about $400 each on combat equipment for their tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. This year, the figure is about $100 because commanders are listening more closely to the rank and file's needs and tailoring their equipment purchases accordingly.

That doesn't mean every wish is fulfilled, especially when new products are hitting the market year-round.

Cpl. Todd Martin and a few of his friends were some of the junior Marines checking out the wares yesterday.

An item that immediately caught Martin's attention was an LED sight for an M-16 rifle. The sight would help him pinpoint objects in a variety of environments, such as scanning from a rooftop one second and then pinpointing targets in a dark room the next.

“It's not too complicated and has a nice aim point,” said Martin, an infantryman who has twice deployed to Iraq as part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. “I would definitely recommend this.”

Higher-ups also roamed the expo grounds yesterday morning.

“What I'm looking for are better ways of command and control for logistics,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Lehnert, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West. “If you are in the middle of a fight, the logisticians should know how many rounds are being fired” so they can resupply the troops more effectively.

“What we are seeing is a greater focus on low-tech battle,” Lehnert added. “Our Marines are carrying about the same weight as the Romans did. We would like to reduce the load.”

Agility is vital in combat, and having a lot of equipment hanging from the body can hinder movement. “Marines buy gear to look cool, not always because it is functional,” Black said.

Capt. Victor Ruble said all the fancy-looking equipment can sometimes have bad consequences.

“We don't want our guys to look like the little kid who gets so bundled up for winter that he can't walk or put his arms down,” Ruble said.

Rick Rogers: (760) 476-8212; rick.rogers@uniontrib.com

Ellie