thedrifter
11-09-08, 07:13 AM
Soldier's ingenuity saves lives
By Abby Jordan/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Nov 08, 2008 @ 09:50 PM
SOUTHBOROUGH —
Nothing sparks an "Aha!" moment quite like your Humvee being hit by a roadside bomb.
That was the experience of Southborough native Sgt. Jason Cox, who was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq,in December 2005 as a Marine Corps fire team leader.
Seven months into his tour, Cox's Humvee struck an improvised explosive device, or IED, and was damaged. While no one was hurt in the explosion, it sparked an idea in Cox to design a device to detect IEDs.
Over the course of three weeks, Cox, with the help of other Marines, used his down time between patrols to work on the design, which uses infrared spectroscopy to recognize IED feed-in wires through differences in thermal expansion.
"It saves lives, and that's what counts," Cox said.
In September 2006, Cox presented his data to commanding officers. His research was used to help the Marine Corps buy IED-detection technology similar to Cox's idea and implement it for use by the Marines.
"It's nice for a number of reasons," Cox said. "It saves lives, and you have in the Marine Reservists people with civilian talents that can be pooled and which make a difference on the front lines."
In July, Cox received the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his research and bomb-detecting design.
Cox graduated from Algonquin Regional High School in 1999. He attended the University of New Hampshire for one and a half years before transferring to Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Though he thought of joining the military after high school, Cox said the Sept. 11 attacks renewed his interest in doing so.
"It rekindled that," he said. "I always wanted to, then I began thinking about it more and more."
He joined the Marine Corps Reserves his junior year at WPI, calling it the perfect blend of college and military. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 2005, and was deployed that year.
Since returning from Iraq, Cox has been working toward his doctorate degree at WPI, where he expects to finish in just over two years. In 2007 he won first place in an annual poster competition at the school.
This week, Cox starts a program as a visiting student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he'll be continuing his work on IED detection technology through the Institute of Soldier Nanotechnology.
Cox lives in Worcester with his wife, Maegan, and their 6-month-old daughter, Nora.
(Abby Jordan can be reached at 508-490-7461 or ajordan@cnc.com.)
Ellie
By Abby Jordan/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Nov 08, 2008 @ 09:50 PM
SOUTHBOROUGH —
Nothing sparks an "Aha!" moment quite like your Humvee being hit by a roadside bomb.
That was the experience of Southborough native Sgt. Jason Cox, who was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq,in December 2005 as a Marine Corps fire team leader.
Seven months into his tour, Cox's Humvee struck an improvised explosive device, or IED, and was damaged. While no one was hurt in the explosion, it sparked an idea in Cox to design a device to detect IEDs.
Over the course of three weeks, Cox, with the help of other Marines, used his down time between patrols to work on the design, which uses infrared spectroscopy to recognize IED feed-in wires through differences in thermal expansion.
"It saves lives, and that's what counts," Cox said.
In September 2006, Cox presented his data to commanding officers. His research was used to help the Marine Corps buy IED-detection technology similar to Cox's idea and implement it for use by the Marines.
"It's nice for a number of reasons," Cox said. "It saves lives, and you have in the Marine Reservists people with civilian talents that can be pooled and which make a difference on the front lines."
In July, Cox received the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his research and bomb-detecting design.
Cox graduated from Algonquin Regional High School in 1999. He attended the University of New Hampshire for one and a half years before transferring to Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Though he thought of joining the military after high school, Cox said the Sept. 11 attacks renewed his interest in doing so.
"It rekindled that," he said. "I always wanted to, then I began thinking about it more and more."
He joined the Marine Corps Reserves his junior year at WPI, calling it the perfect blend of college and military. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 2005, and was deployed that year.
Since returning from Iraq, Cox has been working toward his doctorate degree at WPI, where he expects to finish in just over two years. In 2007 he won first place in an annual poster competition at the school.
This week, Cox starts a program as a visiting student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he'll be continuing his work on IED detection technology through the Institute of Soldier Nanotechnology.
Cox lives in Worcester with his wife, Maegan, and their 6-month-old daughter, Nora.
(Abby Jordan can be reached at 508-490-7461 or ajordan@cnc.com.)
Ellie