thedrifter
07-30-07, 08:25 AM
Dueling suits
Marines put two prototypes through their paces
By John Hoellwarth - jhoellwarth@militarytimes.com
Posted : August 06, 2007
As leathernecks all over the world logged on to a Web site to check out designs for the Corps’ new running suit last week, two groups of 15 Marines got the chance to put the suits to the test, running six miles each day to see whether the new gear is good enough for your seabag.
Data from the wear tests as well as the online survey of Marines’ opinions will factor into which company is awarded the running suit contract in September, said Dan Fitzgerald, program manager for infantry combat equipment at Marine Corps Systems Command, in Quantico, Va.
Sgt. Joe Thomas, a forward observer with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, said he ran three miles in the morning wearing one of the proposed running suits in a controlled climate, then another three miles in the afternoon wearing the other running suit in that same climate. He was attached to a heart-rate sensor the whole time, he said.
After each test — they were conducted at a facility at the University of Oregon at Eugene — he completed a survey about the uniform’s comfort level, including friction, moisture accumulation and sweat-wicking performance. The next day, the process was the same, but the climate in the laboratory environment changed, he said.
The testing was done at the university’s Exercise and Environmental Physiology Lab, which “is the only known facility of its caliber outside of the Department of Defense specifically designed for human evaluation,” according to the solicitation for the work published on www.fedbizopps.gov.
Among the 30 Marines involved in wear testing, “from what I’ve seen, it’s split 50-50” over which suit is the most popular, Thomas said. “My choice was the suit with the green sleeves, the one without the hood. The sizing seems to fit everyone better. The material breathes better, it’s lighter weight — a better suit all around.”
While Thomas was one of only 30 Marines picked for wear testing, all active-duty and Reserve Marines were given the opportunity to weigh in on which of the two designs should be adopted by the Corps based on aesthetics alone.
A survey published by SysCom the week of July 23 invited the total force to select their preference from among the two designs being considered for the contract.
“The results will be used in conjunction with other weighted factors to determine the final selection design,” project officer Portia Blunt said in a SysCom release.
Marine Corps Times obtained the images from a Marine source who took the survey. Both designs are green on black with the Corps’ emblem on the front and the word “Marines” on the back. Those specifications were mandated by the roughly 35,000 Marines who took part in an earlier survey SysCom put out in January to determine what Marines wanted before asking industry for proposals.
The initiative comes from Commandant Gen. James Conway, who, shortly after taking over the Corps in November, told Marines during a town hall meeting that the current PT gear is outdated.
“We have one, but it’s probably dated 1950s, and if you go on an Army base or you see soldiers or airmen or whatever, they’re very squared away in their black and gray,” he told East Coast Marines. “You go on a Marine base, we don’t look nearly as squared away.”
Fitzgerald said the recruit depots in San Diego and Parris Island, S.C., are expected to begin issuing the running suit before the end of this calendar year and an upcoming Corps-wide message is expected to announce a mandatory possession date for fleet Marines to buy the running suit within two years of its debut at the depots.
The new running suit will not replace any of the gear currently issued for physical training, but rather add to what’s already in the seabag, allowing Marines to layer their clothing when exercising in the cold, said Fitzgerald, a retired lieutenant colonel. “If I was a unit commander still and I was on a mud run, I’m not going to trash my running suits. I’m going to trash my green sweats.”
Design requirements
SysCom allowed industry some leeway with where to place the Corps' emblem on the front, the word “Marines” on the back and the font for that word, but mandated a maximum height for the eagle, globe and anchor at three inches and that “Marines” be no taller than five inches.
The final two competing designs were selected from among more than 50 submissions based on weight, thread count, breaking strength, dimensional stability, colorfastness to laundering, water resistance and moisture vapor transmission.
Ellie
Marines put two prototypes through their paces
By John Hoellwarth - jhoellwarth@militarytimes.com
Posted : August 06, 2007
As leathernecks all over the world logged on to a Web site to check out designs for the Corps’ new running suit last week, two groups of 15 Marines got the chance to put the suits to the test, running six miles each day to see whether the new gear is good enough for your seabag.
Data from the wear tests as well as the online survey of Marines’ opinions will factor into which company is awarded the running suit contract in September, said Dan Fitzgerald, program manager for infantry combat equipment at Marine Corps Systems Command, in Quantico, Va.
Sgt. Joe Thomas, a forward observer with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, said he ran three miles in the morning wearing one of the proposed running suits in a controlled climate, then another three miles in the afternoon wearing the other running suit in that same climate. He was attached to a heart-rate sensor the whole time, he said.
After each test — they were conducted at a facility at the University of Oregon at Eugene — he completed a survey about the uniform’s comfort level, including friction, moisture accumulation and sweat-wicking performance. The next day, the process was the same, but the climate in the laboratory environment changed, he said.
The testing was done at the university’s Exercise and Environmental Physiology Lab, which “is the only known facility of its caliber outside of the Department of Defense specifically designed for human evaluation,” according to the solicitation for the work published on www.fedbizopps.gov.
Among the 30 Marines involved in wear testing, “from what I’ve seen, it’s split 50-50” over which suit is the most popular, Thomas said. “My choice was the suit with the green sleeves, the one without the hood. The sizing seems to fit everyone better. The material breathes better, it’s lighter weight — a better suit all around.”
While Thomas was one of only 30 Marines picked for wear testing, all active-duty and Reserve Marines were given the opportunity to weigh in on which of the two designs should be adopted by the Corps based on aesthetics alone.
A survey published by SysCom the week of July 23 invited the total force to select their preference from among the two designs being considered for the contract.
“The results will be used in conjunction with other weighted factors to determine the final selection design,” project officer Portia Blunt said in a SysCom release.
Marine Corps Times obtained the images from a Marine source who took the survey. Both designs are green on black with the Corps’ emblem on the front and the word “Marines” on the back. Those specifications were mandated by the roughly 35,000 Marines who took part in an earlier survey SysCom put out in January to determine what Marines wanted before asking industry for proposals.
The initiative comes from Commandant Gen. James Conway, who, shortly after taking over the Corps in November, told Marines during a town hall meeting that the current PT gear is outdated.
“We have one, but it’s probably dated 1950s, and if you go on an Army base or you see soldiers or airmen or whatever, they’re very squared away in their black and gray,” he told East Coast Marines. “You go on a Marine base, we don’t look nearly as squared away.”
Fitzgerald said the recruit depots in San Diego and Parris Island, S.C., are expected to begin issuing the running suit before the end of this calendar year and an upcoming Corps-wide message is expected to announce a mandatory possession date for fleet Marines to buy the running suit within two years of its debut at the depots.
The new running suit will not replace any of the gear currently issued for physical training, but rather add to what’s already in the seabag, allowing Marines to layer their clothing when exercising in the cold, said Fitzgerald, a retired lieutenant colonel. “If I was a unit commander still and I was on a mud run, I’m not going to trash my running suits. I’m going to trash my green sweats.”
Design requirements
SysCom allowed industry some leeway with where to place the Corps' emblem on the front, the word “Marines” on the back and the font for that word, but mandated a maximum height for the eagle, globe and anchor at three inches and that “Marines” be no taller than five inches.
The final two competing designs were selected from among more than 50 submissions based on weight, thread count, breaking strength, dimensional stability, colorfastness to laundering, water resistance and moisture vapor transmission.
Ellie