Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD – The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) is exploring the use of protective overcoats on military vehicles to reduce hazards to the Warfighter and reduce the resources needed to decontaminate the vehicles. The aim of the project is to reduce the amount of time it takes to decontaminate military equipment and improve the readiness of Warfighters during their missions.
When faced with the threat of exposure to hazardous chemicals, Warfighters must wear their personal protective equipment (PPE). The PPE is effective in keeping the Warfighter safe from hazardous chemicals and protecting them from the possibility of continued exposure. The PPE can be removed or reduced when the threat of contamination is eliminated.
The protective overcoats will ultimately give the warfighter the ability to do an immediate decontamination and allow them to remove or reduce the level of PPE required to accomplish their mission. “Our primary mission is to protect the Warfighter. This technology has the potential to reduce the hazards Warfighters are exposed to,” said Kevin Morrissey, co-principal investigator for this project. “In addition to reducing the hazards to the Warfighter, this technology has the potential to reduce the logistical burden of decontamination operations,” continued Janlyn Eikenberg, co-principal investigator for this project.