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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines are trained with the intent to
be the best in any situation and any environment, whether in the
sweltering heat or the freezing cold. They are always looking to
expand their combat capabilities by training for operations in
arctic and mountainous areas. This includes learning to work with
the latest in cold-weather gear.
Until now, Marines have been
using antiquated 1950s-era 10-man Arctic tents that exceeded their
service life and no longer met operational requirements. The task
fell to Marine Corps Systems Command to replace the outdated
equipment, drawing upon materiel developers to deliver the solution
with new Arctic shelters.
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Marines and civilian contractors put together an Arctic shelter Aug.
29, 2014, aboard Camp Pendleton, California. The system is an
ultra-lightweight, rapidly deployable shelter that offers military
forces the necessary infrastructure to operate in austere
cold-weather locations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Laura Gauna)
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“We wanted to make sure the Marines could survive in
extreme cold weather, so this shelter can handle
temperatures from as low as negative 40 degrees and as high
as 125 degrees,” said Jim Batton, Arctic shelter project
officer. “This is what it's all about; making sure these
Marines are able to do their jobs as efficiently as
possible.”
He said the new shelter uses the latest
materials and technology while retaining the same function,
based on input from previous user evaluations. The size of
the new tent is increased slightly to accommodate more
Marines who might be attached to a rifle squad and the
cold-weather clothing and equipment already fielded. One
Arctic shelter will be employed per rifle squad with more
tents available for headquarters and more personal at the
platoon, company and battalion levels.
The shelter is
just one component of an extensive offering of military
shelter system products. This system is part of the mission
to provide innovative solutions for the U.S. military and
allied forces.
The Marine Corps has almost 1,700
shelters, each comprised of venting and stove-pipe and
heater accommodations as well as insulation. It offers
several energy-efficient features, deploys with no
additional tools and requires only four personnel for setup.
With its larger frame, it can also accommodate up to 15
personnel as opposed to the existing 10-man tents.
The shelter design is simple to ensure the system can be set
up in 20 minutes or less.
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Marines and civilian contractors stand inside an Arctic shelter Aug.
29, 2014, aboard Camp Pendleton, California. The system is an
ultra-lightweight, rapidly deployable shelter that offers military
forces the necessary infrastructure to operate in austere
cold-weather locations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Laura Gauna)
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“These tents are designed to be rapidly employed. It takes a 10th
of the time to put together as compared to the old model, and you
don't have to worry about the manpower,” said Stephen Dixon,
warehouse chief at 1st Supply Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment
15. “In cold-weather circumstances you don't want to be out longer
than necessary, so this will be perfect in those situations. With
this latest system I believe we can get a lot accomplished.”
More than 110 Marines across the Marine Expeditionary Forces have
taken the two-day course that introduces them to the new shelters,
making them subject matter experts and ensuring the success of
future operations with the system.
“I've worked with several
shelters before, and this has been much easier to set up. I think
that's important, because if you're out in the field and need to get
set up and get ready for any mission, then we can do it a lot
faster,” said Pfc. Noe Rivera, a fiscal clerk with Marine Aircraft
Group 39.
The system is being used for training exercises in
Bridgeport, California, and is slated to be integrated into
exercises early next year.
By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Laura Gauna
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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