Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

RECORD VERSION

STATEMENT BY

MR. ROBERT F. KINNEY

DIRECTOR, INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION

NATICK SOLDIER CENTER

U.S. ARMY SOLDIER AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMICAL COMMAND

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY,

VETERANS' AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SECOND SESSION, 106^TH CONGRESS

COMBATING TERRORISM: INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR U.S. FORCES, INVENTORY AND QUALITY CONTROL

21 JUNE 2000

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

UNTIL RELEASED

BY THE COMMITTEE ON

GOVERNMENT REFORM

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

STATEMENT BY

MR. ROBERT F. KINNEY

DIRECTOR, INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION

NATICK SOLDIER CENTER

U.S. ARMY SOLDIER AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMICAL COMMAND

COMBATING TERRORISM: INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR U.S. FORCES, INVENTORY AND QUALITY CONTROL

Good morning Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. I am Bob Kinney, Director of Individual Protection for the Natick Soldier Center of the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command. I thank you for the invitation to appear here today, and I express my appreciation to the Members of this Committee for your interest in the welfare and protection of our Armed Forces.

Let me begin with some brief background on the Natick Soldier Center and the Product Manager-Soldier Equipment of the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command. The Natick Solder Center is the U.S. Army organization responsible for research, development, test and evaluation to maximize the soldier's survivability, sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness and quality of life. As the primary Army organization responsible for science, technology and technical expertise ensuring survivability of the soldier, individual protection is one of its most important missions. The Product Manager - Soldier Equipment is the life cycle manager of all Combat Clothing and Individual Equipment for the Army, and is the military service organization with designated configuration management responsibility. As the configuration manager,

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the Product Manager-Soldier Equipment has control over the form, fit and function of all Combat Clothing and Individual Equipment. The Natick Soldier Center supplies its technical expertise and engineering support to Product Manager - Soldier Equipment throughout the Combat Clothing and Individual Equipment product life cycle. These responsibilities include Nuclear, Biological and Chemical protective equipment, including the Battledress Overgarment and its associated specification, MIL-S-43926.

In June 1999 the Defense Criminal Investigation Service contacted the Natick Soldier Center concerning the Battledress Overgarments manufactured by Isratex under contract DLA100-92-C-0427. The Defense Criminal Investigation Service was concerned about the serviceability of subject garments and requested the Natick Soldier Center perform a quality inspection of garments being held in custody by Defense Criminal

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In March 2000 the Natick Soldier Center and the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia agreed that representative samples from Isratex DLA 100-89-C-0429 should undergo a similar quality assurance inspection. The Natick Soldier Center and Defense Supply Center Philadelphia personnel jointly performed the inspection in May 2000 in accordance with MIL-S-43926H on a lot of approximately 500 jackets and trousers. The inspection was terminated after inspecting the first 125 jackets and trousers when the lot reached its rejection criteria. The results totaled 2 critical, 73 major and 289 minor defects. The defects identified were similar to those found in the inspection of the suits manufactured under the 1992 contract. Both organizations recommended that all the items manufactured under this contract be removed from service and be utilized for training purposes.

The Natick Soldier Center is also responsible for executing the routine annual stockpile surveillance program for the Battledress Overgarment. The primary difference between the stockpile testing and the quality inspections previously mentioned is that good quality is assumed with the stockpile tests, and the main focus is to look for defects that would be associated from advanced aging. These types of defects could include a chemical or physical deterioration of the carbon impregnated foam liner or reduced tear strengths due to the presence of mildew and fungus. The Natick Soldier Center purchases Battledress Overgarments from field units and the Battledress Overgarments are subjected to an initial inspection as well as a series of physical and

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chemical property tests by trained scientists and engineers. Results and

recommendations are reported to the Product Manager-Soldier Equipment for concurrence, and then to Defense Supply Center Philadelphia for worldwide release. The shelf life has been extended to as much as 14 years for Battledress Overgarments manufactured under some contracts.

In closing Mr. Chairman, I would like to emphasize the Natick Soldier Center's commitment to the individual warfighter. The Natick Soldier Center has a vital role in the critical mission to protect our warfighters. We effectively work with the Project and Product Managers to develop and acquire the best technology for our warriors, and support them throughout the product life cycle. It is an awesome responsibility and one that we take very seriously and are proud to own.

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