Soldiers from Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), participate in a water training on Fort Campbell, Ky., July 21, 2022. The training went over how to get off an IOTV when submerged underwater (Photo by Pvt. Matthew Wantroba). The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffWith the knowledge that some three percent of all soldiers’ deaths during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom were caused by drowning, the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) set forth to find a cause and fix it.
Brandon Laspe, a sergeant first class attached to the 511th Engineer Dive Detachment, determined why many drownings happened and came up with a preventative plan.
At the service’s request, Laspe came to the service’s combat water survival test facility at Fort Eustis, Virginia, to photograph tests as they took place. It turned out that the quick-release mechanism on two out of three Improved Outer Tactical Vests (IOTV) did not function properly when wet.
Laspe went to work with a team of soldiers. They figured out that with proper training, the quick release would work underwater as planned. The key was to pull the release downward instead of away from the body. They also determined that applying two safety pins to the sides of the quick-release mechanism would keep the hook and loop fastener in place, thus preventing mechanism slippage.
“The problem is that when soldiers are submerged under water and are in a panic, pulling the tab away is the most natural motion,” Laspe said. “We’re not setting the soldiers up for success if the equipment is not robust, simple, and they are not properly trained to use it.”
Trump to move Space Command headquarters out of Colorado
National Guard Order Calls for Hiring More Fed LEOs, Military Unit Under Interior, DHS, Justice
Audit: Rise in ‘Severe Staffing Shortages’ at VA Medical Facilities
Marines Seek New Boots on the Ground
Can My Military Discharge be Upgraded? Yes
The Rules for Getting Both Military Retired Pay and a Federal Annuity
Credit for Military Service for Federal Retirement Annuities
