From: IDGA

Armor Up: A Coalition Perspective on Personal Protective Gear

This FREE webinar will be on: December 8, 2010 9:00:00 AM EST

Presenters: Carl Thompson, Cameron Finch, Dr. Kelechi Anyaogu,

Body Armor is one of the most important pieces of equipment a soldier has and can mean the difference between life and death.

Amidst the heightened tempo of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, body armor and personel protection equipment have attracted renewed interest. This interest has come from several sectors: military procurement, civilian defense production, operational units (regular and special forces), as well as command level strategists.

• Yet NATO and the US Military still face many challenges, including: The extremely high price of underperforming and  obsolete technologies.
• The employment (or deployment?) of such systems in the field can have direct and immediate impacts on soldier endurance and performance.
• Aside from dollar cost per unit, the use of body armor exacts a certain physical toll—increased risk of heat exhaustion and reduced mobility and speed.

Body Armor in Action:

The first living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient since the Vietnam War, Staff Sgt Salvatore Giunta can attribute his survival to his personal protective  gear.  In Afghanistan Staff Sgt Giunta was shot in the chest while braving enemy fire to come to the aid of comrades and was saved by his ballistics vest.

Indeed, the debate of pros versus cons is increasingly complicated, with several different systems being fielded by different forces. It is further complicated by widely varying regulations of body armor deployment—from patrolling without a ‘lid’ to Special Forces operating without any protective equipment.

From regulation to cost to field limitations, this Webinar aims to address the full spectrum of body armor questions. These are the very questions which are proving so controversial in the media – and the same questions that industry leaders, regulators, and commanders in the field will want the answers to.

Join in now to listen to our exclusive body armor panel Webinar and hear from “boots on the ground” as well as a senior material scientist about the very real impact of body armor on field operations.

The panel discussion will also include a Q & A where operators and industry composed of IDGA and Defence IQ members can pose questions and hear insight from the experts and end-users featured.

Presenters:

Carl Thompson Captain United States Army

CPT Carl Thompson entered basic training at Ft Knox, KY on 1 March 1990 and graduated on 20 June of 1990 as a 19K.  His first assignment was HHC 2-68^th Armor Battalion in Baumholder, Germany.  Following this tour he completed PLDC, Airborne School and SFAS (Special Forces Assesment and Selection).  He entered OCS in February of 2002 and graduated June 21 of 2002.  After graduation, he reported to Ft Bragg, NC in October of 2002 and was assigned to 35^th Signal Brigade (Airborne) as a platoon leader to D Co 327th.

In September of 2003 he was sent to Iraq as a replacement platoon leader for A Co 51^st Signal Battalion.  During the summer of 2005 he trained with 19^th Special Forces Group of the West Virginia National Guard in preparation for an upcoming deployment to Iraq.  The unit mobilized in October of 2005.  In March of 2006 he reported to Camp Shelby, MS to train for an Afghanistan ETT mission.  In May of 2006 he arrived in Afghanistan and was assigned to multiple positions training the ANA while there.  Upon returning from Afghanistan in May of 2007, CPT Thompson took a COIN instructor position at Ft Dix, NJ.  He then went on to take company command of 290^th MP Company while they were training in Texas.  The 290^th guarded refugees and detainees in Iraq from February until October of 2008.

In April of 2009 he again reported to Camp Shelby, MS to prepare for a deployment to Afghanistan with the 48^th IBCT out of the Georgia National Guard.  After arriving in Afghanistan in June of 2009 and he was assigned to duties in the Allahsay Valley of Kapisa Province and S3 duties with 108^th Cavalry Squadron.  CPT Thompson has been awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and ARCOM-V.

Cameron Finch former Area Systems Operator, British Army & Senior Costing Engineer HITEK Electronic Materials Limited

After serving seven years in The Royal Corps of Signals, Cameron Finch has recently joined HITEK Electronic Materials as a Senior Costings Engineer. Finch is responsible for processing quotes quickly and efficiently and also advising customers on any technical data required.

HITEK’s main role is providing EMC solutions for the Defence and Aerospace industry and also specialise in corrosion control.

Dr. Kelechi Anyaogu Senior Materials Scientist Nico Corporation

Dr. Kelechi C. Anyaogu is a senior research scientist at Nico Technologies Corporation, a start-up company in Ann Arbor Michigan, with core focus on identification and incubation of innovative technologies based on nanomaterials and nanocomposites that have military and biomedical applications.

Dr. Anyaogu received his B.Sc. from Russian University of Chemical Technology, Moscow, Russia in 2004. He received his Ph.D. in Photochemical Sciences from Bowling Green State University, Ohio in 2008 under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Neckers, McMaster Distinguished Research Professor. His research experience covers broad application of nanotechnology for materials design, product development, and radiation cure coating technologies. Dr. Anyaogu has published several of his research works in peer-reviewed journals like Langmuir, Journal of American Chemical Society, Macromolecules, Journal of Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, Chemical Communications, Journal of Applied Polymer Sciences, and RadTech Reports.

Currently, Dr. Anyaogu is working on a number of projects including accelerated production of ultrastrong nanocomposite materials, advanced fiber and composite reinforcements with improved toughness, conductivity, thermal control, and ballistic protection.