Maintenance Operations in Mission Oriented Protective Posture Level IV (MOPPIV)

摘要

Troop performance degradation due to the wearing of chemical protective equipment is a concern to military commanders. As a result of this concern a series of field studies were conducted in an attempt to quantify the effect that wearing mission oriented protective posture, level IV (all equipment worn and sealed) has on personnel performing tasks. Maintenance tasks are considered to be particularly difficult to perform while wearing protective equipment. To evaluate this situation and provide a quantitative estimate of the degradation, seven maintenance tasks were performed in a field environment, at moderate temperatures (40-68 F). The tasks included remove and replace M60A3 powerpack, M60A3 transmission, M109 Breech Block; repair M60 Machine gun, M901 ITV traverse mechanism and a FADAC printed circuit board. These operations were performed by several teams who alternated starts while wearing the standard battle dress uniform (BDU) and the MOPPIV ensemble. Individuals were highly motivated, in high physical readiness and psychologically prepared for the operation. The protective overboot is a hazard in the mud and should be redesigned. Correction factors are used as a guide for performing tasks in the field. It should be noted, however, that these values do not reflect performance under continuous operations where other variables influence performance.