Industry was challenged to improve the M-24 sniper rifle, a weapon that has been in service since the 1980s, to make it more accurate and to make it more adjustable to the Soldier's needs, said Col. Douglas A. Tamilio, project manager, Soldier Weapons.

"So the Soldier, the sniper, can conform it to his body -- we'll have an adjustable stock, adjustable cheek welds," Tamilio said. "This weapons system has a five-round internal magazine. We're asking industry to do something better -- five-to-ten round external magazines."

The Army has also asked industry to improve the scope for the M-24, and that means zoom from 3x to 25x magnification, with a reticle that adjusts when the user changes magnification. Also, he said, add Picatinny rails for mounting sensors and optics.

The M-24 now is chambered for a 7.62mm round with a range to about 800 meters, Tamilio said. But he added that when the Army designed the weapon, it also accommodated a larger round, the .300 Win Mag. He said the improved M-24 will take advantage of that capability in order to realize greater accuracy.

It's expected the four industry competitors will supply their four improved M-24 candidates by March 11. Those will go into competitive tests in the spring. The Army will down select to a producer in the summer, and start fielding the improved M-24 to Army snipers in the fall.

Improving the M-24 will involve turning existing weapons over to a contractor and modifying that weapon. It's expected that turnaround time for that process will be 30 days.

The M-24 is not the only weapon PEO Soldier is looking to improve. In fact, the Army is taking a dual approach to getting a better carbine in the hands of Soldiers. The Army is looking to improve upon the M-4 Carbine currently fielded to Soldiers, through the M-4 Carbine Improvement Program. The Army is also asking industry to consider making a better, follow-on carbine, through the Individual Carbine Competition.

Tamilio said the Army is asking industry to find a way to make the M-4 Carbine easier for Soldiers to maintain, and to also improve its durability, accuracy and reliability.

The M-4 is already enjoying an improvement fielded to Soldiers now in Iraq and Afghanistan: a less jam-prone magazine.

"It's a significant improvement over the other magazines we've fielded," Tamilio said. "What that means to our Soldiers is, it's more reliable every time the weapon feeds into the chamber -- it's going to present itself in the same manner, consistently."

The new magazine is already fielded to Soldiers in combat overseas, and it features an improved spring and follower in the magazine that doesn't allow the magazine to jam. The Army will now field the magazine to Soldiers stateside as they prepare to deploy.

"The Army's goal is to issue every Soldier seven of these," he said, saying the service is producing more than a quarter million a month.

Army-driven improvements aside, the Army is in the final process of releasing to the field instructions to show Soldiers how best to camouflage their weapons using spray paint.

"We should issue out in the next couple of months an advisory message, I'll put it in PS Magazine, and we'll get it to the field and say hey it's okay to spray paint your weapon and here's how to do it," Tamilio said.

The instructions, he said, would include tips on paint choice to avoid generating toxic fumes from an overheated barrel, and tips to avoid paint in areas that could hamper the weapon's performance, or that could damage components like optics.

While an instruction on how to spray paint weapons for camouflage purposes is being released, authority to do so still comes from a Soldier's command, Tamilio said.

Weapons aren't the only systems the Army is improving. By the end of the month, three defense contractors are expected to deliver 60-each Ground Soldier System packages to the Army for testing.

The GSS is an integrated dismounted Soldier situational awareness system for use during combat operations. The system is currently in development and is based on lessons learned from development of the Ground Warrior system, said Col. Will Riggins, program manager, Soldier Warrior.

With the release of the testing equipment from contractors, the Army will, in a few months, go into developmental testing and limited user operational testing with the systems.

Ultimately one contractor will be chosen to build the system. To date, Riggins said contractors have developed their competing versions of the GSS with input from both the Army and from Soldiers with combat experience.

"All three have taken that Soldier feedback to heart and we have seen the changes during this development period," he said. "The light bulb started to come on when they heard it from a young Soldier who just got back from Afghanistan or from Iraq."

Soldiers who used earlier demonstration versions of the GSS complained of bulk and weight. Now, Riggins said, the contractors have responded, "they are going to cut down on that bulk."

Riggins also said the Army is "in the final phase right now of being able to drop that cable" that connects a helicopter pilot's head gear to an aircraft's intercom system.

The Aircraft Wireless Intercom System allows pilots to attach to the helicopter's intercom system without cables that can be cumbersome and potentially dangerous.

"That's going to be a very much improved capability and it's going to improve safety for us," Riggins said.

The AWIS is now actually being installed on UH-60 Black Hawks at Fort Belvoir, Va. for evaluation purposes. Riggins said eventually, the wireless systems would incorporate NSA-grade voice encryption to let voice data pass into Army networks in theater.

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At mobilization sites throughout the U.S., the uniform will be issued to deploying troops as part of the Rapid Fielding Initiative process, and Soldiers already in Afghanistan are scheduled to receive the MultiCam this fall.

"Anything we can do to give our Soldiers an edge, we want to do," said Col. William E. Cole, project manager for Soldier protection and individual equipment at the Program Executive Office, or PEO, Soldier on Fort Belvoir.

The decision to field and develop an alternative camouflage for uniforms in Afghanistan came out of the realization that the Army's current Universal Camouflage Pattern, or UCP, did not meet all of the concealment needs for Afghanistan's multiple regions.

"Afghanistan is a unique camouflage challenge because it's such a terrain-diverse country," Cole explained. He also confirmed that the uniforms and gear in MultiCam will for now only be used in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, Soldiers on a single patrol can potentially go from desert conditions, to wooded areas, villages, and rocky mountain environments. When coming up with a new camouflage color palette, PEO Soldier wanted to be sure the uniforms gave Soldiers a combat edge in each possible terrain situation.

Similar to the Battle Dress Uniform woodland print, the new MultiCam is a combination of seven different shades which "takes in surrounding colors." A jumble of greens, browns and beige, the MultiCam camouflage presents a solution to Afghanistan's multiple-region problem.

"Troops like the fact that it helps them blend in to different terrain types," Cole said of the new pattern.

Beginning in September 2009, four phases of developing and testing new camouflage options were initiated: deciding on alternative uniform patterns, conducting testing and Soldier feedback, choosing a final pattern to produce, and evaluating a long-term plan for the Army Combat Uniform.

First, a unit field-tested the ACU in MultiCam alongside their standard-issue ACUs, while another tested the UCP-Delta, a digital pattern with the added color 'coyote brown' for better concealment. When polled, the MultiCam and the UCP-D ended up as the top two choices by Soldiers.

Then, a team representing the U.S. Army Infantry Center, PEO Soldier, Natick Labs, the Asymmetric Warfare Group, Army Special Operations Command, and the U.S. Naval Research Center traveled throughout Afghanistan to gather data on six different patterns including the UCP, UCP-D and MultiCam. They took photos of Soldiers in the six different uniforms against eight terrain conditions. From those pictures, photo simulation was created comparing the uniforms at different distances and settings.

About 750 Soldiers who had recently deployed to Afghanistan were then asked to judge the uniforms in the photos based on their detectability, blend-ability, and rank them from best to worst-the MultiCam was chosen as the best performer in all categories.

The MultiCam, while cut in the same style as the ACU, will have several upgrades including a reinforced seat, buttons on the trouser cargo pockets, be constructed of flame-resistant fabric (like the newer ACUs), and treated with permethrin. New Mountain Combat Boots will also be issued to deploying Soldiers, which feature a tougher, more durable sole for gripping the mountainous Afghan terrain.

So far, three of the four phases of exploring camouflage alternatives have been completed, while the process of making a long-term decision about the ACU, and how big a role the MultiCam camouflage will play is still up for debate.

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Secretary of the Army John McHugh made that announcement Feb. 19, after the service conducted a rigorous four-month evaluation of various uniform patterns to determine what could best protect Soldiers in Afghanistan.

The new uniforms are of the same material and cut that Soldiers are already wearing in the Army Combat Uniform or ACU. It is the camouflage printed on the fabric that will be different. The change allows commanders in Afghanistan to have more options in deciding how best to equip their Soldiers.

"As a material provider, I want to be responsive to the Soldiers I support," said Col. William E. Cole, project manager for Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment. "I want to give commanders options, I want to be responsive to Soldiers. That is what we were trying to do -- we're working to give (them) more options."

The uniforms bearing the new pattern, like the latest ACUs, are fire resistant. They are officially called the Fire Resistant Army Combat Uniform.

The decision to use the MultiCam pattern came after the Army evaluated its effectiveness at providing camouflage protection in Iraq. That was done, in part, by consulting with nearly 750 Soldiers who had deployed to Afghanistan. Those Soldiers participated in a "photo simulation" study administered by the Army.

Additionally, feedback from Soldiers who have already worn the uniform in Afghanistan was used to make the final decision. About 2,000 Soldiers were involved in tests to see how effective patterns such as MultiCam and UCP-Delta were at providing concealment in the varying terrain of Afghanistan.

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"Most of the living and dying is going on in squad, platoon and company level in this fight. So you have to give those Soldiers what they need, when they need it. And they need it all the time," said Glenn A. Rizzi, deputy director and senior technical advisor of the United States Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Ala.

Rizzi spoke during the Association of the United States Army's Institute of Land Warfare Army Aviation Symposium and Exposition, Jan. 5-7 in Arlington, Va. He said approval chains for unmanned aerial vehicle support can be lengthy, taking time that tactical units on the ground and in the fight cannot afford.

"They don't have time, when they need UAS support, to ... carry it up to the Joint Force Air Component Commander, ask for a Predator, and then have it go through that decision loop and then have it repositioned," Rizzi said. "They need it there, and they need it there 24/7."

What Soldiers need, Rizzi said, is UAS support that is built into their combat units -- unmanned aerial systems owned by the Army, flown by the Army, to provide support to the Army's ground units -- who are actually in the fight -- when they need it.

"You need organic systems," he said.

Sgt. Michael Arons serves as an instructor with the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. He served with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with the Shadow platoon in Iraq from 2005-2006. He also served in Afghanistan in 2008. His experience there with a then non-weaponized MQ-1C Warrior illustrates the need for the Army to keep control of UAS aviation close to where the Soldiers are.

"We were flying down (main supply route) 1, Ohio, in Afghanistan, just doing a route scan, and we see three guys emplacing IEDs," Arons said. "Had we not been there, who would have know what could have happened -- an MRAP (could have) run by there and get blown up. People's lives are at stake."

Arons' team called in air support -- an F-15 Eagle dropped a bomb there -- but two of the three enemy escaped and Arons was able to follow them -- track them -- using the MQ-1C.

"We followed those two guys," he said. "And we have two different lasers on our payload. We have a designator -- we illuminated the house these guys ran to."

Ultimately, Soldiers were able to enter that house and find what was there -- a large weapons cache.

"Had we not been there, all these weapons would have been used against U.S. forces -- against allied forces," Arons said.

Col. Christopher Carlile, director, United States Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence, said Army UASs have flown some 1 million combat hours during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Army is now training some 2,000 UAS operators, maintainers and instructor pilots a year. He said similar UAS success stories reported in the news, like that of Arons, are often the result of Army unmanned aviation.

"When you see an article that's written, that says X, Y and Z were executed by drones ... understand that you are more than likely, in upwards of 80 percent of those cases, dealing with Army UAS doing those," Carlile said.

The colonel said Army UAS aviation is changing the way the Army does business.

"The way that infantryman, up until now, found out what was on the back side of that building was when he had fire coming from it," Carlile said. Now, systems like the Raven give Soldiers the ability to see where they couldn't see before.

"They could take that and fly it and put it up above and see if there was an ambush on the other side of the street, in real time," he said. "This has truly revolutionized the way we fight warfare at the tactical level."

Sgt. 1st Class Brian Miller now serves with the Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization, at Fort Rucker, Ala. He's deployed as an infantryman in Afghanistan, to Kosovo, and twice with unmanned aircraft systems in support of special operations forces.

Miller says he sees the need for organic Army UAS because it can save time for Soldiers and because UAS support can work round-the-clock, without tiring. In Afghanistan, for instance, Soldiers are placing ground sensors to cover areas where they can't patrol on foot -- because the landscape is larger than the number of boots-on-ground can support. Response time to a sensor hit can be shortened with a UAS.

"If I get a hit on the sensor, it's a lot for me to spin up an aircraft crew and get them to go out there and fly their Blackhawk or Chinook or Apache out there and see what's going on," Miller said. "But I've already got a UAS up -- some for 24 hours. A lot of stuff for us is what we call a swing of the camera. I can see about a 10 kilometer range in all areas. I don't have a perfect view at 10 kilometers, but I have enough that I can see what it is and start working my way over to that area of operations."

Providing quick UAS support to Soldiers, with both weaponized and un-weaponized systems, is critical, Carlile said, because organic UAS is about supporting the Soldier.

"Their whole intent is to support the guys they eat dinner with every night," Carlile said. "The ones they sleep in the same tactical assembly area with."

While UAS support can come from outside -- sometimes from the other side of the world -- having in-house, organic UAS support, flown by Soldiers actually involved in the fight, is best, said Rizzi.

"Through planning, through after action review, they know the commander's intent, they fly that ground every day," Rizzi said. "They understand the subtle intricacies of daily life, they know how the fight changes over time very subtly, and so they are most effective."

"You cannot have the same situational awareness 8,000 miles away," Carlile said. "It just does not exist."

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As many U.S. servicemembers, family members and civilian employees know, the next few years promise many changes to military life in Korea, including the Yongsan Relocation Program, the Land Partnership Plan and Tour Normalization.

The end-state of USFK transformation will be to relocate the majority of U.S. Forces in Korea to two enduring hubs: the Northwest or Pyeongtaek hub, comprised mainly of U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys and Osan Air Force Base; and the Southeast or Daegu hub, comprised mainly of U.S. Army Garrison Daegu and Chinhae Naval Base. In addition, military tours in Korea will become normalized two-year unaccompanied or three-year accompanied tours.

"Under the Yongsan Relocation Program we're moving all U.S. forces out of the Seoul Metropolitan area to USAG Humphreys here at Pyeongtaek," said Rakes.

When YRP is targeted to be complete, around 2014, approximately 5,000 servicemembers will be moved out of the Seoul area.

"Under the Land Partnership Plan we're moving all of the U.S. forces stationed north of the Han River, primarily the 2nd Infantry Division for the Army, from their current locations to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys," Rakes continued.

When LPP is targeted to be complete, around 2016, approximately 7,000 servicemembers will be moved from areas north of Seoul.

"Tour normalization is all about making Korea more like Europe and Japan, where unaccompanied Soldiers serve a two-year tour and accompanied Soldiers serve a three-year tour; and everyone who has family members and wants to bring them to Korea will be allowed to do so as we implement full tour normalization over a period of years in three phases," Rakes said.

According to Rakes, in 2002 there were approximately 104 U.S. military installations and sites in Korea. As of 2009, there were approximately 70 U.S. military installations and sites in Korea. When the USFK transformation is complete, which is currently projected for 2016, 47 U.S. military installations and sites will remain. Those sites will be concentrated primarily in the two enduring hubs.

"We will retain the Joint Training Facility in the north, so crew-served weapons training and armored vehicle training will all still be conducted at the Joint Training Facility," said Rakes.

"We will also retain a small presence in the Seoul Metropolitan area that will be centered around the Dragon Hill Lodge," Rakes added.

Harleston explained that he sees the two primary reasons for YRP and LPP are to reduce the footprint of U.S. forces on the Korean peninsula, at the request of the Korean Government, and to gain efficiency by consolidating operations.

"Basically, after the Korean war, we just settled where we were. So, we were all over the place, mainly along what were the former main supply routes," said Rakes.

"By closing all of these antiquated and inefficient installations, we gain a lot of efficiency in terms of improving the quality of life and achieving cost savings," Rakes said.

"We also get increased safety because we put less Soldiers on the road moving back and forth," added Harleston.

Transformation in Korea can be compared to similar Base Realignment and Closure initiatives that are ongoing at installations located in the continental United States. Like USAG Humphreys, Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Bliss, Texas, are in the process of change.

Fort Sill is projected to grow from approximately 20,000 personnel to more than 26,000 personnel, a 31 percent increase, and will be adding two million square feet of facilities.

Fort Bliss is projected to grow from approximately 20,000 personnel to over 38,000 personnel, an 89 percent increase, and will be adding 13 million square feet of facilities.

In comparison, by the projected end of USFK Transformation in 2016, USAG Humphreys is projected to grow from approximately 10,000 personnel to more than 44,000 personnel, a whopping 390 percent increase, and will be adding 25 million square feet of facilities.

"Upon completion, USAG-Humphreys will be one of the most efficient and modern military communities in the world, and an assignment of choice for our Soldiers, civilians, and their family members," said Rakes.

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Col. Clayton M. Hutmacher, commander, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), discussed regiment initiatives during the Association of the United States Army's Institute of Land Warfare Army Aviation Symposium and Exposition, Jan. 5-7 in Arlington, Va.

"I think the way ahead for us is we have go to break that 120-knot barrier," he said. "For us, some of these targets that we are trying to range -- strategic targets -- basing is a big problem for us --trying to get close enough to that target. And we are looking to go farther, faster and carry more stuff."

In Afghanistan and Iraq, speed and range are critical to conducting the special operations mission, Hutmacher said.

"If you look at the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is a nonlinear battlefield," he said. "I think speed, while maybe not realized by the operations at large -- that speed and range are very important when you are dealing with non-state actors and fleeting targets. I think Army aviation would be well served by starting to look at that a little bit more."

Hutmacher mentioned two aircraft, the Piasecki Speedhawk and Sikorsky X-2, as examples of the kind of capability he's looking for.

While Hutmacher didn't specifically say the two airframes were the ones the Army needed -- he did say their kind of capability was what he thought the Army special operations community needed.

"Speed and range are essential for the SOF community," he said.

The colonel also said special operations would need to partner with the larger Army aviation community to get those capabilities.

"What I am looking for is a capability," he said. "We are very interested in partnering with the conventional force to try and find a common air frame -- quite frankly we can't do it without you."

Hutmacher also discussed pursuit of a hostile-fire indicator system for Special Forces aviation.

"We have a suite of radio-frequency countermeasures on the aircraft," he said. "But what's shooting us down -- what's killing us on the battlefield and what's killing conventional aviation -- are small arms and rocket-propelled grenades and we are aggressively pursuing a solution. We have a pretty aggressive plan to get after that threat."

To illustrate the need for better small-arms protection for Special Operations aviators, he cited a recent mission where three MH-47 Chinook helicopters took heavy enemy fire.

"During infil and exfil they had 42 ... RPGs shot at the aircraft, multiple frag damage," he said. "Our aircrews ... they expended 18,000 rounds addressing that threat. It's hard to find these guys when they are in the hedges and undercover -- they are not stupid. So we are looking for that HFI system to get integrated onto our airframes."

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Speaking at the annual Association of the U.S. Army Aviation Symposium and Exhibition here, Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman, G-3/5/7, told members and contractors that no force-wide transformational change to the aviation force was more important or consequential than the decision to increase aircraft in medevac companies from 12 to 15.

"We've got to get our men and women off the battlefield - that's non-negotiable," Thurman said. "This demonstrates the Army's resolve and commitment to troops in combat operations as well as their families and loved ones."

"We've also added nine additional medevac companies to the reserve component," said Thurman, who also formerly served as director of the Army Aviation Task Force.

"The Army will aggressively grow this strategic capability in order to improve air medical evacuation in combat," he said. "The priority will be Afghanistan with the first transformed 15-ship company arriving late spring 2010."

In an earlier AUSA session, the commander of the Aviation Center of Excellence, Maj. Gen. James O. Barclay III, told members about the stand-up of a new combat aviation brigade, though Army and Defense Department leaders had yet to decide where the brigade would be headquartered.

Thurman elaborated on the new CAB, saying it would be designated as the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade in honor of the 16th Aviation Group whose heritage dates back to the Vietnam War.

"The brigade will be formed by recognition of current assets from within the active component," Thurman said, "and while all aircraft and crews required to establish the 16th... are already in the force, the Army must add approximately 700 Soldiers to the force to stand up the assault helicopter battalion and aviation support battalion structures."

According to the general, the next major structural change in Army aviation under consideration by Army leadership involves a potential restructuring of four remaining active-component heavy combat aviation brigades and one light combat aviation brigade to full-spectrum design.

"This decision is being considered along with a decision to restructure the armed reconnaissance squadron to a design featuring three troops of OH-58 Kiowa Warriors and two platoons in Shadow tactical unmanned systems," Thurman added.

"The manned/unmanned teaming concept will serve to provide real-time ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) support within the CAB and fully maximize the capabilities for both systems so we meet the ground commanders' needs," he said.

Thurman also addressed the 400-percent growth of unmanned aircraft systems flight hours, noting those hours to have increased from 500 hours flown by only three UAVs a decade ago to more than 180,000 flown hours by more than 1,700 UAVs in 2009.

Additionally, the aviation branch trained more than 1,800 unmanned operators in 2009 and expects to surpass 2,000 by the end of this year. Thurman said the exponential growth in the number of aircraft and trained professionals is coupled with providing more capable systems as the enemy adapts to current operations.

"Our unmanned aircraft systems are forecast to reach the milestone of 1 million total flight hours flown in the coming year of which 88 percent have been flown in support of combat operations, so it's huge growth," Thurman said. He said the Army expects to have all brigade combat teams fielded with Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft systems by 2011.

"We know the integration of unmanned aircraft systems with our maneuver forces into a single, cohesive combat capability is paramount," he said.

Army to Increase Medevac Support, Add New CAB, more UAVs is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Led by Brig. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center's Concepts Development and Experimentation Directorate, the Capstone Concept discusses the conditions of today's battlefield and how the Army will address them.

"The Capstone Concept aims to define the problem of future armed conflict and describes how the Army will function in the future," said McMaster.

Called "Operational Adaptability: Operating under conditions of uncertainty and complexity in an era of persistent conflict 2016-2028," the Army Capstone Concept takes a long-term look at challenges and methods of addressing them.

"What you will find is a broader definition of situational understanding. We tended to believe that it could be delivered on a computer screen, but now we understand that [it] involves knowledge of history, knowledge of culture, and being able to forge positive relationships with indigenous populations," he said.

Written with the input from joint, inter-agency, intergovernmental and multinational partners, the Army Capstone Concept also integrates the need for a total government approach to seeking success in combat zones.

The Capstone Concept was the first Army document to be crowd-sourced while in draft form. In September, the document was posted to the Small Wars Journal's discussion board and participants were welcome to read, comment and contribute to the draft before it was submitted for final approval.

You can download a PDF version of the document here.

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The increase comes to average of around $37 per month for the more than 900,000 servicemembers expected to draw the basic allowance for housing in 2010. Some areas will see a higher increase, while others will see less, Cheryl Anne Woehr said.

The 2010 raise is down from 2009's 6.5 percent average, and is the smallest percentage increase since the inception of the BAH program in 2000. This is due the past year's recession and declining housing market, she said.

"Rates are set based on actual housing data, so as the economy has declined, vacancy rates have increased [and] rental prices have declined, which results directly to lower BAH rates in various areas," Woehr said.

Those who do notice the BAH rates lower in their area than last year shouldn't worry, she said, because an individual rate protection law is in place. The policy protects those who already are under a rental agreement. So if BAH rates in their area are lower Jan. 1 than on Dec. 31, the previous, higher rate applies.

"Servicemembers are able to take advantage of the increase in rates, but are not affected by decreasing rates," she said. But servicemembers who change duty stations, change dependency status or get promoted on or after Jan. 1 will be affected by the new rates, she added.

Woehr stressed that it isn't necessarily bad news for the servicemember in areas that see a decrease in rates. "Servicemembers who are newly reporting to an area get to take advantage of the lower market when they arrive," she said.

The BAH program is designed to benefit the servicemember, but it's not designed to pay 100 percent of housing expenses, Woehr said. The rate is intended to cover rent, renter's insurance and utilities based on pay grade and dependency status.

The local market economy determines annual BAH changes and sets the next year's BAH rates. Military housing offices from each installation begin collecting data on the local rental market as early as January each year. The offices research the current rates for two-bedroom houses, townhouses, single-family homes and the different standards and profiles for homes, Woehr explained.

Typically, rates are higher in larger, more heavily populated metropolitan areas, such as New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Rates in rural areas usually are more stable, and although they may increase to some degree, the rise doesn't have the same impact as in larger cities, she said.

An estimated $19 billion in BAH will be paid to nearly 1 million servicemembers in 2010, Woehr said.

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The spray forms a tough hydrogel in seconds that conforms directly to the wound without sticking to it when removed.

The GelSpray Liquid Bandage was approved by the U.S. FDA for minor cuts and irritations in 2008, and its developers are preparing for a human clinical study required to extend the technology to battlefield care. The team is also working on variations that include medications to treat infection, speed healing and relieve pain.

"Because GelSpray conforms to the wound bed while in direct contact with the wound margins, it offers significant clinical advantages," said investigator Dr. Joachim Kohn of Rutgers University. "The thick, protective film limits bleeding, absorbs wound fluids and directly transports medication to the entire wound bed. It does not significantly adhere to the wound bed -- unlike most other dressings, where there is re-bleeding or delayed healing due to removal of granulation tissue whenever the wound dressing is removed."

The GelSpray product for the far-forward soldier is designed for lacerations, small burns and gunshot and shrapnel wounds that are often on irregular surfaces such as the hand, face, neck and outer ear. It is meant to provide flexible protection that enables the soldier to complete his or her mission.

Col. Dallas Hack, director of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Combat Casualty Care Research Program said, "This technology shows promise for quicker wound healing with less care needed. The dressing is breathable, and if it can include an antimicrobial to prevent infection, then we may not need to damage tissue further through debridement [removing dead or contaminated tissue]."

Kohn is the principal investigator of the Center for Military Biomaterials Research, a network of academic, industry and military organizations whose mission is to support wounded warriors on and off the battlefield with practical, leading edge innovations. He said, "CeMBR partnered with BioCure, Inc., to develop the GelSpray technology. Under the leadership of BioCure co-investigator Sameer Shums, we have made significant progress."

CeMBR research programs are supported and guided by USAMRMC's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center.

"Feedback provided by TATRC's national expert review panels has guided our product design efforts," said Kohn. "TATRC and our program manager there, Wilbur Malloy, have provided us unwavering support."

"Our goal is to address the most critical needs of injured warriors for improved wound dressings. There is no other product that provides all these benefits and is specifically designed to meet military requirements."

(Barb Ruppert is a science and technology writer for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center.)

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