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Show Hilltop Times February 24. 2005 night VI Army Soldiers can see in the dark with help from a unique repair shop at Hill on night vision goggles when the repairs were made at McClellan AFB, Calif. — first do an Repair work by a few technicians in one of theinventory to find out what's missing and what's 309th Electronics Maintenance Group's shops wrong with each set, then take the goggles completely apart and inspect every piece. is helping Soldiers from one of the Army's largest combat units see in the dark. "What we're doing is a more extensive field The Electronics and Instruments Branch has level repair. In many cases we're exceeding what been repairing single-lens night vision goggles the field unit does," Mr. Griffin said. 'We've seen for the 4th Infantry Division, III Corps, stationedsome units bring the goggles in and do a quick at Fort Hood, Texas, while unit members rotatebrush-off on them and call it good. We found out in tearing them down that there's pretty much in and out from duty in Iraq. "Our goal is to repair the goggles to what the sand in everything — it's in the eyepieces, the Army calls the 10-20 Standard' — which is 'like-mount, the assemblies, the body, the housing. new condition.' That includes the bags and all You can hear the grit sliding back and forth the accessories that are associated with the gog- inside." gles," said Scott Stokes, Electronics and Instru- The goggles go through several steps where ments Branch chief. "Because we're doing repair each part is cleaned with canned air and lens that exceeds the standard field-level repair, we'repaper, then tested. Each work area carefully working hard to make sure we remain within inspects what was done in the previous area. Terry Woodson, electronics mechanic, checks the focus on a refurbished set of night vision goggles as a final test before sending them back to the Army. compliance with the protect data. We're also 'This is my first time doing anything like this," working with the engineering authority to approve doesn't repair, such as nylon said electronics mechanic Doug McKnight as "They also have a light intenpossible extensions to the field level repair so he sprayed canned air into the back housing of sifier lens," Mr. Griffin said. "If bags, helmet straps and printed we can recover parts that are either more expen- a set of goggles. "All of my past experiences this filter is on the end, it promanuals. After the goggles are sive or difficult to obtain." repaired, technicians assemwere with ground communications. But I enjoy tects the wearer from being ble them into the kits for final The goggles are part of a 14-piece kit that it. I picked it up pretty easily. When they come blinded when someone shoots testing before they are shipped includes a bag, user's manual, lens-cleaning over to me, I will check them for completeness, infrared at them. It also preback to the Army. It costs paper, compass, helmet mounts and additional any parts that are worn or broken, or need to be vents the infrared signal from between $200 and $500 to repair lenses. When they arrive at Hill for repair, manyreplaced; then I will partially re-assemble them going out and showing the enemy each kit, compared to $5,000 and send them onto the next station for the next where they are. It's interesting are missing most of their parts. that this $30 part can save your fora new set. "Normally when we get these sets of goggles process." life in about 100 different ways." "Their function is to put everything back in, they're missing eyepieces or back shells," "We got involved in the night One capability the shop has vision goggles workload because said Craig Griffin, Night Vision Goggles Repairtogether. They inspect everything and make Shop supervisor. "They are all pretty dirty. sure everything's clean and make sure no dust, — fixing a ribbon cable in the Doug McKnight, electronics of inquiries from the Army durThey're smashed, broken and a lot of things are dirt, fibers or hair is anywhere," Mr. Griffin said.housing—saves the Army more mechanic, uses canned air to ing discussions with our genwrong with them." 'They'll take these back housings and put them than $200 per set of goggles. clean sand and dust particles out erator repair folks," Mr. Stokes said. "The Electronics MainteThe Hill technicians — some of whom workedback together and put new eyepieces on them, "What the Army did before of a pair of night vision goggles. The goggles are being repaired nance Group's business office intensifier lenses in, check all the battery caps when they needed a ribbon cablefor the Army's 4th Infantry has been representing our capafor corrosion. was order the whole back hous- Division, III Corps, stationed at bility well. When they were ing for about $300 apiece," Mr. "The technicians are all trained to go anyplace Fort Hood, Texas. meeting on one workload, they at any time — it's a versatile work area. If Doug'sGriffin said. "The ribbon cable had the opportunity to answer questions not here, somebody else can fill in for him. We're we can do costs less than $80 apiece." about another capability. That's what happened all trained to do the whole repair process. The One crucial test on each pair of goggles involves good part about this is that everyone checks calibrating and aligning the fiber optics to give with the night vision goggles." what is done. We are always constantly check- the goggles the best optical value. Representatives from Fort Hood visited the ing everything in the process to make sure "They have a collimation process where the Hill shop and did a process and quality assessthe Soldiers out there get the best they can get." objective is to get the focal length and eye lengthment, including an engineering review, before The heart of the goggles is what's called an working together," said Deanna Valdez, elec- sending the funding to do the work. "intensifier tube," made up of 1.2 million fiber tronics mechanic. "It gives the user the best opti- "It was important to us, as emphasized by Brig. optics in a half-inch circle allows the light to cal value." Gen. Robert McMahon (309th Maintenance come in. The shop can completely repair and refur- Wing commander), to have official Army approval In addition, the kits include infrared lenses bish the kits in about three hours, where some for what were going to do," Mr. Stokes said, "and A pair of night vision goggles is carefully taken apart to adjust the calibration in the Electronics and that open the iris on the intensifier and add 30 repair places take as long as 15 hours, Mr. Grif-to make sure we were in fact meeting their Instruments Branch. requirements. And we did." fin said. Supply drawers hold the parts Hill percent more light to the view. PHOTOS AND STORY BY BILL ORNDORFF 309th Maintenance Directorate Tire & Auto Service Syracuse/Clearfield Layton 869 W. 1600 N. 512 W. Antelope West of !-15 Freeway - Behind Sonic East of 1-15 Freeway 776-8800 776-1600 Clearfield Behind Sonic * Antelope Antelope- Syracuse All TIRES ON Most vehicles. No other discounts apply. Additional charge for shop supplies may apply. 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