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Show D Fighter': Country August 04, 2005 Being "cool" on flight line becomes priority to Airmen The vest Captain Ross tried, which weighs 4.8 pounds, had a set of blad4ers placed in different spots within it. The bladders got cool at 62 degrees, took 20 minutes to freeze in ice water and are reusable as long as the bladder is unbroken. Captain Ross said. BAGHDAD, Iraq - The first test was in an outhouse. Also, the weight of the vest does not change, he said. Saddled in the middle of Baghdad -- where temperatures are That 62 degrees is important, Captain Ross said. reaching at least 120 degrees - that outhouse had all the qualities "It's a temperature that's still comfortable when close to the Capt. James Ross needed to lest his idea to cool off Hightline logisskin," he said. tics workers from the stifling heat. His idea -- a "cool vest." The captain, a bioenvironmental officer Materials for the vest arc sometimes called "phase-change materials1' and, aside from cooling people, the materials are used in the with the 477th Air Expeditionary Group, is hoping to add something solar energy industry, the captain said. to help Airmen battle 150-plus degree temperatures as they work behind running aircraft engines. Captain Ross said he wanted to ensure workers had a safe prod"The situation there is too hot, and it hurts them," he said. "We uct. His first lest was to personally experience the conditions the haven't been able to measure the actual temperatures because it Airmen labored under. maxes out our thermometer, which only goes up to l50degrees." He, Staff Sgt. Troy Poole, a bioenvironmental technician, and The idea came when workers told Lt. Qol. Tom Sadlo, 477th Colonel Sadlo conducted tests on two kinds of vests, both using Expeditionary Logistics Squadron 'Vt* v special cooling solutions. In one test, commander, they were experiencing they added the wear of the vests with problems during "engines-running Nomex face masks. on/off-loads." "First, we went and stood next to the "EROs are an essential part of guys doing the job so we could underworking on a flighlline, especially one stand Ihe problems they face," the capin a combat zone. They reduce the tain said. "Then we started working out amount of time the aircrew and aircraft solutions.1* are sitting on the ground," Colonel Then, the test in the outhouse. Sadlo said. "If you've been stationed here any He said EROs'can vary in time, amount of time, you know that's probaexposing workers to more and more bly the hottest place you can go," he said. heat, depending on the amount of cargo I Ie put the vest on and then wrapped and passengers they are removing or himself with "as much warm clothing as loading onto an aircraft. I could find, and then I went in," Captain Colonel Sadlo said when he worked Ross said. "I sat in there for about 20 an ERO with his Airmen, he felt like minutes." his "skin was on fire." The captain and Colonel Sadlo then He wanted to find a solution to a tested the gear -- including a Nomex face potentially life-threatening issue, so he mask and gloves - during an ERO. contacted the expeditionary medical "There's a huge difference between squadron. The phone call started the having the vest on and not having it on. research. The Nomex hood really protected my "This is all about safely," he said. face and ears," the colonel said. Prolonged exposure to the furious After all the tests, Captain Ross made heat causes the human body problems, a recommendation that workers should according to Centers for Disease wear the gloves, mask and the vest. Control officials. Heat stroke — when a Colonel Sadlo is now discussing how to body cannot control its own temperaimplement wearing the equipment with ture -- is the most serious byproduct. aerial port leaders. "We're going to sit The body's temperature rises rapidly, down and make sure these are the right the body loses its ability to sweat, and vests to buy," the colonel said. it is unable to cool down. A victim "I've worn the vest, but the people U S Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Scott Wagers could die or be permanently disabled, who matter haven't. "Tt's a good investBAGHDAD, Iraq -- Capt. James Ross (left) and Lt. Col. Tom Sadlo read a thermometer before testing a cool vest. according to a CDC fact sheet. ment, The two officers are part of a team that conducted the initial testing on the vest. Captain Ross is a bioenvironmental especially in Baghdad," Captain "The human body just doesn't work Ross said. {Tech. Sgt. Angeline Pianga engineer with the 447th Air Expeditionary Group, and Colonel Sadlo is the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron commander. well if there's a lot of heat stress. contributed to this article.) Initially, the cognitive abilities drop, as well as physical abilities," Captain Ross said. "Facing thai much heat just hurts and may cause the Airmen to have an involuntary reaction like jerking or pulling away from heavy equipment. That could result in a damaged aircraft, or, worse, a casualty." This is not a new problem. Captain Ross said. "In the past, people just sucked it up and kepi working,11 he said. "But the logistics squadron commander was told by his troops it was a problem. That's when he contacted me and we started working together to solve the problem." Captain Ross said after some discussion, the idea of trying the cool vest popped up. A cool vest is worn by race car drivers, aircrews, cops, orchard field workers and others. One company's model costs about $130, weighs 11 ounces dry and about 32 ounces when activated. It usuallv activates in about five minutes. By Tech. Sgt. Jason Tudor Air Force Print News [GOURMET SUPER-PREMIUM ICE CREAMJ3 UtahState 5647 S. 3500 W. 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