DRMS World, Volume 33, Number 4, Fall 2008
Abstract
I want to talk about a part of our mission that is so central to our efforts that it sometimes is taken for granted: REUTILIZATION. You can't have DRMS without reutilization. It is at the heart of what we do. But when we talk to the public, our family or friends and say, "I work for the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service," we get blank looks, followed by "What is that?" "What do you do?" You could say we reutilize uniforms, boots and other equipment to the warfighter, so they don't have to buy them new, which saves money. But reutilization also helps save lives and protects the nation. I'm not the only person who thinks this is true. Marines and soldiers training for combat have repeated that sentiment. At Marine Base Twenty-nine Palms, Calif., a Combined Arms Military Operations on Urban Terrain (CAMOUT) facility like no other is being built with reutilized and refurbished CONEX boxes and cement buildings. It will be as large as a mid-sized town with an urban area, "old town" section and medical campus. Why is this important? Because the Marines will be able to train in conditions like they will face when deployed. What part will DRMS play? We'll send reutilized vehicles, furniture, consumer electronics, and clothes, everything that will make the town more realistic. At Fort Irwin, Calif., the Army has three facilities that simulate Iraqi villages. As soldiers patrol the streets, they'll see storefronts with merchandise piled outside. They'll see washing machines, television sets and things they would see in a real Iraqi village. Those materials were provided by DRMO Barstow. Perhaps one of the most compelling examples of reutilization is at Camp Pendleton, Calif., where for years Marines performed aircraft jump training from a wooden structure.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA487415
Entities
People
- Twila C. Gonzales