PEO Soldier, Accessions Command unveil traveling exhibit

By Rich LamanceJanuary 7, 2007

The Army's newest gear
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PEO display: The Army's newest gear, weapons and clothing is on display in the new American Soldier Adventure van, a collaborative effort between the Army Accession Command and the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier.The
new van will travel about ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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Future Soldier
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – PEO Soldier: The exhibit 'future soldier' shows the futuristic personal combat vehicle that is being designed by Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier to increase strength, endurance and load capacity.The exhibit is part of a recruiting tool on disp... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SAN ANTONIO - A new traveling exhibit designed to help connect the American public to the American Soldier was unveiled amid the pageantry of the Army's Fan Fiesta exhibition, culminating with the Army-sponsored "All-American" Bowl high school all-star football contest played last Saturday at the Alamodome.

The U.S. Army Accessions Command, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, took the wraps of their newest interactive recruiting tool, the American Soldier Adventure Van. The van highlights the Army's most technologically advanced equipment and celebrates the Soldier as the heart of the Army.

"The van shows the American public how the American Soldier is outfitted with the best equipment possible to carry out its missions in the 21st Century," said Sgt. Maj. Thomas Coleman with PEO Soldier in Boston, Mass.

The van will travel throughout the country about 270 days a year, providing interactive demonstrations, video displays and examples of weapons, clothing and gear of the future being planned for the Soldier of today. The van was developed to, not only help generate leads for recruiting, but to also give the American public an awareness of the clothing, weapons and equipment being quickly fielded to help protect Soldiers' lives in areas of potential

danger.

Vistors taking a sneak peak of the van during the "All-American" Fan Fiesta exhibitions outside the Alamodome were able to train like a soldier with the interactive Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS), as well as test their shooting prowess in a marksmanship training simulator using a replica of the M-4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Other hands-on areas of the exhibit include such things as interceptor body armor and helmets and extended cold weather gear, new target sensor technology and the ability to view a simulated battlefield using new night vision devices and thermal weapon sights.