Leaders Book Note - Authorized Protective Eyewear List
Leaders,
In this edition of my leader book notes I am asking your assistance in ensuring our Soldiers are wearing the safest, best and authorized eyewear. We have a consolidated list of authorized eyewear under the Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL).
Soldiers currently purchase eyewear products from a variety of commercial vendors and on and off our installations. Not all Soldiers know and understand the qualifications for eyewear on the APEL. Product Manger Soldier Survivability is working closely with AAFES to link the APEL with products through advertising within each of our store.
The Army requires the use of eye protection during deployments, field tactical operations, and training. Soldiers in combat and training run a high risk of eye injury. Eye injuries account for over 10% of combat related injuries. The most common causes are explosives (IED, RPG and shrapnel) or the environment (foreign body). We have seen an increase in eye injuries in every conflict on deployments over the last several decades. Soldiers who wear prescription glasses need to obtain ballistic eyewear with their installation optometrist or medical support personnel.
Eyewear is broken down into two categories - spectacles and goggles. The Military Combat Eye Protection Program (MCEP) tests commercial protective eyewear to military ballistic and American National Standards
Institute Z87.1 standards, (http://visionrx.com/library/enc/enc_ansi.asp). Approved spectacles must stop a 5.8-grain fragment projectile traveling at 640 feet per second. Approved goggles must stop a 17-grain fragment projectile traveling at 550 feet per second (approximately twice the energy impact as the spectacle). Suitable products are then tested by Soldiers and reviewed by a panel of users, engineers, logisticians, and optometrists, prior to approval for placement on the APEL.
All commercial eyewear products listed on the APEL meet stringent ballistic protection standards. Program Manager-Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM-CIE) provides an updated authorized protection eyewear list at https://peosoldier.army.mil/multimedia.asp#ssv .
Eyewear is available for units and CIFs to purchase by submitting requisitions through the unit supply system. Each approved product has an assigned NSN. Leaders can purchase eyewear from E-Mall at https://emall6.prod.dodonline.net.
Leaders, it is your responsibility to ensure our Soldiers are wearing approved eye protection from the Authorized Protective Eyewear List.
Army Strong! HOOAH!
SMA
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