FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 19, 2016) -- Personnel at Fort Drum's Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Support Center welcomed a new addition to their repertoire of services during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 12.
A half-ton RADIAC (radiation detection, indication and computation) calibrator and in-house radiation source will allow staff to service thousands of pieces of equipment for the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Army Reserve units throughout New York state.
Mike Kowalczyk, Fort Drum TMDE chief, said this is the only calibration device of its kind in the state. Previously, any chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear (CBRN) equipment requiring this device was shipped to Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pa., for routine maintenance and repairs.
"Soldiers use RADIAC meters to detect radiation on the battlefield," Kowalczyk said. "So now we're able to calibrate that equipment and ensure they are getting accurate readings, and we can do that right here at Fort Drum."
He said that outsourcing that service can take the equipment out of the hands of Soldiers for four to eight weeks.
"Now, they can turn it in here, we test it, and the turnaround time is days instead of weeks and months," Kowalczyk said.
RADIAC meters make up only a fraction of the 11,000-plus pieces of equipment that the center is responsible for servicing, to include everything from torque wrenches and thermometers to oscilloscopes.
"Any equipment that the Soldier uses to test, measure or diagnose with, we measure / test it to ensure it is accurate. We stay pretty busy here," Kowalczyk said.
The RADIAC calibrator, housed in what had once served as an arms room, is encapsulated in a lead box to ensure the safety of the operator.
Normally, ribbon-cutting ceremonies are reserved for grand openings of buildings and facilities, and not for equipment. Kowalczyk said a quick, informal gathering to recognize the significance of the moment was justified.
The center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2010 after renovations were completed that nearly doubled their ability to handle maintenance of local equipment.
"Our mission, as part of the U.S. Army TMDE Activity, is to enable the Army's readiness through accuracy," Kowalczyk said. "With this in-house capability, we'll be able to enhance readiness to our supported units by providing a much quicker turnaround time for RADIAC equipment."
The ceremony was attended by Andrew Fontaness, deputy to the commander of Army Field Support Battalion-Drum and acting director for Fort Drum's Logistics Readiness Center; Maj. Carlson Chow, AFSBn-Drum executive officer; Master Sgt. Neil Craig, AFSBn senior enlisted adviser; and Roy Kempf, regional TMDE chief from Fort Dix, N.J.
"Of all the units supported out of this calibration lab at Fort Drum, there were over 2,500 radiation detection items that were being evacuated to Tobyhanna Army Depot for calibration," Kempf said. "The turnaround time was getting to be excessive, and if a unit had a need for that equipment, the wait time was unacceptable, as far as I'm concerned."
The Fort Drum TMDE services roughly 7,600 items annually -- with staff having completed nearly 400 job orders in the past two weeks. Kempf said the additional RADIAC capability will create a bigger workload, but nothing that the staff can't handle.
"They are probably one of my most productive labs -- real good support capabilities for our Army," he said.
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