“We have a lot of different environmental chambers that are being improved to simulate natural environments and mil standards equipment has to go through while its being transported to the field and while in the field,” said Brad Cox, Division Chief (right). VIEW ORIGINAL
Conducting natural environment testing in the most extreme hot weather conditions requires the intense dedication of rugged professionals.
U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) boasts many hundreds of such people, and Metrology and Simulation Division Chief Brad Cox’s service in uniform gave him particular experience in what it takes to succeed here.
The San Diego native visited Yuma in childhood but had only a dim awareness of YPG.
“I would go to the river as a kid, and when we would pass the Martinez Lake turn I’d see a couple of buildings in the distance. I always felt it was some really small Army station that supported the Army somehow. I never fathomed it was so big and important to the Army.”
After serving an enlistment in the Marine Corps, he relocated to Yuma in search of a lower cost of living. Holding a commercial driver license, he started working at YPG in 2001 as a test vehicle operator.
“At some point in time I felt that driving wasn’t quite enough. I saw the experiences and responsibilities test officers have and felt that was an avenue I wanted to pursue. I quit as a driver and became a full-time student.”
He went to Arizona Western College and San Diego State University, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. He came back to YPG as a test officer in the Combat Automotive division during the peak of testing in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in short order became a team lead.
“We were really busy with MRAP testing, JLTV, and a lot of big, heavy-hitting programs,” he recalled. “I was part of those, but also part of a lot of programs that were kind of outside the box: small vehicles that we hadn’t tested before that needed new procedures developed. I was tossed into those programs because of my background in off-roading and general experience with military vehicles in the Marine Corps.”
It was in Combat Automotive that he was introduced to non-destructive testing, verifying cracks on vehicle frames. The Metrology and Simulation Division has a wide range of facilities, including hot and cold climactic chambers, vibration tables to test the effects of intense shaking on munitions, and a lightweight shock testing machine that evaluates a piece of equipment’s ability to withstand sudden shock such as that caused by underwater explosions encountered in naval combat. He became Metrology Branch Chief, then Division Chief of Metrology and Simulation.
“Metrology and Simulation is really important to the weapons systems. We are able to inspect them when they get here and throughout their testing life to measure any possible problems before wasting a lot of labor hours of testing. We are able to see when things are starting to change on the weapon system and ensure it is always safe to use by YPG personnel.”
In the test and evaluation world, YPG’s Physical Test Facility is regarded as second-to-none, boasting things like ultrasonic immersion equipment, a projectile imbalance measurement machine, laser bore mapping system, and other portable measurement machines.
“We’ve definitely fine-tuned our capabilities to the weapons system being tested. If we know something is coming down the pike, we are able to adjust and use the technology that is new and have the manufacturers build the equipment we need to inspect the weapons systems that are coming. We’re always keeping a pulse on technology.”
Also among Metrology and Simulation Division capabilities are facilities that can create rain and sandstorms on demand, any time of the year, that can accommodate virtually any piece of equipment normally tested at YPG, including ammunition.
“We have a lot of different environmental chambers that are being improved to simulate natural environments and mil standards equipment has to go through while its being transported to the field and while in the field.”
Cox derives great satisfaction from his work, particularly in light of being a Marine Corps veteran.
“Even though I’m not in the military anymore, I still feel a sense of duty to continue to support the military,” he said. “Working at YPG, I get that satisfaction for sure. If my kids were ever to join the military, I definitely have had a piece in their safety because of the equipment that has gone through YPG to ensure it is effective and safe.
Social Sharing