The central theme at year’s SOFIC Conference was force sustainment. No other critical need has a higher priority for USSOCOM. Anything that can be done to ensure the well being of the operator and his family will be done.
The overwhelming number of casualties and injuries sustained by forces in theater are from IEDs or Improvised Explosive Devices. In a great many instances, the soldier, sailor or airman will be exposed to the blast but escape physical injury, yet blast damage is insidious and results in serious TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries) if untreated. According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, over 200,000 service members have sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury since the year 2000. Until recently, measuring the exposure to events leading to TBI has been next to impossible.
B3 (Black Box™ Biometrics), Rochester, NY has developed The Blast Gauge™ System. Think of it as a seismometer worn at three points of the body, the chest, on the back at shoulder level and at the back of the head helmet mounted.
If no blast has been detected, each sensor will have a green LED lit. A yellow blinking LED indicates that a blast was sufficiently strong be be detected and a flashing red light indicates a serious blast has been detected. In both flashing yellow and flashing red conditions you should seek immediate medical attention regardless of how you feel at the moment.
Monitoring your exposure to blasts IED, RPG or mortar is important to your well being so don’t leave home without your Blast Gauge™ System.
FOG HORN 