Physiological Responses to Heat Stress in the Joint Protective Aircrew Ensemble (JPACE) Coverall With Varied Protective Equipment

摘要

This study supported the Joint Protective Aircrew Ensemble (JPACE) Program, a joint service program including U.S Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Special Forces Command participation. JPACE addresses the below-the-neck chemical and biological (CB) protective garment needs for all fixed wing and rotary wing aviation personnel and combat vehicle crew (CVC) personnel. We evaluated heat strain in volunteers during exercise- heat stress experiments conducted while they wore the JPACE and the currently fielded USAF CWU-66/P coveralls (66/P) with accepted aviation life support equipment (ALSE) and armored vehicle Mission Oriented Protective Posture level 4 (MOPP 4) uniform configurations for a total of 10 garment tests. Data from these tests are used in the evaluation process of the JPACE program.