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Langley tests new traffic safety vests

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Gate guards here are testing a new, light-emitting, traffic safety garment called the integrated tactical traffic vest that could make directing traffic in the dark safer.

The new vest uses fiber-optic light rope woven through the vest's mesh along with traditional reflective material and illuminates the wearer to make the person more visible.

Air Combat Command security forces purchased 60 of the new vests, and the first 18 were distributed to 1st Security Forces Squadron for testing. Throughout the next month, gate guards will wear the vests and provide feedback to command officials.

Steve Kunich, a senior analyst with Science Applications International Corp. working for the ACC security forces systems branch, designed the vests.

"In 1999, ACC lost one of our security forces members when he was hit by a vehicle while directing traffic," Kunich said. "Police officers die directing traffic all the time."

He explained that traditional safety vests only use reflective strips. For the reflective material to work, it must be hit by light. He said usually by the time the light reflects off of the safety vest and a driver's mind can process what he or she has seen, the vehicle has already passed. Plus, over time, the reflective material can fade and lose its effectiveness.

The light rope in the new vest emits a light rather than relying on another light source to reflect off of the wearer. The rope is powered by two AA batteries. The lightweight battery pack fits into an inner pocket of the vest.

Kunich said he first saw the technology at The Air Force’s force protection battlelab at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The lights used in the vests ACC officials purchased are neon blue, but they also come in other colors. Kunich said he thinks the test of the new vests will prove successful and sees how the vests could be modified for other purposes, such as an alternative for reflector belts on the flightline.

The vest has several other improvements as well. It features pockets and compartments for radios, a drink pack, flashlights and other gear, whereas the old one had no pockets or compartments. The new vest is also olive drab green instead of yellow, a feature that appealed to Airman 1st Class Donna Marie Ogaz, from the 1st SFS.

She said she likes the vest, and many motorists make comments about the sci-fi looking lights. She said she feels the color makes the vest look more military, and the pockets make carrying her gear easier. Still, the biggest improvement is visibility.

"It is my first time to wear it, but I like it. It is weird because they light up, but it is better because (the motorists) can see us now," she said. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)