Forward-looking optical manufacturing keeps soldiers in the fight | Article

In a combat environment, situational awareness is everything. Being able to see clearly in any situation is a crucial factor in staying combat-ready and winning against an opponent.

That’s why the U.S. Army has optical manufacturing capabilities in forward-facing locations, such as Germany and Korea, to provide rapid services for various products that keep service members operational, including prescription eyewear, gas mask inserts, aviation goggles and many more types of eye protection.

“Service members overseas can technically order eyewear through government providers, but this process is often slower and less efficient, resulting in delays that could impact readiness and operational effectiveness,” said Staff Sgt. Anthony Perez, noncommissioned officer, in charge of the Optical Activities Division at the U.S. Army Medical Material Center-Europe.

Based in Kaiserslautern, Germany, USAMMC-E and its sister organization, the US Army Medical Material Center-Korea, serve as medical materiel task forces, also known as TLAMMs, for their respective regions.

Both TLAMMs are units directly subordinate to the Army Medical Logistics Command, the Army’s life cycle management command for medical supplies.

Each of these centers has an ongoing optical eyewear manufacturing mission, producing thousands of prescription glasses each month to ensure Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines have everything they need for target acquisition, equipment operation and navigation.

“Without this immediate support, reliance on external providers could jeopardize the effectiveness and security of military operations,” Perez said. “TLAMMs play an essential role in maintaining military readiness.”

While technological advances in recent decades have improved production turnaround times and accuracy, the impetus for optical manufacturing itself, according to historical accounts, dates back to 1917, when the United States entered World War I.

Previously, the standing army was relatively small and recruits had to be young, healthy men with good, uncorrected vision. That changed when 2.8 million men were drafted into military service, and the number rose to four million by the end of the war.

To meet manpower needs, the Army reduced its vision requirements and accepted many men with significant ametropia, or a refractive disorder of the eye that causes blurred vision – near, far or both.

To address these problems, aside from surgical procedures, the Army invested in establishing advanced optical manufacturing laboratories to provide service members with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses as combat power increased.

Similar increases in the workforce ahead of later military deployments, including World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam, brought optical manufacturing back to the fore.

Over the decades, ophthalmology care has continued to grow, bringing the Army to where it is today, with a recognized career field that includes several military occupational specialties for enlisted and noncommissioned officers.

At the same time, the focus on optical manufacturing has also increased, supported by new technologies that increase efficiency, enable a broader product range and reduce turnaround times for service staff.

“Optical labs have seen many technological advancements in the industry, such as automated equipment that streamlines the process and speeds turnaround times,” said Sgt.

After receiving an order, production begins with the removal of the required lenses from the laboratory inventory and the use of special equipment, such as: B. a lensometer to check the desired prescription of each corrective lens. They are then sized, smoothed and inserted into each piece of glasses. In some cases, the process also includes tinting.

From there, they are checked for quality assurance and prepared for shipment to the user, sometimes within 24 hours of receiving the initial request.

“Typically the process takes three days from start to finish, but we can have the glasses finished and ready to ship the same day,” Barron said.

In addition to its stationary optical laboratory, USAMMC-K also supports a permanent tactical mission that includes the deployment of a mobile laboratory in the event of a “transition to hostilities” in the region, providing optical manufacturing services to Soldiers immediately upon arrival in Korea.

Barron said USAMMC-K has a nested Soldier from the 563rd Medical Logistics Company at TLAMM who works closely with the 221st Optical Detachment, which operates the mobile manufacturing unit.

“Together, we stand ready to support the needs of warfighters in all contingencies here on the Peninsula,” Barron said.