# New Extended-Cold-Weather Gear for US Troops



## GAP (14 Dec 2006)

*Excitement Heating Up Over New Extended-Cold-Weather Gear*
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
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FORT GREELEY, Alaska, Dec. 14, 2006 – Members of the Alaska Army National Guard here are sizzling with excitement about their new cold weather gear that keeps them toasty warm even when temperatures dip to double digits below zero.  

The new Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System takes the latest insulating and wicking materials that have become hot tickets among skiers, snowmobile riders and other extreme-sports enthusiasts and adapting them for soldiers operating in demanding arctic conditions, explained Army Maj. Joe Miley, operations officer for the Alaska Guard’s 49th Missile Defense Battalion. “It’s designed to work in extremely cold weather,” he said. 

Unit members got the new, layered system about two weeks ago, just in time for the coldest part of the season here, when the “Delta winds” bring in sustained 60-mph winds, with higher gusts, and temperatures can hit minus-60. 

Those conditions make soldiering pretty demanding, explained Army Sgt. Seth Paul, a military policeman for the unit who patrols the Missile Defense Complex on some of those bone-chilling days. They gel up diesel fuel in vehicles and fray or split belts, freeze up weapons systems, and render radios unusable. 

Such conditions can take an even bigger toll on troops, particularly those serving outside over extended periods. 

The new ECWCS gear, with 12 components that can be mixed and matched depending on the conditions and how active a soldier is, offers the critical protection soldiers here need to do their jobs, Miley said. 

The system begins with silky long underwear that’s made of lightweight, moisture-wicking polyester designed to keep the wearer dry. The mid-weight shirt and pants provide light insulation during warmer days or an extra layer in colder conditions. 
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