Development division equips 820th SFG Airmen

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  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) --  The 820th Security Forces Group here reorganized itself to include a new division dedicated to testing and evaluating new equipment for Airmen deploying to Iraq.

The group’s new Combat Development Division, created in mid-October, aims to supply the 820th SFG with more effective gear and save Air Force resources.

“Our long-term goal is to purchase viable equipment our Airmen can use and is worth the money the Air Force spends,” said Capt. Charles Mottram, officer in-charge of the CDD.

Their initiative is to find effective solutions to problems 820th SFG Airmen face with gear, plus research and test cutting-edge technology for deployed units.

The CDD has the ability to research anything from a new style of boot to high-tech computers to use in the base defense operations center, the captain said.

“If there is a new product on the market, we do research and get a test sample,” Captain Mottram said. “If the sample product is something we can use, we purchase a lump sum and send it out to our Airmen.”

While still in its infancy, the CDD hopes to begin research on a wide variety of items in the near future.

“Our goal is to better equip our next unit that is deploying in a few months with small equipment items,” Captain Mottram said.

Examples of items the division is targeting include eyewear suited for the desert climate and undershirts with quick drying synthetic material to keep Airmen cooler, the captain said. One of the first major projects is a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle that has the ability to track stationery and moving targets in real-time.

“(It) will provide the deployed 820th SFG squadron with improved base security and convoy and intelligence support,” said Tech. Sgt. Dennis Parks, NCO in-charge of the CDD. “We hope to improve on situational awareness for the 820th Security Forces Group in Iraq.”

Another project the CDD is researching is non-lethal weapons, the NCO said. Non-lethal weapons include every available option other than using deadly force. It can range from weapons that fire bean-bags to using foam or mace.

“The use of non-lethal weapons is something the group wants to work toward,” Sergeant Parks said. “We’ve been in contact with the non-lethal weapons school at Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.) to see what weapons we can get to train on.”

The CDD hopes these projects will benefit the 820th SFG during deployments in Iraq and save the Air Force money and resources in the process.

“We hope to ensure the equipment the Air Force spends its money on is worthwhile,” Captain Mottram said. “But the main focus of what we’re doing is to supply deployed Airmen on the base perimeter or out in the convoy.

“It’s their mission we have in mind, and the ultimate goal is to make their job easier with better equipment.”