AOM ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS ERGONOCMICALLY DESIGNED TROOP BENCHES FOR INJURY REDUCTION DURING TRANSPORT IN ARMY TACTICAL TRUCKS

Over the last several years all branches of the United States military have experienced an increased number of orthopedic and internal injuries to knees lower back, neck, and digestive system. Additionally the level of severity has also been increasing. Primary cause factors contributing to the overall increase in injuries to US military personnel include the increase in overall individual loads being carried by the individual soldier which at times can approach 150 pounds, higher operations tempo which results in greater exposure to higher levels of impact forces and for a greater duration. The greater impact forces are a result of the poor design of the current bench deployed on United States tactical vehicles, and the brutal nature of the third world transportation networks in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This paper documents the engineering approach utilized by AOM Engineering Solutions to achieve the following primary design objectives; improved ergonomic design for injury prevention, use of high strength/light weight materials for reduced weight and storage space requirements, innovative design that has resulted in off vehicle multi-functional design, and a design focus on reducing the overall logistic footprint.

The AOM Ergonomic Multifunction Troop Bench, (AOM EMTB), is fielded and has proven itself in the harsh tactical operating environment of Afghanistan since July 2007, with an additional 2,400 bench assemblies delivered in FY 2009. AOM Engineering Solutions is excited to continue to bring innovative products required to meet today changing tactical environments and improve the health, safety and welfare of today’s military personnel.