New Surveillance Camera Minimizes Danger in Iraq

Jul 27, 2007
BY Rapid Equipping Force

Sgt. 1st Class Mark Henderson, operations NCO with the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, installs a new surveillance system on Camp Victory, Baghdad. The system is called the Rapid Deployment Integrated Surveillance System, or RDISS. Photo by Maj. Robert Lenz

Fort Belvoir, Va. (Army News Service) - A new surveillance system that minimizes Soldiers' exposure to harm while providing continual observation in operating areas has been fielded in Iraq after just three weeks of design and manufacturing.

The Army's Rapid Equipping Force developed the Rapid Deployment Integrated Surveillance System, or RDISS, to improve situational awareness for Soldiers at joint security stations and combat outposts throughout Iraq.

"There are a lot of areas, especially obscured areas, around the combat outposts and we needed a way to cut down on exposing the troops to this broad danger," said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Henderson, REF operations NCO.

The REF partnered with Exponent Inc., an engineering and scientific consulting firm, to develop the RDISS, which can be installed quickly and with minimal training.

"In this environment, where a potential sniper lurks around every corner, having the capability to maintain persistent surveillance while minimizing the risk to the Soldiers is a must," said Lt. Col. Daniel Shea, REF team leader in Iraq.

REF staff trained more than 100 Soldiers, Marines and Civilians from twenty brigades in the last two months to install, troubleshoot and maintain the system.

"It's a very simple system to install and monitor yet the benefits are priceless. I know of a few occasions in which using RDISS has averted dangerous situations downrange. It's already proven its worth."

REF plans to deploy hundreds of systems to Iraq and Afghanistan by year's end.

"RDISS is a definitive asset when it comes to persistent surveillance, and as long as joint security stations and combat outposts remain targets of opportunity for enemy forces, RDISS will be there to help the Soldiers," Lt. Col. Shea said.