NATICK, Mass. — Some heroes wear capes, and some wear jumpsuits designed by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, or DEVCOM SC.
America’s smokejumpers literally dive into danger. They are an elite group of firefighters who parachute into remote areas to put out wildfires. They need and deserve the very best equipment to do their jobs effectively and safely. DEVCOM SC’s Design, Pattern & Prototype Team in the Soldier Protection Directorate took on the task of updating the jumpsuits that smokejumpers wear when they take the leap to put out wildfires.
“The rough terrain jumpsuit is worn by smokejumpers working for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management,” said Patti Bigrig, a clothing designer on the Design, Pattern & Prototype Team, or DPPT. “There are about 400 to 500 smokejumpers within the United States. Their mission is to parachute into remote areas, where vehicles have no access, to extinguish forest fires.”