Keeping cool in a war zone: Device promises relief for desert soldiers

One of the deadliest obstacles soldiers in desert war zones have to face is heat. The gear soldiers wear and carry can contribute 10 additional degrees to the outside temperature, a dangerously significant increase on a 95-degree day, for instance.

In collaboration with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Dr. Ellen Glickman, Kent State professor of exercise physiology, and Rob Demes, doctoral student in exercise physiology, are part of a joint research effort to test a micro-climate cooling system to be placed in soldiers’ boots and under their battledress overgarment hoods. The device features a pump that circulates cold water through coils in the boots, with the ultimate goal of lowering the wearer’s core body temperature. The efficiency of the system will be measured on test subjects this summer on the Kent Campus.

Glickman is available at 330-672-2930 or eglickma@kent.edu.

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