Department of Defense Military Packaging Design Training Now Available at Tobyhanna Army Depot

The Army’s premier training for military packaging has a new home.

The Army Sustainment Command Packaging, Storage, and Containerization Center (PSCC), located on-post at Tobyhanna Army Depot, has fully implemented a new version of the critical PACK 2 Military Packaging Design Course.

The course educates Department of Defense (DoD) personnel on techniques to properly design packaging that protects high dollar mission critical items from the rigors of military storage and the defense distribution system’s complex network of air, sea, and land transport – a challenge that requires simultaneously controlling costs, conserving resources, and minimizing unit pack size and weight.  Thanks to the efforts of PSCC personnel, the DoD now has a comprehensive design course to address all of these concerns and provide DoD packaging designers with the skills they need to successfully support mission requirements.

Since 2008, the closure of the School of Military Packaging Technology (SMPT) and the effects of attrition have resulted in a significant gap in the DoD packaging subject matter expertise.  In response to this need, PSCC developed a redesigned PACK 2 that leverages the packaging expertise of in-house personnel and the resources available in PSCC’s Packaging Applications Testing Facility.

The eight-day course consists of classroom lectures, as well as hands-on instruction in PSCC’s world-class packaging testing facility, which includes water intrusion, random vibration, and simulated handling testing apparatuses.  A variety of packaging-related topics are covered in the training, to include design requirements, design methodology, shock and vibration, fragility, suspension systems, cushioning properties, cushioning design procedures, special packaging instructions, and validation testing.

The culmination of the course is a capstone, requiring students to build and test a package that can meet military packaging standards – and withstand durability testing.  Beginning in the first lesson, the capstone is integrated.  By immediately following up each lesson with a relevant exercise, students get to reinforce what they have just learned and obtain a clearer picture of how it applies to real world design.

According to David Gomes, re-launching the course was an arduous effort.

“Our team spent the past year developing the PACK 2 course and ensuring it met the rigorous standards of the Defense Packaging Policy Group (DPPG),” adding that PSCC was chosen for the mission due to the subject matter expertise of its employees, as well as their modern testing facilities. Gomes is a senior packaging specialist in PSCC.

A pilot of the course was held in late FY21 and included representatives from the DPPG, the Defense Contract Management Agency; the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armament Center; the U.S. Marine Corps; and the U.S. Navy.

Gomes noted that the course benefitted attendees as well as PSCC personnel.

“Having personnel from various DoD Components in one room allowed for dynamic cross-collaboration and discussion.”

The pilot – and PSCC’s instructors – earned rave reviews from attendees as well as DPPG representatives, who gave the green light to fully offer the course to the DoD community.

General Engineer Brian Rawhouser says the entire DoD – especially Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) – will benefit from having the PACK 2 training on-post.

“The packaging fundamentals taught in this course ensure military assets are protected from environmental impacts, transportation and handling, and remain in a ready-for-issue status throughout the supply chain. That has a direct impact on TYAD’s mission; for example, proper packaging can reduce warranty claims, increase safety, and, most importantly, ensure materiel readiness.”

The PACK 2 course is scheduled to run again in late January, April and July 2022.  Those interested in learning more about the course or about PSCC’s unmatched facilities and team, please call 570-615-7257 or visit PSCC’s website at https://www.pscc.army.mil/.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for C5ISR systems across the Department of Defense.  Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.

Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.

About 3,700 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania.  Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command.  Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.

*please note: These photos were taken at various times during the year, during which the Department of Defense guidance on masking/COVID-19 precautions changed in step with the guidance from the Center for Disease Control.