To help reduce the extreme temperatures inside the tents, the U.S. Army employs contractors to spray foam on the tents to insulate them, said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Joe Cullen, U.S. Air Force Facility Engineer Design Team noncommissioned officer-in- charge, currently assigned to the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division Engineer Team. The insulation from the foam can help drastically lower the temperature inside tents, making it more bearable for the occupants.
“I’ve seen tent surfaces get over 130 degrees (Fahrenheit) without insulation,” Cullen said. “Once insulated, that temperature can drop below 80 degrees.”
“The spray-foaming process, known as External Insulation of Temporary Structures, has been around in theater for a while,” the Orange, Conn., native said. “It is the process of spraying two inches of polyurethane foam on the structure to create insulation. It helps block heat, dust and even wind from entering the tent. It improves the quality of life for the people who live in the temporary structures helping lower the temperatures inside.”
“In addition to helping keep Soldiers cool,” Cullen added, “it helps reduce the air conditioning needs of the tent, therefore reducing the need for generator fuel and maintenance.”
The division engineer team realized professional spray foaming would not be practical at some locations, Cullen said, such as small, remote bases.
Therefore, having self-help spray foam kits at the small outposts would be good enough to supply those areas with the necessary resources to insulate temporary structures.
While looking into self-help spray foam kits, the engineer team found a kit that was very similar to what the professionals use and decided to purchase some and test them out.
“The tests showed us these kits would be practical to implement in a troop-labor, self-help program,” Cullen said. “Once we got the kit and taught ourselves, it became a goal for us to get
the kits to the Soldiers at field-level.”
Personnel will begin receiving training on how to use the consumer version of the foam in the next five weeks, Cullen said.
