Search

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) is tasked to support Gaining Force Commands (GFC) by augmenting and reinforcing active duty units with personnel during national emergencies declared by the President. From 11 September 2001 through July 2005, the Marine Corps activated over 36,000 Reserve Marines, and more than 95 percent of all Marine Forces Reserve units were activated in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). While supporting the GWOT, MARFORRES has made changes to the individual combat clothing equipment (ICCE) fielding process and has significantly enhanced its capability to support the reserve training centers (RTCs) which outfit the deploying reserve Marines; however, there is a better process to outfit them with required ICCE prior to deployment. Reserve Marines should draw complete sets of ICCE from the GFC Consolidated Issue Facilities (CIFs) to streamline the issue process, improve property accounting, and save money.

Modification of closely spaced (approv 1.5 micro m) microelectrodes (approv 2.5 micro m wide x 50 micro m long x 0.1 micro m high) with electroactive materials gives rise to a variety of new kinds of 'electronic devices'. Surface modification of microelectrode arrays with metal oxides, e.g. WO3, conventional redox polymers, e.g. viologen-based polymers, and so-called conducting redox polymers, e.g. poly(3-methylthiophene), allows demonstration of a variety of microelectrochemical 'transistors' having properties that depend on the electroactive material. While the response time of such devices is slow by solid state electronics standards, chemically sensitive transistors can be envisioned as sensitive, specific sensors. Solid state microelectrochemical devices can be made that involve the use of ionic conducting polymers as the 'solvent'/electrolyte system. Solid state microelectrochemical transistors can be designed to be sensitive to certain gases.

Preparation of Au microelectrode arrays having spacings of 50-100 nm and available electrode areas of 10 to the -7th power sq cm is described. The dimensions are qualitatively smaller than previously reported and lead directly to faster switching and smaller switching energy for molecule-based transistors. Such microelectrodes can be functionalized with redox active polymers by oxidation of aniline to give polyaniline or by electrochemically assisted deposition of N,N'-bis(p-trimethoxysilylbenzyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium promoting Si-OMe hydrolysis to give the redox polymer (BPQ2+/+)n. The fabrication procedure begins with a microelectrode array consisting of eight, individually addressable AU microelectrodes each approx. 50 micron long x approx 2.5 micron wide x approx. 0.1 micron thick with a spacing of approx. 1.5 micron between the microelectrodes.