Here’s the editorial from our March issue which is about fighting corrosion. We’ve got some big guns fighting this battle!

Homer Hickam (left) and PS writer Glen Adams. Mr. Hickam is the best selling author of among other books, “Rocket Boys”, which was made into the movie “October Skies.” “Rocket Boys” described his boyhood in the coal mining town of Coalwood, WV, where he and several friends won the national science fair competition for rocket research. Mr. Hickam served with an armor unit in Vietnam, where he became an avid fan of PS Magazine. He worked for years with NASA and now lives in Huntsville, AL, where PS is based.

Good guess.

But we’re betting on dirt.

Dirt kills equipment.  It gets inside, on and around everything and goes about its murderous business. The Amount of dirt you can hold in the palm of your hand can bring a truck to a halt, stop a tank in its tracks and silence a radio signal.

What is your equipment’s best friend?

That’s right.  Filters.

The filter is the cop-on-the-beat that protects you from dirt.

Air filters remove dirt from the air that cools things like engines and electronic equipment.

Fuel filters keep dirt, water and other glop out of delicate engine parts.

Oil filters trap dirt that gets in engine oils and hydraulic fluids.

Who is your filter’s best friend?

You are.

A filter can’t work alone.  It needs a partner. That’s you. Clean them or change them just like your TM says. Know what makes up unusual operating conditions. It could be something as simple as operating in an area with a lot of loose dirt.  It means your filters need more attention.

Filters serve you well by protecting your equipment. Make sure you do your part, so they can do theirs.

      Turn in Smoke Grenade Launchers Now

      The Reset/repair program for smoke grenade launchers has halted because they have run out of launchers.  Any of the following launchers that are not being used or are not working should be turned in immediately:

      o M239, NSN 1055-01-015-0874, LIN L44612

      o M243, NSN 1055-01-059-0560, LIN L67021

      o M250, NSN 1055-00-000-0138, LIN L44680

      o M257, NSN 1055-01-070-1213, LIN L44031

      o M259, NSN 1055-01-107-7501, LIN L44748

      Smoke grenade launchers in condition codes F or H should be sent to:

      RIC: AD1

      DODAAC: W41CE8

      XU W0K4 USA OSC Pine Bluff Arsenal

      Army Non-ammo Field Service Account 53990

      507th Str

      Pine Bluff AR 71602-9500

      For launchers in all other condition codes, contact Ramon Perez for mailing instructions at DSN 786-1553, (586) 282-1553, or email:

      ramon.j.perez.civ@mail.mil   

      Units should send the launchers via military shipping at their own

cost.  No credit will be given to the units for the launchers to the units.  

To download the PDF or view larger images, click here!

 https://www.shelflife.hq.dla.mil/

You must register for an account the first time you visit. From the menu, choose the Shelf-Life Extension Program (SLES), then the Quality Status List (QSL). If the contract, lot, and batch of the NSN you enter was tested and has passed and been extended, it will show up on the QSL. If your item was stored using proper storage standards, then QSL test results are your authority to extend the item’s shelf life. For help, read the online FAQ or contact the Army shelf-life POC at DSN 795-7685, (570) 615-7685, or email: sles.army@dla.mil