Master Sgt. Horace Murray, center, NCO in charge, 982nd Combat Camera Company (Airborne), East Point, Ga., is assisted by Spc. Christopher Bellanfant II, left, combat cameraman, 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera), Fort Meade, Md., and Pfc. Cheyenne Smith, public affairs specialist, 14th Public Affairs Detachment, Fort Carson, while editing video footage for his training module using the new Tactical Digital Media laptop. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke)
By Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke
2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — A team of hand-selected Soldiers from the Army’s digital media community (25 and 26 series) teamed up to test and evaluate a new project named Tactical Digital Media in October 2017.
The team comprised of 20 active-duty and Reserve Soldiers, to include six public affairs Soldiers from Fort Carson, tested camera and audio equipment items to validate the best components that will be part of standardized camera kits scheduled to start heading to Army units in January.
The Soldiers experimented with the camera gear on post, nearby wildlife areas, the National Mall and in Washington, D.C., New York City and other major cities.
The primary test involved Soldiers teaming up to create tutorial videos, assisting with the developments of a new Army Technical Manual and providing usability feedback on every component within each kit variation. By using the kits to create tutorials, the Soldiers were able to validate functionality and ease of use. Part of the development allowed for feedback on component usability and whether or not to switch it out for a different variant.
“These kits ease the logistical burdens that have plagued the Army’s visual information field for years,” said Kyle Perkins, product lead for Tactical Digital Media (TDM), Project Manager Mission Command.
Previously, Army digital media troops didn’t have a one-stop shop for new camera gear; also, centralized funding chargeable to the Army wasn’t available. This forced Soldiers to assume the burden of finding products to buy, price compare, justify to leadership and finally compete with other departments for a limited pot of money within their unit. As a result, Soldiers would end up working with outdated, substandard and broken gear with little to no way to replace or update it, except through a tedious and long process.
Spc. Sharell Madden, left, combat cameraman, 982nd Combat Camera Company (Airborne), East Point, Ga., configures the new LED light kit for a mock interview during a Tactical Digital Media camera equipment test at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke)
“Tactical Digital Media is meant to equip, with a standard issue kit, visual information equipment for combat photographers, public affairs and Special Forces psychological operations Soldiers,” said Perkins.
Two different kits will be available: the Tactical Media Acquisition Kit (TMAK) for still photography and the Digital Video Acquisition Kit (DVAK) for video operations. Both sets boast a full-frame digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR), and a high-end laptop with 4K touch-screen resolution, the latest Adobe photo and video editing software and the ability to connect to tactical networks. In addition, the DVAK includes a Canon C100 cinema camera that has the capability to utilize multiple still-frame camera lenses adding a new capability. Previously, Soldiers used large cumbersome fixed lens video cameras that could be difficult to use in tactical environments with no telephoto lens options.
The new kits will allow Soldiers to finally use high-end camera gear commonly used by professional photographers at each assignment that they are already trained on, compared to constantly relearning a variety of old substandard or newer midgrade equipment that the unit has available.
Before the final kit could be pieced together, an initial group of digital media Soldiers came together to assist with the process of deciding what major items would be in the final version.
“The first assessment completed in December 2016 was a product prove out where we took different cameras from major companies to do photo and video testing comparisons for a week. We decided on the camera equipment, a Canon EOS Mk IV and a GoPro Hero 5,” said Sgt. 1st Class Katrina Craig,
materiel developer NCO, Army Public Affairs Center, Fort Meade, Maryland.
She pointed out that they wanted to achieve an organic sample of the career field showing a range of experience, skill and imagery expertise areas.
“What I found during these assessments is that everybody spoke with one voice, even the Soldiers that prefer other brands, on choosing the Mk IV.”
The final version of the kits was decided by a collaboration of public affairs, combat camera and Military Information Support Operations Soldiers working with the Army Public Affairs Center.
“I’m super excited to be here, and be a part of this TDM testing,” said Spc. Sharell Madden, 982nd Combat Camera Company (Airborne). “I am extremely pleased with all the equipment that came in it. For me, it’s been a great opportunity.”
Final TDM testing at Aberdeen includes using the Transportable Tactical Command Communications (T2C2) which provides satellite capability to small detachments and teams operating in remote locations without network infrastructure.
Sgt. Micah Merrill, right, public affairs NCO, and Staff Sgt. Jeremy Ganz, senior broadcast NCO, both with Fort Carson’s 14th Public Affairs Detachment, work on Tactical Digital Media (TDM) products using the new TDM laptop as part of a 20-person team from within the visual information community during equipment testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke)
The Soldiers used the T2C2 to upload and download media products over the Army’s tactical network.
As the testing concludes, the digital media Soldiers will field the kits at their home stations.
A few kits will be tested further at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana, and at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California.
Now armed to capture imagery with the latest full-frame Canon DSLR camera and a GoPro Hero 5 action camera, plus dozens of accessories, the Soldiers will put the equipment to the test in uncontrolled garrison and tactical locations throughout the Army.
“I’m looking forward to testing it out in a combat-simulated environment. I feel like now we have top-tier equipment that we can use to enhance our coverage
capabilities,” said Madden.
The true test of the kit, according to Craig, will be when visual information Soldiers such as Madden deploy to combat training centers and theaters of operation such as Afghanistan, Africa and Iraq.