August 28, 2001 — MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NJ — Deployed airmen of the Air Mobility Command have a new weapon to use under the threat of chemical attack– a collapsible cleanroom-like structure called a Transportable Collective Protection System (TCPS).

The expandable tent has a special protective lining combined with a powerful air pump, which positively pressurizes the inside of the tent so airborne contaminants cannot penetrate the outside lining. The new system is expected to have a significant impact on training for future civil engineers of Air Mobility Command, say Steve Robertson, 305th Civil Engineering Squadron Readiness Flight chief.

Fourteen TCPS units, he explained, are ready for deployment anywhere in the world.

?The vision surrounding this equipment is that our folks should be able to take it to chemical high-threat areas, set it up and maintain it so deployed airmen can work inside without additional protective gear, even if there is a chemical attack going on outside,? Robertson said.

Some functions for the TCPS include living quarters, dining facilities, medical clinics and workspace.