{"id":27150,"date":"2017-09-28T19:03:49","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T19:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/28\/new-marine-backpack-frames-delayed-by-hurricane-maria\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T21:03:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:03:30","slug":"new-marine-backpack-frames-delayed-by-hurricane-maria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2017\/09\/28\/new-marine-backpack-frames-delayed-by-hurricane-maria\/","title":{"rendered":"New Marine backpack frames delayed by Hurricane Maria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hurricane Maria has delayed the fielding of about 16,000 reinforced backpack frames for Marines, a Corps official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marine Corps ordered the reinforced frames after Marines in Norway and the School of Infantry reported their backpack frames were breaking, said Lt. Col. Christopher Madeline of Marine Corps Systems Command<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the vendor that received the contract for the frames is based in Puerto Rico, said Madeline, program manager for infantry combat equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Sept. 15, M&M Manufacturing in Lajas, Puerto Rico, was awarded a $25.5 million contract for Marine Corps backpack systems, the Defense Department announced on its website. Work was expected to be conducted in Puerto Rico through September 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not the manufacturing facility, thank God, but they were a coordinator of this frame,\u201d Madeline told Marine Corps Times on Thursday. \u201cWe don\u2019t anticipate much of a delay, but there will be a delay simply because the whole island was devastated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t