Deployable rapid assembly shelter

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The Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter ( or DRASH) is a portable, geodesic shelter that can be set up with few or no tools. The structure is supported by rods made up of a carbon fiber composite. The DRASH corporation handles all the assembly, maintenance, training and sales for these shelters.

These shelters have footprints from 100 ft² (9.3m²) up to 1200 ft² (112 m²). Each shelter comes with flooring and ground covers manufactured from polyester and nylon to US military standards. DRASH also provides generators and trailers plus various accessories for the shelters themselves. Several of these accessories can be used to link shelters together. For transport or storage, the shelters collapse into a cylinder that can be stowed on a trailer or HMMWV. Teams of four to six can erect a shelter simply by pulling on the sides of the shelter.

1 Use
- 1.1 Military
- 1.2 Civilian
2 Controversy
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Use

[edit] Military

The US military is using these shelters in place of the various tents and shelters used in the past. The Department of Defense has awarded DRASH several contracts.^[1] DRASH has logistics teams onsite in Iraq, Kuwait, Germany and Eastern Europe. These teams do all of the repair and support work for the shelters, generators and trailers.

[edit] Civilian

Hurricane Katrina caused a surge of interest in DRASH shelters. In Louisiana, an emergency medical team used a DRASH shelter as a mobile hospital.^[2]

The state of Connecticut dedicated a drash field hospital to a victim of the anthrax attacks of 2001.^[3]

[edit] Controversy

DRASH corporation employs retired U.S. representative George J. Hochbrueckner to act as a government lobbyist. This practice has come under fire as an example of revolving door syndrome. ^[1]