Inside look at Yuma Proving Ground’s Electro Optical Maintenance Lab

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) was able to give us a behind-the-scenes look at where all of its designs and repairs are made.

The Electro Optical Maintenance lab is responsible for a variety of things, from cameras to lenses for bomb-defusing robots.

“Big projects show up here on YPG with a lot of attention on them that the military is really paying attention to at the moment or that we just have a lot of attention on,” said Steven Taylor, an Optical Engineer who's part of the Engineering Support Branch.

The lab also recently acquired a router table, which can be used to make multiple spare parts out of a single sheet of aluminum.

However, the lab still uses older technology as well.

“Sometimes equipment does fail or we have a lot of older equipment that we use out here that’s still relative to the testing and so we also maintain those systems as well,” said Andrew Trujillo, an EM Lab Supervisor.

And while the work needs consistent innovations, designing, and fixing, the people in the lab remember who they are helping.

“How much they love supporting the military and the guys and the women that are out there you know the warfighters. You know when we think about them and what they doing for us and the little things that we’re doing here… whatever we can do to help support them you know it makes even that much more enjoyable for us,” said Taylor.

With new and old equipment the lab must continually innovate to come up with new solutions to new problems.