Page 14 - The MIL Connection: Summer 2023

MIL’s fiber splicing solution

By: Garrett Smith
MIL’s REPS sector built a custom fiber splicing trailer to meet unique outside cable
plant challenges for one of our DoD sponsors. REPS is part of a team installing tens
of thousands of feet of copper and fiber optic cables through a system of conduits,
maintenance holes, and hand holes between buildings across a military installation.
To successfully complete the fiber installation phase of the project, a workspace for
splicing was required that was shielded from the elements, climate-controlled, self-
sustained, rapidly deployed, small, mobile, and towable by a utility terrain vehicle.
REPS personnel investigated trailer rentals but were unable to find one that would
meet all requirements. After determining the cost and delivery timeline of buying
a small turnkey splicing trailer was prohibitive, the team developed a proposal to
build our own solution from a standard enclosed trailer and worked with the sector
EVP Tom Clark to invest in this capability for the REPS Sector. Team member Robert
McCartney designed the splicing trailer to include key features such as a weatherproof
pass-through solution for cables to enter the trailer, a hinged worktable, roof-mounted
HVAC, integrated electrical wiring, LED lighting, plus generator and toolbox mounts.
Robert also led an integration team that included Brannon Scrivener and JR Hall to
modify, integrate, and test the splicing trailer. The REPS splicing trailer has been in use
at the sponsor site for approximately six months and has been essential for successful
execution of the fiber splicing phase of the project. The MIL Team demonstrated
creativity and expertise, rapidly providing a critical capability to our customer that
was otherwise unavailable. The splicing trailer is an excellent resource to complement
and augment REPS cable infrastructure capabilities. The trailer configuration is also
flexible, allowing use for other efforts once this project is complete. You may even find
REPS personnel serving ice cream cones out of the trailer at a future MIL event!

14 | the MIL connection | summer 2023