Hear Ye · AUSA Annual Meeting · Wed 14 Oct 2026

The dossier, abridged

What the research found, who owns the problem, and the few things that matter on the day. The full dossier and contact directory sit behind this.

BLUF

The Army's hearing problem is owned by medicine and public health, not by acquisition. Nobody buys passive, communication-preserving protectors today, so the job at AUSA is to find the people who could, and leave with names and next steps.

Position as a complement to TCAPS, never a replacement. Strongest fit is steady noise of 85 to 95 dBA: maintainers, motor pools, generators, range cadre. Weak for weapons impulse
The only funded deadline is xTech|Search 10, white paper due 19 Oct, 5pm ET. The STTR track fits Penn State
Army PIT at booth 1525 is the hub and the only realistic route to PM Soldier Survivability, the acquisition owner
Buyers want data, not claims. Independent NRR, impulse and speech numbers from an NVLAP lab are the price of entry after the 3M Combat Arms settlement
Corporate targets are partners, not buyers: letters of support and test data
One meeting is booked: DHA matchmaking with Adrianne McCall, Wed 10:00, Room 201. Her role is unverified, so make one ask
One blocker is ours: SAM.gov registration

What the research established all High confidence unless marked

Overprotection is realNIOSH: most workers need 10 dB or less. Heavy attenuation degrades localization; HCE's 2026 studies show protectors double front-back confusions
Fielded plugs underperformUSAARL's UH-60 study (Jul 2026) measured only 10 to 15 dB in the field
Comms-preserving winsWalter Reed and 4th Infantry Division (2025): communication-preserving protection beat foam on squad performance
Fit testing is policyDoDI 6055.12 (2024) above 95 dBA TWA; HCE runs the task force
No program of recordTCAPS cancelled; money arrives as congressional adds ($7.5M to Aware Defense in FY26) Medium
DLA already buys closeA filtered-earplug RFQ in FSC 6515 closed 21 Sep 2026, so a buying path exists without an NSN Medium

Who owns the problem the owners are mostly off the floor

Army PIT and FUZEbooth 1525Door to the acquisition owner and the funded door. Ask PIT to broker the PM SSV intro and name who owns hearing. Daiyaan, Willis, Stillman, Topolosky
PM Soldier Survivabilityvia PIT, booth 7027Acquisition owner. Lindh, Jones, Clements. No open requirement, so ask for the SEP path and what test data they need
DHA Hearing Center of Excellenceno boothPolicy owner. Wisneski, Hecht. The one question: would a 10 to 15 dB personal attenuation rating count as fit-test success
Walter Reed NMASCno boothEvaluation partner. Brungart, Sheffield wrote the localization test. Ask for a passive arm in the next squad study
VA NCRAR and TTPbooths 408, 410Research door. A VA investigator unlocks SPiRE; a no-funds CRADA protects IP. Konrad-Martin, Kaplan, McClenney
DLA OSBPbooth 318Fastest buying path (DAPA or ECAT). Kurze, Goodwine. Blocked on SAM
WAHTS, Team Wendy, Galvion7522, 855, 7917Test, field and integration partners. Letters of support; can WAHTS rate a vented device

Every booth, ranked, with people and the ask: the floor map.

Funding doors in date order

19 Oct5pm ETxTech|Search 10, STTR track the deadline
Prizes, then Phase I to $300K. Frame as survivability and communication, never medicine
4 Novor 4 MarNSF SBIR/STTR Phase I, $305K. Project Pitch first
5 Jan 2027NIH NIDCD STTR, $400K. Registrations take six weeks or more
After 1 OctONR FY27 Long Range BAA. Ask LaFiandra and Bentley who owns hearing now
Feb to Mar 2027NIOSH R01/R21 and VA SPiRE through an NCRAR investigator
RollingDLA DAPA or ECAT; GSA MAS. Three to six months once SAM is live

Risks and the handling

xTech medical exclusionScope the Army entry on form factor and disclose the overlap with NSF and NIH
Impulse gapWeapons fire exceeds 140 dBP. Complement TCAPS, target the 85 to 95 dBA users, start an ANSI S12.42 story early
Litigation shadowIndependent NVLAP data first. Ask HCE and WAHTS how a 15 dB rating would score against the 25 dB fit-test target
Acquisition churnNo named hearing product manager. Ask PIT to name the owner; do not guess

Rules for the floor

One ask per contact. Success is a name and a follow-up meeting
Complement TCAPS, never replace it
Data, not claims
Never frame xTech as medicine
Thank-you notes on 15 to 16 Oct name the agreed next step

Open items only Jake can close

Home state (decides VEDP, NYSTAR, TEDCO or Ben Franklin). SAM and the NIH registrations. The prior Beretta contact's name. The other two matchmaking slots. Veteran-owned status.

Abridged from the Hear Ye AUSA 2026 Dossier and Contact Directory, 1 Oct 2026. Confidence levels are carried over as written there: High is an official or primary source from 2025 to 2026, Medium a reputable secondary source. Nothing here was added beyond those documents.