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Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox military unit The DEVCOM Soldier Center (Combat Capabilities Development Command, abbreviated DEVCOM SC or CCDC SC), formerly the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), is a military research complex and installation in Natick, Massachusetts, charged by the U.S. Department of Defense with the research and development (including fielding and sustainment) of food, clothing, shelters, airdrop systems, and other servicemember support items for the U.S. military.<ref>CCDC Soldier Center official website</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is a component unit of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) and is a tenant unit of the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC).<ref>U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center official website</ref> The installation includes facilities from all the military services, not just the Army, and is so configured to allow cross-service cooperation and collaboration both within the facility and with the many academic, industrial and governmental institutions in the Greater Boston Area.

DEVCOM is subordinate to U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) headquartered in Austin, Texas, which was activated in July 2018. U.S. Army Futures Command was formerly U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

NSSC is sometimes called the Natick Army Labs, although this designation more properly refers to one of its tenant units, the U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center.

The installationEdit

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File:PDN Levels RGB InDfalt Out255 0.70 0, A-L, AKVIS HC-N, Shrpns60 HC-N, PDN Absframecrop, Rotate Bicubic 3.25 deg - Area view Color Film Negative NSSC Photo Collection (ca. 1951–1984) 008158 image primary(.png).jpg
Soldier Systems Center Natick on Lake Cochituate, ca. 1960

NSSC occupies Template:Convert at its main Natick campus and has an additional Template:Convert in neighboring communities. The main campus is located to the northwest of Natick center and abuts upon Lake Cochituate.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Employee/tenant numbers total 1,957 (159 military personnel, 1,048 civilians and 750 contractors).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The SSC public relations office reported that the installation’s FY2006 funding totaled approximately $1 billion and that the facilities infuse more than $135 million annually into the local economy through installation salaries, utilities, and local contracts.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The installation commander is a U.S. Army Brigadier General, currently BG George Hackler, who also serves as the Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

MissionEdit

NSSC includes facilities designed to research and test both materials (textiles, combat rations), advanced technologies and human performance (human research volunteers) under simulated environmental extremes (altitude, heat, cold, wind, etc.). The requirement for improved combat rations has led to groundbreaking developments in the field of food irradiation and freeze-drying techniques. Improved body armor, new military parachuting technology, and enhanced military garments designed for a variety of environments are all ongoing efforts.

HistoryEdit

Construction of the Quartermaster Research Laboratory at Natick, MA, was authorized by Congress in October 1949, and began in November 1952. A year later, in October 1953, the QRL was redesignated as the Quartermaster Research and Development Center. The center was operable by summer 1954.<ref name=":3" /> It was redesignated as the Quartermaster Research and Engineering Command in January 1957.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

July 1961 saw the activation of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) at Natick and a year later the QREC was placed under the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC). In November 1962, the QREC was redesignated as Natick Laboratories and the following year the Food and Container Institute moved to Natick. July 1967 saw the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility (NCTRF)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> relocate to Natick.<ref name=":0" />

Natick Laboratories became a subordinate element to the Troop Support Command (TROSCOM) in July 1973 and was redesignated two years later as the U.S. Army Natick Development Center and reassigned to the AMC. The NDC was redesignated the U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Command (NARADCOM) in January 1976 and assigned to the U.S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM) (aka AMC, which was redesignated the U.S. Army Materiel Development and Readiness Command (DARCOM) that same month).<ref name=":0" />

In September 1980, NARADCOM was redesignated as the U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Laboratories, and three years later, in October 1983, as the U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Center, a subordinate element of the U.S. Army Troop Support Command (TROSCOM) in St. Louis, Missouri. (Elements of DARCOM and TROSCOM merged in July 1992 forging the U.S. Army Aviation and Troop Command (ATCOM), St. Louis, Mo.)<ref name=":0" />

In 1982, Natick Labs surrendered control of 3,100 acres in the Massachusetts towns of Hudson, Maynard, Stow and Sudbury to Fort Devens to become a field training facility. The land had been an ordnance supply depot during World War II. After being an Environmental Protection Agency "superfund" cleanup site in the 1990s it became the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

In October 1992, the NRDC was redesignated the U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center (NRDEC),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> still a subordinate element of the ATCOM.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command (SSCOM)<ref name=":1" /> was activated at Natick in November 1994. Elements subsequently established at the SSCOM included the Sustainment & Readiness Directorate (February 1995) and Product Manager-Soldier Support (October 1995); elements subsequently relocated to Natick included the Clothing and Services Office (October 1996; from Ft. Lee, Virginia) and Product Manager-Force Provider (June 1997). The Sustainment & Readiness Directorate became the Integrated Material Management Center in October 1997.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SSCOM merged with the Chemical Biological Defense Command (CBDCOM)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> to become the Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM) in October 1998.<ref name=":2" /> At this time the installation was renamed the Soldier Systems Center (SSC).<ref name=":0" /> At some time prior to January 2017, the installation was renamed Soldier Systems Center Natick (SSC).<ref>Video on Soldier Systems Center Natick official Facebook site</ref>

Sometime in the 1990s, NRDEC was redesignated as U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> being redesignated later as U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) in the late 2000s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 3 February 2019, NSRDEC became U.S. Army CCDC Soldier Center (of Combat Capabilities Development Command).<ref name="CCDCSC12">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sometime afterward, the acronym gradually transitioned from CCDC Soldier Center to U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Tenant units and facilitiesEdit

File:PDN Auto-level, AKVIS HC-N, Shrpns40 HC-N, PDN Framecrop - Aerial photograph of U.S. Army Natick Research and Development Laboratories Color Film Negative NSSC Photo Collection (ca. 1970–1993) 007871 image primary(.png).jpg
Soldier Systems Center Natick view, facing south-east

NSSC hosts several tenant units and facilities. The following is a list for each.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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List of research and development commands, centers, offices and elements:

List of facilities and laboratories:

List of commanding generalsEdit

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Template:Abbr Commanding General Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration
As U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command

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As U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center

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As U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center

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Products and systemsEdit

Natick Labs has developed or is developing the following items or systems:

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See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

  • Earls, Alan R., (2005) U.S. Army Natick Laboratories: The Science Behind the Soldier (Series: Images of America), Arcadia Publishing.

This article contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain.

External linksEdit

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