The Honorable Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, is briefed on the latest research and developments in body armor and combat helmets in the Low Velocity Impact and Ballistic Lab during a visit to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts.

The Honorable Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, is briefed on the latest research and developments in body armor and combat helmets in the Low Velocity Impact and Ballistic Lab during a visit to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts.

The Honorable Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, receives a briefing and tour of the Combat Maneuver Lab inside the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Jared C. Monti Soldier Squad Research Facility during a visit to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts.

The Honorable Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, shakes hands with a Soldier supporting load carriage research in the Biomechanics Lab at the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Jared C. Monti Soldier Squad Research Facility during a visit to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts.

The Honorable Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, shakes hands with Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (no relation) during a visit to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts.

NATICK, Mass – During a recent visit to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, the Honorable Dan Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, witnessed the center’s critical role in modernizing Soldier-focused technologies and performance optimization.

Secretary Driscoll saw how Soldier Center’s established scientific and engineering expertise has driven Army Science and Technology innovation and continues to advance the research and development of superior equipment and novel technologies that protect Soldiers and enhance their performance and lethality on the battlefield.

The visit marked the Secretary’s first to the U.S. Army Garrison Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC) and showcased the unique onsite facilities, laboratories, and personnel conducting rigorous research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts to validate and transition a wide range of Soldier technologies supporting Army Modernization priorities.

“This visit was a great opportunity to demonstrate the professionalism, expertise, and mission focus of our workforce to the Army’s leader,” said Soldier Center Director Doug Tamilio, SES, who hosted the visit. “We showed how our capabilities and efforts directly support Soldiers, Army Modernization, and the broader mission of the Army.”

The Secretary received briefings and tours of Soldier Protection efforts, highlighting progress in improved protection and weight reduction for combat helmets, body armor with small arms and fragmentation protection, and combat eye protection with anti-fog capabilities.

The Soldier Protection Directorate also briefed their cold weather protection efforts, including prototypes of arctic uniforms, boots, and survival gear, camouflage and concealment technologies, and Chemical Biological protection systems featuring a self-detoxifying suit.

Soldier Center’s Low Velocity Impact and Composite Armor Lab demonstrated the latest innovations in custom and 3D-printed helmet liners capable of improving fit and comfort while achieving new levels of protection from mild-Traumatic Brain Injury, or mTBI.

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (no relation) stopped by to formally welcome the Secretary to the only active-duty Army base in New England, emphasizing the strong partnerships between the center and the Bay State.

Soldier Center works closely with the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force (MASS-TF) to leverage the region’s rich ecosystem of esteemed academic research institutions and thriving high-tech industry.

These important partnerships reinforce Soldier Center’s ability to adapt to a rapidly evolving technology landscape and remain aligned with Secretary Driscoll’s Army Modernization Strategy and Organic Industrial Base modernization plan.

Lt.Gov. Driscoll joined the Secretary for an overview of the Department of War (DOW) Combat Feeding Division (CFD) and a combat ration demonstration before departing.

The afternoon included a drop tower demonstration using the Aerial Delivery & Autonomous Deployment of Unmanned Vehicles (ADADUV) on a Rapid Rigging and De-Rigging Airdrop System platform to drop an Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) without honeycomb as a shock absorber.

The final tour stop was to the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Jared C. Monti Soldier & Squad Research Facility, where Secretary Driscoll first paid tribute to the fallen Congressional Medal of Honor recipient by placing his coin inside the display cases containing Monti’s uniforms and items depicting his military service.

Inside the Monti Facility, Soldier Center demonstrated the Combat Maneuver Laboratory (CML) and the Biomechanics and Engineering Laboratory capabilities, featuring the immersive 3D simulation environment, highly reconfigurable space, and motion capture cameras for human performance testing and integrating equipment and technologies with squads and individual Soldiers.

As the visit concluded, Secretary Driscoll’s impression of DEVCOM Soldier Center was clear.

“I have been all over the world and been briefed on different technologies, and sometimes it’s hard to draw the line on how the technology directly affects Soldiers,” he said. “Not the case here; the work you do here directly affects Soldiers. And that’s awesome.”