Gen. Joseph M. Martin, U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff OTC 50th Birthday Shoutout gives a shout-out to the West Fort Hood, Texas-based U.S. Army Operational Test Command (OTC) for its birthday to help celebrate 50 years of Operational Testing since October 1, 1969.

Martin commanded OTC June 2012 -- April 2013.

Operational testing began Oct. 1, 1969, and as the Army's only independent operational tester, OTC is celebrating "50 Years of Operational Testing."

The unit enlists the "Total Army" (Active, National Guard, and Reserve) when testing Army, joint, and multi-service warfighting systems in realistic operational environments, using typical Soldiers to determine whether the systems are effective, suitable, and survivable. OTC is required by public law to test major systems before they are fielded to its ultimate customer - the American Soldier. (Video by Faith Quiroga, Video Editor, Army Multimedia & Visual Information Directorate)