NATICK, Mass. – Brigadier General John M. Cushing — commanding general of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM — recently visited the DEVCOM Soldier Center, or DEVCOM SC.
Douglas Tamilio, director of DEVCOM SC, hosted the visit, which included briefings from DEVCOM SC scientists and engineers, as well as researchers from the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, or USARIEM. DEVCOM SC and USARIEM are frequent research partners and are co-located at the Natick Soldier Systems Center, or NSSC.
“It’s a honor to welcome Brigadier General Cushing to the Soldier Center,” said Tamilio. “It’s an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the many ways in which the Soldier Center ensures our warfighters are protected, optimized and lethal. We strive to prepare our Soldiers not only for existing battlefields but also for future conflicts.”
During the visit, DEVCOM SC subject matter experts briefed Cushing on the Doriot Climatic Chambers and Human Research Volunteer Program; cold weather clothing and equipment; chem/bio defense; power and energy technologies; DoD combat feeding priorities; and the Measuring and Advancing Soldier Tactical Readiness and Effectiveness, or MASTR-E, program.
Cushing toured DEVCOM SC’s Soldier Squad Performance Research Institute, or S2PRINT; the Design, Pattern and Prototype Studio; the Textile Equipment Prototype Shop; the Low Velocity Impact Laboratory and Ballistic Laboratory; and Combat Feeding facilities.
Erin Gaffney Stomberg, PhD, RD, division chief of Combat Feeding in DEVCOM SC’s Soldier Sustainment Directorate, valued the opportunity to brief Cushing.
“It was a great opportunity to get to meet the new DEVCOM commanding general, and it was an honor to share some of the work that the Combat Feeding Division is executing on behalf of the joint Combat Feeding Research and Engineering Program,” said Stomberg. “He seemed genuinely interested in the mission and appreciative of the capabilities developed under the program and shared some first-hand experience with MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat), as well as Performance Readiness Bars. His positivity, passion for the mission and appreciation for what DEVCOM and the Soldier Center do were immediately evident.”
Cushing also learned about the Innovation Collaboration Laboratory for Nanotechnologies to Empower the Future Soldier, or ICONS. ICONs is a collaborative effort that brings together DEVCOM SC and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, or JSNN.
USARIEM subject matter experts briefed Cushing on the work being performed by USARIEM’s Military Nutrition Division, Military Performance Division, and Thermal Mountain Division.
During a town hall for DEVCOM SC employees, Cushing said that he was excited to be at the Soldier Center. He mentioned Soldier items developed by DEVCOM SC, including helmets, clothing and Soldier equipment.
“You are the people who are working to develop all these capabilities,” said Cushing. “You saved Soldier lives during my multiple deployments, Thank you for what you do.”
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About DEVCOM Soldier Center: The DEVCOM Soldier Center is committed to discovering, developing, and advancing science and technology solutions that ensure America’s warfighters are optimized, protected, and lethal. DEVCOM Soldier Center supports all of the Army's Modernization efforts, with the Soldier Lethality and Synthetic Training Environment Cross Functional Teams being the DEVCOM Soldier Center’s chief areas of focus. The center’s science and engineering expertise are combined with collaborations with industry, DOD, and academia to advance Soldier and squad performance. The center supports the Army as it transforms from being adaptive to driving innovation to support a Multi-Domain Operations Capable Force of 2028 and a MDO Ready Force of 2035. DEVCOM Soldier Center is constantly working to strengthen Soldiers’ performance to increase readiness and support for warfighters who are organized, trained, and equipped for prompt and sustainable ground combat.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) outreach and mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers are also an important part of the mission of DEVCOM Soldier Center. The mentoring of students by Army scientists and engineers benefits the students and their communities. It also increases young people's awareness of potential Army job opportunities and helps provide the Army with potential new talent, helping to fuel innovative ideas that benefit the nation's warfighters and the nation as a whole.
DEVCOM Soldier Center is part of DEVCOM. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, DEVCOM leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely. DEVCOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.
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