CBRNE Materiel Acquisition
ECBC drives technology transitions from research to engineering and development to production, fielding and sustainment. To support these CB concept through sustainment solutions, ECBC leverages its engineering capabilities and personnel who are certified across the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act acquisition career fields to ensure technologies are developed to meet the warfighter’s needs. To accomplish this, ECBC maintains a cadre of systems engineering professionals trained in Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering (SPRDE) to achieve CBRNE solutions for program offices in the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD), U.S. Army and other agency partners. Through the systems engineering process, ECBC provides life-cycle support to continuously maintain item readiness, address ongoing user concerns and seek improvements to products in close coordination with partner Program Managers. ECBC provides support in the commodity areas of detection, protection, decontamination, smoke and obscuration.
Expertise and/or capabilities:
CBRNE Acquisition Workforce | Systems Engineering (Detection, Protection, Decontamination, & Smoke)
Life Cycle Engineering (Concept Development, Rapid Prototyping, Manufacturing Support) | Subject Matter Expertise via Reachback
Latest News:
Hard to Fit? ECBC Has the Easy Solution
When it comes to masking and special equipment for the Warfighter, one size does not always fit all. Some servicemen and women need custom tailored clothing and equipment, and not having that equipment can cost opportunities and even jobs. Cindy Learn, an engineer with Edgewood Chemical Biological Center Protection Engineering Division’s Joint Service Respirator Sustainment and Test Technology Branch, recalls comforting a distraught servicewoman over the phone when her deployment was in jeopardy because of an ill-fitting mask.
“The standard protective mask did not fit the small frame of her face,” Learn said. “A Warfighter cannot be deployed without a mask that fits properly and securely to the face.”
Thanks to the Hard to Fit program, rejuvenated by Learn and others in her branch, that same servicewoman was able to obtain a protective mask specially adjusted to fit her face just in time for deployment.
“I remember her being so grateful we were able to help her get the right mask,” Learn said. “Many do not realize there are infinite different shapes and sizes of faces, and having a protective mask that fits well is essential to any deployable mission. Not being able to get your hands on the right fitting mask could be a career ender for some.”
With a team motto of “No Warfighter left behind,” members of the Hard to Fit Program make it their mission to ensure all deployable personnel have the correct-sized mask. Hard to Fit is a G-8 funded program housed within ECBC’s Protection Engineering Division. The program fits members of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as civilians who have mask requirements for their jobs.
According to Learn, the group fit 100 people in 2011 and has fit 30 so far in 2012.
“We have issued only one Non-Deployable Memorandum since I started working with this program in 2006. We do our best to attain the mask with the best fit for those who need them.”
The process of fitting and ordering the needed sizes usually takes two to three weeks, but the group is working to accelerate the process. Once a person obtains their mask from Hard to Fit, it is theirs to keep for life.
For more information about Hard to Fit, see Army Technical Bulletin TB 3-4240-341-20-1.
BioTechnology Branch Recognized by DoD for Standardization Efforts
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s BioTechnology Branch was recognized for developing and validating an Antibody Quality Management System by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Engineering and received one of five 2012 Defense Standardization Awards at a Pentagon awards ceremony on March 14, 2012.
Antibodies that are able to recognize and bind specific biological entities, such as bacteria, viruses and toxins, play a key role in biological agent detection and diagnostic devices for the Department of Defense (DoD). The effectiveness of an antibody in a given assay platform critically depends on whether its biophysical properties are within well-defined parameters that equate to its predicted function.
Now, U.S. Army scientists have established a standard for characterizing the biophysical properties of antibodies. The BioTechnology Branch, in support of the DoD Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, Critical Reagents Program (CRP), has implemented an Antibody Quality Management System that has received ISO 17025:2005 certification for analyzing the biophysical properties of antibodies that enable program managers to make early decisions in accepting or rejecting antibody production lots.
“The biggest challenge we faced in implementing our Antibody Quality Management System,” said Roy Thompson, BioTechnology Branch chief and quality program champion, “was training the mind-set of research scientists to enthusiastically focus on the exacting day-to-day requirements for documentation and accurate record-keeping an ISO-certified Quality Management System requires.”
With the Antibody Quality Management System in place, there is significantly more certainty in trusting the results of antibody-based detection and diagnostic assays and less worry that negative assays are due to unreactive antibodies.
At $100 per milligram replacement cost, remanufacturing just one gram of antibody due to quality issues costs the DoD CRP $100K. With inventory volumes commonly exceeding 5 grams (5000 milligrams) per antibody, and the CRP selling antibodies for $600 - $700 per milligram, the market value of the CRP inventory easily exceeds hundreds of millions of dollars.
The value of the BioTechnology Branch’s Antibody Quality Management System and standardization of testing has also been recognized by others for its added value. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected the BioTechnology Branch as its independent test laboratory to evaluate methods for improving antibody stability and affinity in its Antibody Technology Program, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency-Joint Science and Technology Office has provided additional funding for developing new methods for physically characterizing antibodies and other proteins.
ECBC Industrial Base Office and AMC Industrial Base Capabilities Division Form Strategic Partnership
Large-scale emergencies have the potential to interfere with the sustainment of the U.S. Army Industrial Base Program. However, thanks to a recent partnership between the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) Industrial Base Office (IBO) and the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s (AMC) Industrial Base Capabilities Division (IBCD), the Army IB Program will remain functional despite the occurrence of unforeseen disasters. As a part of this new partnership, the ECBC IBO—located at Rock Island Arsenal—now serves as a second line to AMC, providing mission-critical functions in the event of an emergency that downgrades AMC IBCD’s ability to provide program sustainment.
The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is activated when any unplanned event or emergency directly impacts the ability of the AMC IBCD to execute the Army’s IB Program. AMC IBCD and ECBC IBO’s relationship began five years ago with a memorandum of agreement (MOA) designating ECBC IBO as an internal branch of AMC IBCD that assists with the management of tasks, project plans and assessments. The synergy and customer support produced from this interagency MOA influenced AMC IBCD in January 2012 to designate ECBC IBO as the COOP Alternative Activity for the Army’s IB Program.
“In today’s information intensive environment, it is critical to have backup plans to ensure seamless program operation and sustainment,” said Eric Hoover, ECBC IB team leader. “The COOP MOA provides this function not only between AMC IBCD and ECBC IBO but also to other internal and external customers.”
The resulting COOP MOA provides a business process between the two agencies, ensuring that mission-critical functions are performed by ECBC IBO in the event of a disaster impacting Headquarters, AMC. The scope of the MOA encompasses all actions required for continuity of operations to include joint planning, preparatory measures, response actions, and restoration activities to maintain industrial base capabilities, U.S. Army readiness and survivability of the warfighter.
“The selection of ECBC IBO was not only a great tribute to the hard work of our staff, but also a reflection of our customer’s appreciation and trust for the excellent services provided,” said Hoover.
Detection Engineering Branch Continues Partnership with Japan Ministry of Defense to Improve Chemical Agent Detector
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) Detection Engineering Branch and the Japan Ministry of Defense , Technical Research and Development Institute, Advanced Defense Technology Center (TRDI-ADTeC) continue to partner on a cooperative research project to improve the Palm-sized Automated Chemical Agent Detector (PACAD).
The two organizations agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in March 2008, with objectives to cooperatively research, design, fabricate and test the PACAD, which is based on the chemistry of the U.S. M256A1 Chemical Agent Detector and Japanese expertise in microfluidic, electro-optical and miniaturization technologies.
The project was extended in April 2011 through an approved amendment to the PACAD MOU to provide additional time for both sides to address results observed in testing. In March 2012, both sides agreed to continue efforts for the rest of Amendment One which ends March 2013.
“Working on a project like this has been a wonderful experience for the Detection Engineering Branch,” said Dr. James Baker, ECBC associate director and U.S. technical project officer. “I hope that we find other projects that will allow us to collaborate with the Japanese to capitalize on both of our strengths and continue this relationship.”
Representatives of TRDI-ADTeC and their contractor visited ECBC from September through October 2011 to support cooperative testing of the PACAD prototype. Following the testing phase of the project, members of the ECBC PACAD Project Team traveled to Japan in December 2011 to meet with the TRDI-ADTeC team to conduct a preliminary review of the test results, evaluate the current level of capability and determine next steps in the project. The teams also began compiling recent and previous test results into a required joint final report for submission to the necessary agencies.
The TRDI-ADTeC team returned to ECBC in March 2012 to review and finalize test results before reporting the current status of the PACAD Project to the joint steering committee, co-chaired by Baker and the director of TRDI-ADTeC. ECBC also proposed joint follow-on efforts to continue the U.S.-Japan working relationship.
Employees Sustain Growth of Product Integration Facility at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center not only creates equipment for the Warfighter at home in the United States. ECBC’s employees are also deploying to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, to offer technical assistance in theater. Employees work out of Product Integration Facilities (PIF), where warfighters can bring any equipment they are having technical issues with. The Center’s efforts are part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Field Assistance Science and Technology (RFAST) program.
“Being stationed abroad gives
This RFAST program deploys civilian engineers and technicians to Bagram Airfield for three to six months to give the warfighter face-to-face assistance with all technical equipment needs. The program’s mission is to streamline communication between the warfighter and the technical professionals to troubleshoot issues with equipment. The technicians and engineers stationed abroad can examine equipment, identify capability gaps and work directly with the warfighter to develop working solutions efficiently.
Setting-up
ECBC’s Advanced Design and Manufacturing Division (ADM) assisted with the setup of the Afghanistan PIF, and along with other RDECOM organizations, supported personnel members’ day-to-day functions. Together, engineers and technicians work closely with the Joint Program Office for Mine Resistant Ambush Protection, the Program Manager for Forward Looking Infrared, the Program Manager for Tactical Vehicles and the Program Manager for Assured Mobility Systems to find on-the-spot solutions.
Kevin Washok of ADM helped set up the RFAST program at Bagram Airfield in Summer 2011. Some of the initial responsibilities of organizing the PIF included determining what services the Bagram site would offer and how the RFAST mission would work in Afghanistan, including coordination with continental United States resources such as the RDECOM PIFs, program managers and ECBC’s safety community. Andrew Cote of ECBC’s Safety and Health Office helped Washok establish a safety program at Bagram modeled after ECBC’s Safety Program.
“Having ECBC engineers and technicians stationed abroad gives warfighters the advantage of having their needs quickly met, and gives the technical workers immediate insight and ideas on how to improve the equipment they build,” Washok said.
In Summer 2012, ADM deployed its fifth engineer to the RFAST program with more to follow.