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It’s all about soldier readiness and safety at Natick Soldier Systems Center (aka Natick Army Labs)

May 4, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

We’d always been curious about the Natick Soldier Systems Center, often referred to around town as the Natick Army Labs, so when the opportunity came up to attend a Zoom meeting to learn more about the only active Army installation in New England, we jumped at the chance. Hosted by the Natick Historical Society, NHS director Niki Lefebvre introduced Col. Frank Moore of DEVCOM Soldier Center, one of Natick Lab’s research and technology collaborators. Lefebvre welcomed Moore and asked the occasional clarifying question as he led over 70 participants through a fascinating Power Point presentation about the 174-acre site that includes 459k square feet of lab space and 75 family housing units for active military personnel.

Moore provided an overview of the 15 tenant organizations operating at the Systems Center, all of which are dedicated to one goal: working together to optimize soldier readiness and safety. About 1,500 people are employed at the facility including 1,188 civilians, 90 military personnel, and 220 contractors. The Systems Center takes great pride in the brainpower concentrated in that small corner of Natick—it’s a smart bunch that collectively holds over 1,231 college and university degrees.

A large part of what happens at the Systems Center involves clothing. Both the US Navy and the Coast Guard run research and development on clothing design and textiles. Some other partner organizations work on soldier protective equipment including combat equipment and weaponry systems.

natick army labs soldier systems center

The conversation focused on the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM), where Moore works. The stated mission of DEVCOM, the national and international leader in warfighter science and technology development, is to “provide the Army with innovative science and technology solutions to optimize the performance of our soldiers” by “ensuring dominance through superior scientific and engineering expertise.”

That group’s 903 employees, made up of a combination of military and civilians, work on parachute design and parachutist safety; military nutrition; fiber and textile science such as camouflage concealment and ballistic protection; optimizing and enhancing soldier performance; soldier protection through enhanced equipment design, environmental protection; chemical biological protection; and Army training tech that includes live training exercises.

Moore says DEVCOM is known as “the soldier’s research center”, meaning that everything done there focuses on keeping soldiers safe and optimizing their performance.

Durning the Q & A period, several residents fondly remembered back when the Army Labs opened up to the pubic for tours and asked if that would be repeated in the future. Moore said due to COVID that’s not possible for now, but hoped that is something that could happen in the future.

Moore did seem confident that a ribbon-cutting ceremony could take place in 2023, when an under-construction $50 million dollar 4-story facility is slated to be completed. This new building will house the Soldier and Squad Performance Research Institute, a research lab the Army says is,  “designed to inform and optimize soldier and squad lethality and combat readiness.”

Until then, Moore said the Systems Center is always looking for qualified candidates to fill a host of jobs. A quick google search showed they are in search of a textile technologist; a general engineer; an architect; a warehouse/inventory control specialist; and more.

Watch Col. Moore’s presentation on youtube at this link.

Next up on the Natick Historical Society’s calendar: a presentation by Boston University American Studies PhD candidate Mariah Gruner titled, Ten Thousand Digital Absurdities: the Power of the Needlework in 19th Century America.

DATE: Tuesday, May 4, 2021
TIME:
7pm-8pm


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Filed Under: Community, Education, Natick Historical Society, Neighbors, Veterans



Natick to honor Young family with square dedication

February 10, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Natick’s Veterans Services office has proposed that a square be dedicated at the corner of Connecticut and Vermont Avenues in honor of the Young family for their military and town contributions.

According to a proposal from Veterans Services Director Paul Carew, to be discussed at the Feb. 10 Select Board meeting, Young Family Square would honor father Francis A. Young, a World War II U.S. Army veteran who entered the service at the age of 40, and sons Patrick Allan Young (U.S. Coast Guard veteran) and James J. Young (U.S. Navy veteran).

Francis Young was a longtime custodian at East Natick School.

Patrick Young, now in poor health, has made many contributions to Natick via the Veterans Council. This has included placing wreaths and flags on Natick veterans’ square signs for over 40 years every Monday before Memorial Day, and decorating graves on Memorial Day. He also played key role in getting lights at Natick High School’s sports fields.

Veterans Services is aiming for a dedication on the morning of Feb. 20.

Below is a proclamation about Young Square from the Select Board.

Update 2/20/21: Here’s a recording of the ceremony

More: Natick Memorial Square Database

Natick Veterans Oral History Project


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Filed Under: Government, Veterans

Natick groups to provide Thanksgiving turkeys for veterans

November 13, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Natick Amvets Post # 79 and Camp Arrowhead, American Veterans Recreation Association are once again sponsoring the annual “Turkey for Vets” program. Free turkeys and dressings will be provided to local area Veterans for the Thanksgiving holiday as a way to thank them for their service.

Turkeys for Vets, Natick

​RSVP and pick-up details

To reserve a turkey or gift card, Veterans should contact John Clancy at turkey4vets@gmail.com or 617-505-7494.

Veterans should respond before noon on Thursday, November 19, and indicate whether they want a frozen turkey and/or a $20 gift card to Roche Bros, Stop & Shop or Wegmans.

​​The “Turkeys for Vets” program is not based on economic need, so Veterans should not hesitate to respond to this offer.

Turkeys and/or gift cards will be available for pickup at the Natick Amvets Post #79, 79 Superior Drive on Sat., Nov. 21, 10am – 2pm.

Current Veteran members of Post # 79 may request that a gift card be mailed to them.

More on “Turkeys for Vets”

“Turkeys for Vets” has provided holiday meals for the past seven years to over 1,600 local Veterans and their families. This annual event was initially piloted as a good-faith gesture for our local Veterans. “Turkeys for Vets” now also serves as a mechanism to check in with Veterans and their families to determine if any other assistance may be required. This year the number of Veteran recipients is expected to increase due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please donate if you are able:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Charity/Fundraising, Community, Veterans

Natick veterans, civilians: What Memorial Day means to me

May 24, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Natick isn’t holding its annual parade and is taking a different approach to recognizing Memorial Day this year.

The following video includes short interviews with civilians and veterans about what the holiday means to them.

Filed Under: Government, History, Holidays, Veterans

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