Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) is the Department of Defense's primary research and development resource for non-medical chemical and biological defense (CB).^[1] As a major organization in the CB defense community, the CBC supports all phases of the acquisition life-cycle ― from basic and applied research through technology development, engineering design, equipment evaluation, product support, sustainment, field operations, and demilitarization ― to address its customers’ unique requirements.^[2]

DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center
Active	Unknown–present
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Type	Research and development
Part of	U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command
Garrison/HQ	Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
Motto(s)	"Technology Driven. Warfighter focused."
Website	cbc.devcom.army.mil
Commanders
Director	Mr. Michael Bailey

The center's mission is to provide innovative chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) defense capabilities to enable the joint warfighters' superiority on the battlefield, and interagency defense of the United States.

The DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center has 1,300 full-time employees, located at three different sites in the United States: the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas; and Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. DEVCOM CBC has 1.22 million square feet of laboratory and test chamber space between its four research campuses.

DEVCOM also possesses a chemical munitions field operations capability. It consists of field-deployable scientists, engineers, technicians, and explosives specialists with chemical/biological agent surety expertise plus unique capabilities for on-site destruction of agents. Finally, DEVCOM CBC develops smoke and obscurants technology, including its synthesis, transport, and dispersion.

DEVCOM CBC works with industry to collaborate on applied research, product development, and testing. DEVCOM CBC offers its partner companies the benefits of its intellectual property portfolio, science and engineering expertise, and its specialty chemical biological research and testing infrastructure. Mechanisms for collaborative research, development, and commercial production include: cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs), letters of intent (LOIs), material transfer agreements (MTAs), patent license agreements (PLAs), technology support agreements (TSAs), plus memos of agreement and memos of understanding (MOAs and MOUs).^[3]

History

As an organizational grandchild of the original Edgewood Arsenal, DEVCOM CBC traces its lineage back over a century to 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson established the site to be the location of the first chemical shell filling plant in the United States. Since that time, the center has expanded its mission to include biological materials.^{[citation needed]}

DEVCOM CBC’s name has changed many times over the past century. The name changes were:^{[citation needed]}

• 1918 – Originally designated the Edgewood Arsenal by the War Department
• 1942 – Renamed Chemical Warfare Center at Edgewood Arsenal
• 1963 – Name returns to Edgewood Arsenal (both command and installation)
• 1977 – Edgewood Arsenal (command) was disestablished, and the Chemical Systems Laboratory (CSL) was established under the Armament Research and Development Command (ARRADCOM)
• 1983 – Redesignated to Chemical Research and Development Center (CRDC) under Armament, Chemical, and Munitions Command (AMCCOM)
• 1986 – CRDC redesignated as Chemical Research, Development and Engineering Center (CRDEC)
• 1992 – CRDEC reorganized forming the Edgewood Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ERDEC), under the Chemical and Biological Defense Agency (CBDA)
• 1998 – ERDEC redesignated as Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), under the Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM)
• 2019 – Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Chemical Biological Center
• 2021 – DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center