ADAPTING EXPERIMENTATION AND TESTING


demonstrated success in reducing points of contact, streamlining the coordination process, integrating capabilities and improving the consistency and quality of information dissemination.


Te EI Cell’s heterodox approach also embraces participa- tion by industry partners in experimentation events alongside USAMRDC scientists and warfighters, providing a channel for USAMRDC to inform and influence industry best practices. “When we have innovative partners that come out into the field with us—and many times, they are veterans themselves—they find that things are very different from how they envisioned it in their labs,” said Nuckols. “I think that kind of experience is very informative to industry and in some cases, it may even help them be more competitive. Te lessons learned and gathered at an event will help not only those who participated, but also ulti- mately the defense medical industry as a whole.”


ARCTIC EDGE 2024: A CASE STUDY IN COORDINATION Te EI Cell coordinated the efforts of four DRUs and a collabo- rating partner, the Naval Health Research Center, to test seven technologies at Arctic Edge 2024, the annual exercise led by the U.S. Northern Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska, in February and March 2024. Represen- tatives of the Diagnostic Systems Division of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) tested three field-forward devices for detecting the presence of pathogens—a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ther- mocycler, a lateral flow immunoassay and a portable targeted genomic sequencer—in extreme cold-weather conditions. Teir participation was part of the division’s efforts to get commercial off-the-shelf testing devices into the hands of service members


The EI Cell has


FREEZE FRAME


From left, Paul Kallgren, William Dorman and Capt. Ian Davis, all with USAMRIID’s Diagnostic Systems Division, test PCR thermocyclers and handheld assays before sunrise to achieve the coldest possible environment during Arctic Edge 2024. Results from the exercise will be used to develop initial protocols that will be tested in subsequent exercises.


who can stress-test them in the field under real-world condi- tions—to “kick the tires,” in the team’s parlance—so that they can be deployed more quickly than by going through traditional acquisition processes.


Cmarik worked with Maj. John Sellers, the USAMRIID team’s lead, and representatives from the U.S. Air Force to ensure they had the correct points of contact and other necessary information for delivering supplies, reagents and personnel to JBER. She also coordinated with the exercise organizers to ensure the team had the resources they needed when they arrived. Te team arrived at JBER a week early since their experiments would not need to be


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