Groundbreaking Ceremony Signifies Major Step for Medical Research, Development
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090507-05
Release Date: 5/7/2009 4:11:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Arthur N. De La Cruz
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (NNS) -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held May 6 for the new Tri-Service Research Laboratory (TSRL), marking another step forward for Navy Medicine research and development.
The 181,000-square foot facility will house two primary research entities: the directed energy research portion of Naval Medical Research Unit-San Antonio (NAMRU-SA) and the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy research group.
NAMRU-SA, previously the Naval Health Research Center Directed Energy Bioeffects Laboratory, was officially commissioned during an informal ceremony after the groundbreaking. It becomes the latest subordinate command under the Navy Medicine Support Command (NMSC) in Jacksonville, Fla.
NAMRU-SA reports to NMSC via the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) in Silver Spring, Md.
"Because the Navy, Army and Air Force partners of the Tri-Service Research Laboratory have successfully achieved national and international recognition for their combined efforts, we are certainly looking forward to future successes as they continue to be seen as a respected authority on directed energy bioeffects and safety standards for the military and the civilian sectors," said Rear Adm. Richard C. Vinci, NMSC commander.
"The staff moves will begin next year, but now we are breaking ground on this new facility with great expectation of things to come."
NAMRU-SA consolidates the Naval Health Research Center Detachment Directed Energy Bioeffects, the Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research in Great Lakes and the NMRC Combat Casualty Care research function.
The Great Lakes and Silver Spring units will be housed in a different facility - the Joint Center of Excellence for Battlefield Health and Trauma that is currently under construction at Fort Sam Houston. All of these groups are co-locating to Fort Sam Houston as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure construction program for San Antonio.
The TSRL facility consolidates Air Force and Navy research programs that address the health and safety effects of exposure to various stressors into one location. When completed and operational, it will be a Department of Defense facility that allows the Navy and Air Force to simultaneously conduct directed-energy bio-effects research.
Navy Medicine scientists at NAMRU-SA will work to understand and manage the risks associated with human exposure to radio frequency, microwaves, lasers and low-frequency directed energy sources, said Capt. Vincent DeInnocentiis, NAMRU-SA commanding officer.
The research will support programs that protect the health and safety of Navy and Marine Corps personnel in both routine and combat operations. Much of this research is also used to help set international safety standards that, in turn, help protect the health and safety of people around the world.
A $69.9 million contract was awarded to Skanska USA Building, Inc., for construction of the TSRL. Skanska's local San Antonio office will manage the contract. Additionally, a $367,000 contract was awarded to Blackhawk Ventures, LLC, based in San Antonio, for installation of the ducts and cabling necessary to provide voice and data communications to the TSRL facility.
Construction on the new laboratory is scheduled to begin in July and is expected to be completed by March 2011.
For more news from Navy Medicine Support Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmsc/.
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