U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center

DoD COMBAT FEEDING DIRECTORATE U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center

he director of the Com- FOOD ENGINEERING HEADQUARTERS PERSONNEL Tbat Feeding Director- AND ANALYSIS TEAM ate (CFD) provides vision, (FEAT): Commander leadership, technical man- Team Leader: Lauren U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, agement and program in- Development & Engineering Center Oleksyk tegration for this total life 15 Kansas Street The FEAT develops cycle program. The program Natick, Mass. 01760 technologies that im- executes research and en- nsrdec.natick.army.mil/index.htm prove the nutritional gineering of all combat ra- quality, organoleptic tions for the four services properties, stability and and the Defense Logistics Agency shelf life of ration components DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DLA), as well as field food service for both individual and group ra- COMBAT FEEDING equipment and combat feeding sys- tions. This multi-disciplinary team DIRECTORATE (CFD) tems for the Marine Corps, Navy of food technologists and chem- and Air Force. Advanced develop- ists builds better products through Office of the Director ment of Army field feeding equip- Stephen Moody unique product formulation and ment and systems is managed by Director employing advanced thermal and the Product Manager Force Sustain- non-thermal novel processing and ment Systems (PM-FSS) in partner- Jeremy Whitsitt preservation techniques. The team ship with the CFD. In addition to Team Leader focuses on improving quality and program integration, planning and stability of intermediate moisture reporting, the office of the director foods using next-generation hur- is also responsible for outreach and technologies, polymeric micro- dle technologies to develop new education initiatives, to include all spheres, polymer/clay nanocom- shelf-stable sandwiches, breakfast activities centered on promoting posites, alternative materials for and bakery items. They conduct careers in Science, Technology, En- secondary packaging, high-barrier chemical and sensory analysis of gineering and Math. coatings, liquid-crystal polymers, foods to ensure safety and accep- bio-based, biodegradable and sus- tance of shelf-stable rations. In SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY tainable materials for ration pack- addition, FEAT supports NASA’s BRANCH aging systems and lightweight and Stabilized Foods for Extended Branch Chief: Betty Davis compostable packaging. These ef- Spaceflight program and multiple forts seek to stabilize and protect advanced food processing technol- FOOD PROTECTION AND foods against microbial, chemical ogy consortiums. INNOVATIVE PACKAGING TEAM and physical deterioration under (FPIPT): extreme environments and the PERFORMANCE NUTRITION Team Leader – Josh Magnone military logistics systems, while TEAM (PNT): The FPIPT is the preeminent increasing ration consumption Team Leader – Ken Racicot provider of advanced materials, and reducing food and packaging The PNT develops novel, nu- polymer processing technologies waste. The team supports other trient-dense ration components and revolutionary packaging con- teams in the Combat Feeding Di- for optimized warfighter perfor- cepts that maintain, sustain and rectorate, as well as NASA’s food mance. The team works closely provide the warfighter with rations packaging program and DoD’s en- with the U.S. Army Medical Re- delivering the highest performance vironmental programs. This team search and Materiel Command’s level, overall quality, nutrient re- collaborates with academia, indus- Research Institute for Environ- tention and safety. Current efforts try and other government orga- mental Medicine to assess the include research and development nizations to transfer technology nutrient bioavailability and physi- of high-barrier non-foil polymeric that will enhance food safety and ological status in developed com- structures, permeability model- protect the health of the deployed ponents for all environmental ing, advanced polymer processing warfighter. extremes. The PNT also manages

102 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • OCTOBER 2015 DoD COMBAT FEEDING DIRECTORATE

innovative science and technology neously enabling greater variety, equipment and systems to enhance projects, including in-vitro screen- increasing warfighter acceptance, quality of life and performance for ing of nutraceuticals, synergistic optimizing nutrition, increasing the Navy, Air Force and Marine compounds to enhance bioactive shelf life and improving logistics Corps, and conducts engineering absorption, functionality of en- via cost, weight and volume sav- support and standardization for capsulated oils, advanced nano- ings. The CRT receives successfully the Army, DLA, Integrated Logistics systems with emerging rations transitioned technologies from Support Center (ILSC) and the U.S. and co-extruded alternate deliv- in-house science and technology General Services Administration ery systems; all of which have the efforts and from suitable commer- for fielded food service equipment. potential to provide tomorrow’s cial suppliers, then demonstrates The JFET also conducts product warfighter with increased physi- and validates the ability of those development of rations/menus for cal and cognitive performance on technologies to meet the key per- the Air Force and Navy, including the battlefield. Additionally, they formance parameters established production of Tube Foods for the conduct chemical, microbiological by the joint services. The team Air Force. The team also partici- and sensory analysis of targeted ra- provides pre- and post-award sup- pates in the support requirements tion components to ensure safety, port to procurement throughout and analyses of new military food bioavailability and acceptance of the entire life cycle of the ration. service equipment in the design, supplemented shelf-stable ration development, fabrication, test and components. RATION SUPPORT AND SENSORY evaluation of concepts. ANALYSIS TEAM (RSSAT): EQUIPMENT AND ENERGY Team Leader: Mary Nash FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY TEAM (EETT): The RSSAT prepares, coordi- TEAM - PRODUCT MANAGER Team Leader – Anthony Patti nates and approves procurement FORCE SUSTAINMENT SYSTEMS The EETT conducts inno- documents that comply with DoD FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT vative research and develops, Acquisition Reform initiatives to TEAM (PM FSS FSET): demonstrates and transitions tech- ensure that operational rations pro- Team Leader: Joe Jordan nologies that reduce the logistics vide adequate nutrition in accor- In partnership with CFD, the of field feeding while improving dance with the Nutrient Standards FSET focuses on the engineering the quality of food service. The for Operational and Restricted Ra- and manufacturing development EETT works collaboratively with tions (NSORs), while being highly and the production and deploy- Product Manager-Force Sustain- acceptable to the user. They approve ment phases for food service equipment Systems (PM-FSS), Force Pro- all First Articles and Product Dem- ment that consistently provides vider, the Combined Arms Support onstration Models used to procure warfighters the capability to enjoy Command (CASCOM), the Joint military rations and components. hot group meals in combat and/ Culinary Center of Excellence (JC- The Armed Forces Recipe Service or training environments. Respon- CoE), and Joint Services in support is another component of the team sible for projects that field robust, of the warfighter. that supports all of the services by efficient and proven equipment executing projects involving de- and systems for field feeding, ra- ENGINEERING AND MANUFAC- velopment, testing, standardization storage and sanitation of field TURING DEVELOPMENT BRANCH tion and nutrition coding of new/ food service equipment, the team Branch Chief: Bob Trottier current recipes used for garrison operates and categorizes its pro- feeding, aboard ships and in field grams into four functional areas: COMBAT RATIONS TEAM (CRT): training. The recipe work includes prepare rations and food products; Team Leader – Jeannette expanded variations accommodat- maintain, stabilize and distribute Kennedy ing various levels of preparation in- rations; heat-and-serve rations for The mission of the CRT is to tensity and alternative food service remote feed; and sanitize field- maximize warfighters’ ability to equipment designs. feeding equipment and remediate fight and win by sustaining them waste. The FSET works with CFD on the battlefield and enhancing JOINT FOODSERVICE AND science and technology teams, their operational effectiveness in ENGINEERING TEAM (JFET): DLA Troop Support, the Com- all environmental conditions. The Team Leader: Bob Bernazzani bined Arms Support Command, goal is to achieve continuous im- The JFET designs, develops and the JCCoE, and the Integrated Lo- provement of the entire suite of supports best value, technologically gistics Support Command. operational rations while simulta- advanced food service field-feeding —GFS

104 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • OCTOBER 2015