Army officials responsible for overseeing the center, known as the NDCEE, acknowledged the shortcomings. In interviews and statements, officials said they are working hard to do a better job to identify Defense Department needs and translate the center's research into action.
"Merely showing that a technology works and is cost-effective, and placing the results in a report has not been sufficient," an Army statement said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A National Research Council committee convened to examine the center's approach to transferring technology said in a 2002 report that "this model has not been successfully demonstrated."
One year later, the Army awarded Concurrent a five-year contract worth up to $350 million to continue running the center.
Concurrent spokeswoman Mary Bevan said she had no comment about the center and referred a reporter to the Army.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The center has no employees of its own, Army officials said. It is run by Concurrent, with oversight provided by at least two Army program officials.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Operating under Army oversight, the program received as much as $271 million in congressional appropriations and contract work from fiscal 1990 to fiscal 2000, according to Pentagon auditors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the criticism, spending on the center continued. It received at least $9.5 million in 2002 and $11.3 million in 2003, according to the Army. In 2003, Concurrent won its first competitive award to run the center. The contract was worth up to $350 million over five years......
...... It was Concurrent's largest contract ever, contracting documents show.
Army officials defended the contract award, saying it was competitively bid and an important step in making the operation more effective.
"The all important first step in revitalizing the role of the NDCEE was to issue the new contract via a competitive process," the Army said in a statement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tad Davis, the Army's deputy assistant secretary for the environment, safety and occupational health, declined to discuss the center's activity before he took on his job in October 2005. But he said the Army is doing a better job getting the center to focus on research that is germane to the Army and Defense
We need names to be front and center. I’m tired of digging all the time! ;*)
You need to get your facts straight. The Convening Authority for the Marine prosecutions is a Marine Corps General Officer. The investigations were done by the Navy Criminal Investigation Services.