US Army secretary visits Bush Combat Development Complex

September 30, 2020 By Engineering Communications

Laylan Copelin

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Ross Guieb talking to Ryan D. McCarthy during a tour at the Research Integration Center, with both wearing hard hats, construction vests and masks. — Ross Guieb, executive director of the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex, gives a tour of the Research Integration Center (RIC) to U.S. Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy on Sept. 30. The RIC is one of four components of the Bush Combat Development Complex on the RELLIS campus. | Image: Matthew Linguist/Texas A&M Engineering

U.S. Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy visited the RELLIS Campus today to see progress on The Texas A&M University System’s new, unique contribution to military modernization.

McCarthy toured construction of the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC). The complex was designed in consultation with the military and the defense industry. It will host experiments by researchers from Texas A&M University, other leading universities, the U.S. Army and other military branches, federal agencies, defense contractors and tech entrepreneurs. Thanks to help from the Army and the State of Texas, the Texas A&M System is able to invest $200 million in the complex.

“We are honored by Secretary McCarthy’s visit and pleased to show him how we are leveraging the state and federal investments with world-class researchers,” said Dr. M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor of engineering and national laboratories for the Texas A&M System. “The BCDC reflects our enduring commitment to excellence in pursuit of national security.”

The BCDC’s first strategic partner is the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC), which has contracted with the Texas A&M System to research, experiment with and test prototypes for next-generation soldiering.

For more information, see the full press release about McCarthy's visit.

About the Bush Combat Development Complex

The George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC), located on the 2,000-acre RELLIS Campus, is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) and The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and the State of Texas. The $200 million complex will bring together researchers from U.S. universities, the military and the private sector for collaboration, demonstrations and high-tech testing of initiatives to help accelerate military innovation. The BCDC is funded with $50 million from the State Legislature, $65 million from AFC and $85 million from the Texas A&M System. For more information about the BCDC, visit the 2020 special edition of the Texas A&M Engineer magazine.