Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Marilyn Miller Freeman announced Friday that Medical Research and Materiel Command was chosen as the 2010 Research and Development Laboratory of the Year (small lab).

The Department of the Army Research and Development Laboratory of the Year Awards program is an annual event in which Army laboratories are evaluated on technical accomplishment and impact on the Army.

"It takes a team of dedicated personnel working diligently, passionately, and consistently to achieve the excellence for which these organizations have been recognized," Freeman said.

"I commend each person who contributed to the accomplishments highlighted in the submissions and I thank the entire workforce of MRMC for all you do to provide our Soldiers with the Decisive Edge every day."

USAMRMC competed against five Army labs this year to win the top honor.

The review board is made up of distinguished science and technology experts from academia, industry and government, and presented their findings to Freeman.

"We're grateful for Army recognizing the many and varied contributions MRMC provides. This award builds upon the national recognition the command has received this year including being named one of Time magazine's 50 best Inventions of the Year and Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs for HIV research," said John Glenn, Principal Assistant for Research and Technology.

The RDL awards program was established in 1975 to honor Army research and development labs that have made outstanding contributions in science and technology, providing the Army's warfighters with the best capabilities in the world.

The RDL awards recognize labs for their outstanding contributions and their impact on enhancing the capability of Army operational forces worldwide.

The award will be presented Oct. 24, in Arlington, Va.