News Release

For Immediate Release -- June 13, 2011

USARIEM Celebrates 50 Years of Biomedical Research

(NATICK, Mass.) - The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine celebrates its 50th anniversary June 16 and 17. Maj. Gen. James Gilman, commanding general of U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command will host the celebration which will include a commemorative scientific symposium.

Guests include the current and retired workforce, scientific collaborators who have played a significant role in USARIEM's success, and officials from the state and local government. Guests are invited to attend the symposium which will be held in Hunter Auditorium in Building 1 at the Natick Soldier Systems Center June 16 and 17 at 8 a.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the front entrance of the USARIEM Building at 1:30 p.m. June 16 to recognize the extensive laboratory renovations.

Five keynote speakers and ten internationally recognized speakers will present an historic overview of USARIEM's scientific contributions and future endeavors related to protecting, sustaining and enhancing Warfighter health and performance.

Col. Gaston Bathalon, USARIEM commander said "the scientific symposium exudes excellence in USARIEM's role in conducting important Soldier-focused research to better enable America's fighting men and women, past and present, and to operate more effectively against our enemies. This is a terrific opportunity to learn of USARIEM's rich history and be proud of our key role."

USARIEM was officially activated as a subordinate laboratory of the US. Army Medical Research and Development Command (currently USAMRMC) July1, 1961 with the mission to conduct basic and applied research to determine how heat, cold, high terrestrial altitude, and work affect the soldier's life processes, their performance, and their health. From its inception, USARIEM has been a tenant organization on the "Natick Installation."

USARIEM currently conducts biomedical research to improve and sustain Warfighter health and performance under all conditions. The Institute's research yields world-class products, medical information, and military doctrine that projects and sustains a healthy force and optimizes the Warfighter's capabilities. In addition, USARIEM biomedical research efforts enhance performance and protect military personnel from operational stress and environmental exposures.

Today, USARIEM is DoD's premier research organization for Warfighter performance and environmental medicine. USARIEM delivers high quality operational health and performance research solutions to the Department of Defense and to the Warfighter.

For more information about USARIEM, please visit the web site: http://www.usariem.army.mil

###