"However, the volume of small scale tests will be reduced, allowing the Army to take full advantage of the unique combination of troops units, terrain, and facilities available at Fort Hood," Meyer stressed.  He pointed out that smaller scale tests and the lost positions would be transferred to the TRADOC test boards.

At the time, TRADOC was undertaking a Division Restructuring Study (DRS) to develop organizational structures necessary to incorporate the tactics and weapons of the Army of the 1980s.  The 1st Cavalry Division, now in an armored configuration, was tapped to be the test division starting in early 1977.

At the Organization Day celebration of their 7th year, Maj. Gen. Stewart C. Meyer, TCATA's commander, told his military and civilian employees that "TCATA had a destiny to be fulfilled."

"TCATA is destined to become far more than one of the Army's field test agencies, and their work will help shape the Army's training, weaponry production, and the tactics and instrumentation used on the modern battlefield," Meyer stated.

Meyer said the future of TCATA "is bright" and predicted his organization "is going to be around for a long, long time."

Always tapped for the unusual and difficult tests, TCATA was tasked to collect data from the firing of Shillelagh missiles shipped into Fort Hood from around the world.  The purpose was a "Stock-pile Reliability Test.  Some of the missiles had been stored as long as eight years in freezing arctic and intense tropical temperatures.

TCATA kicked off 1977 with testing the mobility of the Combat Support Hospital to find out if it can keep up with today's fast moving armored division.

DRS also moved into high gear with the 1st Cavalry Division.  Among some of the unique tests planned was the use of motorcycles for tank platoon leaders.  The concept was to have a lightweight trail bike that could be attached to the tank turret rear rack and be used by the platoon leader to perform his numerous tasks without taking his tank and firepower off the defensive perimeter on the battlefield.

TCATA was also deep in the planning cycle for a full-division exercise in 1979 of the restructured 1st Cavalry Division to fully test the concepts developed since 1977.

In January 1978, the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery was in the field to participate in an operational test of the new computerized tactical fire direction system (TACFIRE).

In March, the U.S. Air Force A-10 aircraft made its debut in Central Texas skies for a TCATA evaluation of the airspace feasibility for future joint Army and Air Force exercises and tests.

The field-test portion of DRS ended on September 28, 1978, as some 6,000 soldiers returned from the field.  No sooner did the 1st Cav complete the DRS test than the 2d AD started the National Training Center concept tests.  The first of a series of tests involved tank gunnery pop-up targets.

In early 1979, TCATA conducted a test of an all-new Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) concept for the Academy of Health Sciences of Fort Sam Houston.  Mine rollers attached to 2d AD tanks became the subject of operational tests with tankers of the 3d Battalion, 67th Armor.

In March 1980, the long and laborious development and tests tank gunnery ranges paid off with the baptism by fire of Tank Table VI by the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry.  The dual-purpose Tank Table VI and Mechanized Infantry Platoon Battle Run was the first of its kind in the Army and a smaller version of what would be established at the National Training Center.

The first XM-1 Abrams main battle tanks rolled in to Fort Hood aboard rail cars in September 1980.  The ultra-modern land battleships emitted a heretofore-unheard-of armored vehicle sound—the whine of a turbine engine.

TCATA and the tankers of the 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, pioneered into the future of armored warfare putting the XM-1 Abrams through grueling operational tests under realistic and real-world scenarios during the first half of 1981.

Meanwhile, a new target system was being developed at Fort Hood.  TCATA validated that "pop-up" targets can be automatically controlled by a computer and that ballistic and laser-simulated weapons hit data could be collected by the same computer.  The range system was turned over to the NTC Operations Group on October 1, 1981.

1982 was the year of "fast-food" in the field for Soldiers as TCATA tested new "T-Rations" (tray rations), a new concept for packaging and preparing hot food in the field.  They also tested a new Mobile Food Service Unit and an all-new tactical field kitchen.

1983 was the year of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles as TCATA conducted a Force Development Test and Evaluation with the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry, 2AD.

The battalion reorganized into a "Division '86" organization, including the addition of another company, allowing for the assignment of six M3s and 54 M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles.

TCATA turned its attention to the Light Infantry Division concept in 1984 with tests conducted at Fort Lewis, Washington, with the 9th Infantry Division High Technology Test Bed.  TCATA also started into full planning for the Light Infantry Division concept certification.  However, the armored force was not neglected in 1984 as TCATA tested the new 120mm main gun for the M1 Abrams tank.

Being on the cutting edge of vehicle modernization, Fort Hood was the site of the M-9 Armored Combat Earthmover (ACE) in 1985 as TCATA conducted operational tests.

On December 17, 1986, TCATA conducted a ground-breaking ceremony for a new Administration and Test Support Facility that now is home to the TEXCOM Headquarters staff directorates and Operational Support Directorate.