History

Photo of paratrooper.

The Army has always relied on brave men and women to test equipment before it is sent to the Soldiers.  Some of the earliest examples are Maj. Wayne and the Army Camel Corps Experiment in 1856 and Lt. Foulois in 1910 with the first experimental use of an aircraft bought from the Wright brothers in 1908.  In 1936, the Coastal Artillery Board ensured new innovations in artillery were functional and safe.  In July of 1940, the Airborne test board was established to determine the safety and use of the parachute in mass combat operations.

The humble beginnings of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command began in a storeroom of the old III Corps conference room on October 1, 1969.  A small group of military and civilian employees launched a unique test organization that has now spanned over 50 years, evolving from MASSTER into the dynamic organization that it is today.

 


"The American soldier will use his ingenuity to make the equipment work.  This does not absolve us if we send him into battle with a piece of junk."

Colonel Edward B. "Jack" Derr
TCATA Director, Instrumentation, 1983