Marine Corps Activity Receives DOD ‘Reinvention Laboratory’ Designation

The Department of Defense has designated a U.S. Marine Corps activity as a “science and technology reinvention laboratory.”

On Monday, the military branch announced that its Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity had received the designation. MCTSSA has been offering technical support services for the service’s command, control, computer, communications, cyber and intelligence systems.

The designation provides organizations with certain legislated authorities, including adopting mechanisms giving STRL directors discretionary funding flexibility and personnel flexibilities, DefenseScoop reported.

MCTSSA Commanding Officer Col. Craig Clarkson said the “reinvention laboratory” designation comes at a perfect time as the Marine Corps works on its modernization program. He added that the designation also adds MCTSSA to the Naval Research and Development Enterprise, allowing the service branch to support the Department of Defense’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control warfighting architecture.

The Force Design 2030 aims to transition the service to be a more agile and technologically advanced force. In May 2022, it issued an update to its modernization strategy, moving away from the lethality goal toward sensing and reconnaissance.