Acquisition & Logistics Excellence

Kymeta and Microsoft team up to bring always-connected mobility to first response and military users. Microsoft/Kymeta photo

Microsoft Tactical Vehicle Takes Center Stage at Information Technology Hyper Convergence – Hybrid Cloud NSWC Dahlgren Innovation Day Team at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER (NSWC) DAHLGREN DIVISION Division, after the Nov. 8 event. “We saw demonstrations PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 3, 2019) that involved artificial intelligence, machine learning, sen- John Joyce sors, quantum-based computing, cloud-native technologies, KING GEORGE, Va.—U.S. Navy scientists and engineers automation, blockchain, and other advanced capabilities that gathered to watch MTV, but rather than music videos, they will have a dramatic impact on our development of innovative saw quantum-based computing, virtual reality, and DeepCam solutions for the fleet.” image recognition among a host of technological solutions emanating from the cloud. Martin and dozens of NSWC technologists were especially intrigued with a demonstration of the Microsoft Tactical Ve- The MTV they witnessed – an SUV jam-packed with new hicle featuring augmented and virtual reality for advanced technological capabilities, sensors, onboard computing, and mission planning to support the future Navy and tomorrow’s a myriad of potential applications – is better known as the warfighters. Microsoft Tactical Vehicle. “We were briefed on simple image recognition all the way to “The Naval Warfare Centers are working closely with our in- complex scenarios where multi-modal inputs led to actionable dustry partners, including Microsoft, to solve problems and results from complex data sets,” said Martin regarding tech- increase fleet readiness while strengthening the current and nologies demonstrated by the MTV spanning cloud solutions future Navy,” said Laura Martin, program manager for the from the home front to the tactical edge.

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As Microsoft technical specialist Jim Ford described the The general purpose cloud, which incorporates the JEDI foun- MTV’s tactical edge computing devices that delivers advanced dational structure, will provide DoD with a commercial en- analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to the tacti- terprise cloud environment for the majority of systems and cal edge, the Navy civilians envisioned how they could apply applications. According to DoD’s Cloud Strategy, “this general- these capabilities to design, build, and deliver innovative solu- purpose cloud will allow the department to take advantage of tions to the warfighter. economies of scale, broadly provide common core services, and ensure information superiority through data aggregation More than 150 technical experts from NSWC Dahlgren Divi- and analysis.” sion, NSWC Philadelphia Division, and NSWC Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division attended Multiple fit-for-purpose commercial cloud or on-premises the event, called Dahlgren Innovation Day, for technology cloud solutions – providing functionality through a subscrip- demonstrations and talks with Microsoft Corporation, Nov. 8. tion or software as a service capability – will serve the mission partner if the general-purpose cloud cannot accommodate a Microsoft experts discussed their technologies, including De- unique requirement. vOps, artificial intelligence, machine learning, as well as Azure and computing at the tactical edge. “In today’s world, our adversaries are working to develop new capabilities that leverage the advantages of cloud,” states the Mark Bolz – principal engineering architect for Microsoft’s Cloud Strategy document released by the Defense Depart- Azure Data – explained Azure in his Dahlgren Innovation key- ment in 2018. “Therefore, we must ensure, that as we mi- note speech, entitled, “Adaptive and Aligned systems … so grate and become more dependent on the cloud, that we are easy a tanker can do it”. Microsoft defines Azure as a growing organically growing our cloud technical skills to outpace our collection of cloud services for building, deploying, and manag- adversaries.” ing intelligent applications through a global network. By engaging a multi-vendor, multi-cloud environment strategy, Bolz pointed out that Azure Hybrid is capable of providing the Navy Warfare Centers are turning away from hardware- innovation anywhere. The ability to use Azure Stack with In- intensive infrastructures that create difficulties in maintaining tegrated systems – along with Azure Arc connecting any data equipment and lack the flexibilities needed to assimilate the center in any Cloud to any Edge device – provides the ability information required by senior leadership. to organize and govern across environments. The Dahlgren Innovation Day briefers focused on how the “Utilizing the capabilities provided with a hybrid cloud solu- cloud, AI, machine learning (ML), and cognitive services could tion can provide the digital transformation changes that will impact the battlespace. Topics included the new Microsoft, AI, enhance the Navy Warfare Center’s ability to create, test, and ML, and AI-oriented architecture. deploy capabilities to the fleet in an abbreviated time schedule not seen in today’s environment,” said Wally Reed, co-lead for “The Navy and Microsoft briefs and demonstrations at Dahl- the NSWCDD Information Technology Hyper Convergence – gren Innovation Day enabled NSWC scientists and engineers Hybrid Cloud Team. to see and understand new technologies and tools available for engineering systems to meet mission requirements,” The Microsoft speakers and its Tactical Vehicle technology said Glenn Jones, Activity Command Information officer at demonstration came to Dahlgren Innovation Day on the heels NSWCDD. of the Defense Department’s announcement in October that Microsoft was chosen as the winner of DoD’s Joint Enterprise Frank Hesson – Microsoft’s Azure data and AI solutions spe- Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) Cloud contract with a total con- cialist for the Navy and Marine Corps – briefed his Navy War- tract ceiling of $10 billion. fare Center audience on ‘Intelligent Edge’ with Azure Stack and Databox Edge. Intelligent Edge – a continually expanding The JEDI solicitation and Dahlgren Innovation Day reflect the set of connected systems and devices that gather and analyze unique and critical needs of DoD and the Navy, which operates data— is a Microsoft AI-enabled edge computing device with on a global scale and in austere, disconnected environments. It network data transfer capabilities. Intelligent edge provides is important for a warfighter in Afghanistan to access the same the compute power and intelligence of Azure that can be used information as an analyst in Washington, D.C., a service mem- for rapid machine learning inferencing at the edge and prepro- ber training in California, or a Sailor deployed aboard a warship. cessing data before sending it to Azure.

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In his demonstration, Hesson showed Navy scientists and In a ceremony held on Nov. 21 at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., engineers how they can use Intelligent Edge to organize and and presided over by Dr. Richard Joseph, Chief Scientist of the enable data mining on any captured formats to extract per- Air Force, Johnson was presented a trophy and a certificate tinent data. signed by the Acting Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Don- ovan and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein. Microsoft Cognitive Services in containers, including plug and play AI, was a featured discussion. There was also an AI/ML “Dr. Johnson is most deserving of this recognition,” said Jo- demonstration and presentations focusing on SecureDevOps, seph. “I was particularly struck by the leadership he brought Microservices, mixed and virtual reality, and cyber security. to his team – great leaders magnify the work of a team and for that reason alone Dr. Johnson deserves this award.” Robert Freeman – Microsoft’s Git Hub expert spoke to the au- dience about SecDevOps in a brief entitled, “Transforming how AFRL Commander Maj. Gen. William Cooley made the an- the Mission builds Secure Software.” GitHub – which brings nouncement to his workforce in an e-mail announcement on together a large community of developers to discover, share, Nov. 14. and build better software – is the leader of enterprise and open source development. Freeman explained how Secure DevOps “Dr. Johnson is leading the way for our Air Force with cutting makes security principles and practices an integral part of De- edge research and is an example to scientists and engineers vOps while maintaining improved efficiency and productivity. across the lab,” said Cooley. “Dr. Johnson was selected for DevOps is a set of practices that combines software devel- this prestigious award for outstanding contributions includ- opment (Dev) and information-technology operations (Ops), ing identifying a breakthrough in physics that enables high- which aims to shorten the systems development life cycle and resolution ground to space imaging. His contributions provide provide continuous delivery with high software quality. optical space situational awareness techniques found nowhere else. This breakthrough has provided the U.S. military with a “The future DoD cloud workforce must grow organic technical decisive advantage in space surveillance.” capabilities by building a more diverse and balanced workforce among military and civilian components,” concludes the DoD Johnson is a principal investigator at AFRL’s Starfire Optical Cloud Strategy document. “DoD’s workforce must obtain a Range (SOR) located on Kirtland AFB where he leads research basic level of cloud proficiency in order to most effectively on electro-optics for space situational awareness. exploit the benefits of cloud. Just as every Marine is a rifle- man, every DoD employee must have basic cloud awareness “It is an honor to recognize Rob and his team for their tremen- to effectively operate on the 21st century battlefield.” dous accomplishments in the field of adaptive optics and so- dium guidestar development,” said Dr. Kelly Hammett, AFRL’s It was evident throughout the briefs and demonstrations at Directed Energy Director. “The results of their research are Dahlgren Innovation Day that the Navy Warfare Centers con- being transitioned across the nation and the world.” sider the cloud as a key enabler for emerging technologies, such as AI, while building applications in the future, providing Attending the ceremony were many of Johnson’s colleagues the Navy Warfare Centers with creative, adaptable, and intel- and his wife Dr. Bethany Kolb, a physician serving several com- ligent capabilities. munities in New Mexico.

For more news from NSWC Dahlgren, visit http://www.navy. “I was really in shock when I received a phone call from Gen- mil/local/NSWCDD/. eral Cooley that I had won this award,” said Johnson. “At first I didn’t think it was actually General Cooley on the phone. AFRL Physicist Wins Top Science Award This recognition is a team effort. It’s an honor to work here.” AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (DEC. 04, 2019 Jeanne Dailey “I was drawn to a career in adaptive optics after my first as- KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.—Air Force Research Labo- signment in 1993 at the SOR when I was an Air Force captain,” ratory scientist Dr. Robert Johnson has won the most presti- said Johnson. “I realized then how adaptive optics could be gious science and technology award in the U.S. Air Force – the used to address many difficult Air Force challenges.” Harold Brown Award. The award is given annually to a scientist or engineer who uses scientific research to solve a problem Besides being drawn to a career in science, Johnson had an critical to the needs of the Air Force. interest in serving in the military. “I grew up as a military brat—

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From left: Dr. Richard Joseph Chief Scientist of the Air Force; Dr. Robert Johnson 2018 Harold Brown Award winner; Dr. Bethany Kolb, wife of Dr. Johnson; Dr. Kelly Hammett AFRL Directed Energy director; Col. Joseph Roth AFRL Space Electro-Optics division chief; Col. Mario Serna, Military Assistant to the Air Force Chief Scientist; and Dr. Darrell Lochtefeld, Special Assistant to the Air Force Chief Scientist following the awards ceremony on Nov. 21, 2019. U.S. Air Force photo by Macee Hunt

my dad served on active duty in the Air Force for 33 years. He’s “Electro-optics, and in particular adaptive optics, is important the main reason I joined the Air Force.” Johnson retired from to national defense because it is a technology that uniquely the military in 2005 and immediately returned to the lab in solves some our most important challenges in space situ- the federal civil service. ational awareness,” said Johnson.

“The thing that I like most about working in AFRL is work- “Adaptive optics allows large, ground-based telescopes to ing alongside people who have decided to serve our country take high-resolution photos of objects in space—these objects through research,” he said. ‘None of us joined the military or could be satellites, supermassive black holes, or extrasolar federal service to get rich; rather, we signed up to defend the planets. This is the reason many large astronomical telescopes Constitution. Working at AFRL gives us the opportunity to do use adaptive optics today. In fact, the largest telescopes in the that through science and engineering.” world, which will be built in the next several years, have been designed to use adaptive optics.” Johnson is well qualified for his job. He holds a Bachelor of Sci- ence in Physics from Texas A&M University in College Station, When asked about a highlight of his career Johnson related a Texas; a Master of Science in Applied Physics from the Air bittersweet event. Force Institute of Technology at Dayton, Ohio; and Doctor of Philosophy in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona “On a Saturday morning in February 2003, the space shuttle in Tucson, Arizona. Columbia flew over Albuquerque after a servicing mission to

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Rosalyn Howard, a contract specialist with the Mission and Installation Contracting Command in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, is part of a team that provides support to the garrison and other on-post tenant organizations with the solicitation and awarding of contracts for supplies, services, and construction. The Army is slated to deploy the new Army Contract Writing System to the Mission and Installation Contracting Command in June. Photo by Scott T. Sturkol

the Hubble Space Telescope. A coworker, Rick Cleis, and I “I love to travel and spend time in nature,” he said. “I’m crazy used one of the telescopes at SOR to take some photos of the about taking photos of birds, hiking, fly fishing, scuba diving, shuttle as it reentered the Earth’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, and sailing. My wife and I are planning a 21-day sailing trip to we took the last photos of the shuttle before it broke up. Our Antarctica in 2021.” photo helped to explain what caused the disaster. Later, I was surprised to see our photo printed on the front page of The New Army Contract Writing System Pilot to Launch in New York Times.” 2020 ARMY NEWS SERVICE (DEC. 6, 2019) Johnson considers AFRL senior scientist and internationally Devon L. Suits recognized adaptive optics expert Dr. Robert Fugate a men- WASHINGTON—The Army Corps of Engineers will be the first tor who he turns to for advice and leadership. Fugate won the organization to test the new Army Contract Writing System in 1999 Harold Brown Award. February, a top procurement official said Wednesday.

In addition to his important research in support of the nation’s The new ACWS is slated to replace two outdated systems and ability to operate freely in space, Johnson has several other provide the Army with a single enterprise writing and man- interests. agement system to help streamline the contracting process,

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said Stuart Hazlett, deputy assistant secretary of the Army zlett also stressed the impact of the current continuing resolu- for procurement. tion as the Army is forced to compete for limited resources.

Currently, contracting officials utilize the 23-year-old Standard “We need to fund these capabilities,” he added. “A small in- Procurement System, or SPS, to manage billions in goods and vestment into fielding an enterprise Army Contract Writing services, Hazlett said during an Association of the U.S. Army System will pay dividends as we continue efforts to standard- Hot Topic forum. ize and streamline our processes; establish consistent levels of service with customers; and reform the Army’s end-to-end Further, officials also operate the Procurement Automated procurement process. Data and Document System, or PADDS, to purchase weapon systems and spares. PADDS is now over 40 years old. Crucial Collaboration: Expanding Naval Capability through Ties with Industry, Academia “The contracting enterprise is looking forward to the full im- OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 11, 2019) plementation of the Army Contract Writing System,” Hazlett Warren Duffie Jr. said. “I cannot emphasize the importance of having this system ARLINGTON, Va.—The secret sauce of successful naval ac- deployed.” quisitions requires a vital ingredient: partnerships, particularly among government, industry, and academia. Although both legacy systems have been patched and updated to support mission needs, contracting officials still spend most To cultivate new partnerships and enhance naval capabilities— of their time “looking at a computer screen with an hourglass as well as bolster existing relationships—the Department of spinning … while I am calling them and saying ‘let’s go,’” Ha- the Navy (DoN)’s Technology Transfer (T2) Program Office zlett added. recently hosted its annual gathering at Naval Base Kitsap- Bangor in Washington. The Army is working collaboratively with the Navy as we get closer to deploying the ACWS to ensure we standardize busi- It was the first time the event, called the Office of Research and ness processes when possible and decrease the number of Technology Applications (ORTA)/Legal Workshop, convened complex interfaces and redundancies seen in current systems. in the Pacific Northwest.

The system is fully auditable across the enterprise, Hazlett “The DoN T2 mission is to relentlessly pursue innovation by added. Further, ACWS will be capable of functioning in low building a thriving ecosystem around naval research labs,” T2 bandwidth and disconnected status for expeditionary forces, Director Kendra Meggett-Carr told attendees. “You’re all criti- on both unclassified and classified networks. cal to helping us advance cutting-edge technology and other capabilities to warfighters, thereby elevating their readiness “This system would not only expedite the acquisition and con- and superiority.” tracting process, but it has the ability to award and sustain those major weapons systems,” Hazlett said. “The fragility The DoN T2 Program Office, located at the Office of Naval Re- of PADDS will be gone. The panic at the end of a fiscal year— search (ONR), oversees the policies, guidance, designations, wondering if the system is down—will be in the past.” and training for the DoN T2 professionals who foster collabo- ration between the Navy, government agencies, industry, and After the initial evaluation, the Army is slated to deploy the academia. This strengthens naval capabilities and accelerates system to Mission and Installation Contracting Command technology research and development. starting in June. ACWS leverages cloud technologies, allow- ing the program to handle and share tremendous amounts of To facilitate these efforts, T2 often works with leadership and data across the network. legal staff from ONR and other naval organizations to enable naval laboratories to enter into research, development, and “We will be able to track all of our acquisitions from a com- educational partnership agreements. plete requirements package to award to contract closeout. It will be interoperable with our finance systems, invoicing, and The workshop held in Washington was the annual training payments will speed up,” he said. for T2 staff and attorneys who oversee such agreements at various naval warfare centers and systems commands nation- Overall, the decrease in redundancies alone “is huge” for the wide. Workshop sessions covered topics such as the differ- Army’s contracting enterprise, he emphasized. However, Ha- ent types of partnership agreements, collaborating with other

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technology-transfer entities in the Department of Defense, • The Navy’s Small Business Innovation Research program streamlining patent applications and software licensing, and has simplified its process for requesting scientific or re- prize challenges offering monetary rewards for creating in- search proposals in areas of naval interest under its Naval novative solutions to naval problems. Technology Acceleration pilot. The mission: Expand the breadth of small business supporting naval missions and Dr. Richard Carlin, ONR’s director of technology-acceleration speed up technology development and delivery. programs, gave the workshop’s keynote address—highlighting how T2 partnership agreements enable the Navy’s new Tech When asked what he thought about the T2 ORTA/Legal Bridges initiative. Workshop, Stephen McKee, a team lead at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport Division, said, “Hosting the workshop A partnership between the Naval Expeditions Agility Office here in the Pacific Northwest was deliberate, as the opportuni- (known as NavalX), the Navy’s Systems Commands, ONR and ties stemming from T2 authorities are being used by the local T2, Tech Bridges serve as regional innovation hubs where war- commands to improve mission accomplishment, transform fare centers, government, academia, and industry can team current processes, and keep our Navy agile.” up and work together on technology research, evaluation and commercialization—as well as economic and workforce de- For more news from Office of Naval Research, visitht tp: // velopment. www.navy.mil/local/onr/.

Each hub enables local projects designed to solve pressing AFMC Announces the Winners of the 2019 Safety problems and technology needs identified by the DoN. Tech Awards Bridges are located in Rhode Island, Washington, California, AFMC PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 16, 2019) Florida, Indiana, and South Carolina. WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio.—Air Force Materiel Command is pleased to announce the recipients of Carlin stressed the important role of T2 staff in facilitating the 2019 Annual Safety Awards: partnership agreements. • Flight Safety Achievement Award: 645th Aeronautical Sys- “You allow the Navy to engage in outreach with local com- tems Group, Flight Operations, Wright-Patterson Air Force munities, understand the complexities of legal and contracting Base, Ohio authorities, and promote the development and evaluation of • Patricia Terrill Memorial System Safety Award: Samuel naval technology,” he said. Hunt, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Flight Safety, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio Carlin also highlighted multiple naval initiatives benefiting from • Chuck Dorney System Safety Award: Donald Hume, Air T2 involvement, including: Force Life Cycle Management Center, Systems Safety, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Ohio • The Accelerated Delivery and Acquisition of Prototype • AFMC Chief of Safety Special Achievement Award: 88th Technologies, known as ADAPT, engages small-business Air Base Wing, Systems Safety, Wright-Patterson Air Force technology providers and educates them on naval priori- Base, Ohio ties. Carlin wants to cultivate partners with existing technol- • AFMC Safety Civilian Professional of the Year: Shaun Bas- ogy prototypes that have been proven to work and can be sett, 66th Air Base Group, Systems Safety, Hanscom Air adapted to naval needs—in under two years. Force Base, Massachusetts • The Naval Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Universities • AFMC Safety Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: for National Entrepreneurship (NEPTUNE) initiative pro- Master Sgt. Andrew Wilson, 96th Test Wing Flight Safety, vides funding to multiple civilian universities, the U.S. Naval Eglin Air Force Base, Florida Academy, and the Naval Postgraduate School. NEPTUNE’s • AFMC Chief of Safety Weapons Safety Award: 96th Test goals are to establish entrepreneurial practices to accelerate Wing, Weapons Safety, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida delivery of university-derived technologies and products • AFMC Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupational to the Navy and Marine Corps—while giving active-duty Safety, Category I: Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, military students and veterans the chance to immerse them- Systems Safety, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma selves in university-level research.

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• AFMC Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupational • Air Force Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupa- Safety, Category II: 96th Test Wing, Occupational Safety, tional Safety, Category IV: Air Force Research laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida Aerospace Systems Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force • AFMC Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupational Base, Ohio Safety, Category III: 75th Air Base Wing, Occupational • Air Force Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupa- Safety, Hill Air Force Base, Utah tional Safety, Category V: Air Force Research laboratory, • AFMC Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupational Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Safety, Category IV: Air Force Research Laboratory, Aero- Mexico space Systems Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force • Air Force Chief of Safety Aircrew of Distinction Award: Base, Ohio 704th Test Group – Crew of VOODOO 1, Holloman Air • AFMC Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupational Force Base, New Mexico Safety Category V: Air Force Research laboratory, Space • Air Force Chief of Safety Aviation Maintenance Safety Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico Award: 645th Aerospace Systems Squadron, Quality As- • AFMC Chief of Safety Aircrew of Distinction Award: 704th surance, Waco, Texas Test Group – Crew of VOODOO 1, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico Congratulations to all the winners for a job well done and their • AFMC Chief of Safety Aviation Maintenance Safety Award: staunch dedication to safety. 645th Aerospace Systems Squadron, Quality Assurance, Waco, Texas Digital Engineering Transformation Coming to the AF Weapons Enterprise The following AFMC nominees will compete at the Air Force 88TH AIR BASE WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 19, 2019) level in their respective categories: WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio—The Air Force kicked off a pioneering Weapons Digital Enterprise Workshop • Air Force Chief of Safety Space Safety Award: Air Force Re- Dec. 9 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to solidify ties to the Air search Laboratory, In-Space Propulsion Branch, Edwards Air Force and Department of Defense Digital Enterprises to de- Force Base, California velop advanced capabilities and enable rapid design of weap- • Koren Kolligian Jr., Trophy: Maj. Jose Lopez, 645th Aero- ons and assessment of their impact on military operations. space Systems Squadron, Flight Operations, Greenville, Texas The Team Eglin Modeling and Simulation Consortium is com- • Aero Club Safety Certificates: Eglin Aero Club, Eglin Air prised of experts from the Air Force Research Laboratory Mu- Force Base, Florida and Robins Aero Club, Robins Air Force nitions Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Base, Georgia Armament Directorate, and the 96th Test Wing. • Air Force Chief of Safety Special Achievement Award: 88th Air Base Wing, Systems Safety, Wright-Patterson Air Force The consortium members attending the workshop focused on Base, Ohio the collaborative autonomous weapons challenge as a forcing • Air Force Safety Civilian Professional of the Year: Shaun Bas- function to transform and unify the weapons enterprise. Dur- sett, 66th Air Base Group Systems Safety, Robins Air Force ing the weeklong event, key experts elaborated on strategies to Base, Georgia implement digital engineering initiatives across the Weapons • Air Force Safety Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Enterprise. Year: Master Sgt. Andrew Wilson, 96th Test Wing, Flight Safety, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida Digital Engineering is an integrated approach that uses au- • Air Force Chief of Safety Weapons Safety Award: 96th Test thoritative sources of system data and models as a continuum Wing, Weapons Safety, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida across disciplines to support life-cycle activities from concept • Air Force Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupational through disposal. Digital Twins are virtual representations of Safety, Category I: Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, physical objects that share data throughout the systems life Systems Safety, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma cycle. • Air Force Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupa- tional Safety, Category II: 96th Test Wing, Occupational The Modeling and Simulation Consortium has taken on the Safety Office, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida charge to leverage M&S capabilities across Eglin AFB and in- • Air Force Outstanding Achievement Award for Occupa- tegrate them into a shared research, development, and test tional Safety, Category III: 75th Air Base Wing, Occupational ecosystem. This collaborative effort will define how the AF Safety, Hill Air Force Base, Utah and DoD can use data and models to rapidly develop, analyze,

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A visual representation of a digital twin. A digital twin is a virtual representation of an instance of a physical object that shares data with its physical twin throughout the system life cycle. U.S. Air Force illustration/Chris Quinlan and John James and deliver solutions to warfighting forces. These efforts will testers to identify critical validation points and rapidly evaluate transform science and technology management, systems en- them to transition capabilities to the field. gineering cycles, and test and evaluation methods. The group debriefed senior leaders from Eglin on the prelimi- “Air Force Acquisitions is on the cusp of a revolutionary nary results of the workshop Dec. 13. paradigm shift for development, test, and production of our weapons systems,” said Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo, Air “The ground-breaking work Team Eglin is doing to build a Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons and Director of Digital Engineering capability for weapons across the lab, pro- AFLCMC’s Armament Directorate. “Leadership is supportive, gram office and test community demonstrates outstanding has laid out the vision, and handed it over to let us run with it. innovative leadership,” said Maj. Gen. William Cooley, AFRL This workshop is the first concentrated effort by the Weapons commander. Enterprise to make this vision a reality. I am excited to take the output of these five working groups and start applying them Michael Hanke, Director of AFRL’s Research Collaboration and to our efforts moving forward.” Computing Directorate and AFRL lead for Enterprise Digital Engineering, added that, “The success of this effort will reap Implementation of digital engineering across the weapons en- benefits for all AFMC centers, the Air Force, and even our terprise will grow and accelerate the transition of advanced joint partners, ultimately helping deliver enhanced warfighting technologies. Integrated high-fidelity M&S will allow AFRL to capabilities more rapidly.” rapidly mature science and technology while development engineers exploit authoritative and current models and data “This was a very productive forum and I look forward to re- to conduct trade studies, insert technologies and integrate viewing the team’s detailed plans and recommendations as systems. These same models and sources of data will allow we move to transform the future of weapons acquisitions and

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further integrate our Team Eglin Enterprise,” said Col. Garry that the Space Force “shall provide the freedom of operation Haase, Director of AFRL’s Munitions Directorate. in, from and to space, while providing prompt and sustained space operations.” About AFRL “What an opportunity to be here at the creation of this new The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific re- service,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. search and development center for the United States Air Force. “Now we must get to work building a Service focused on space AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, develop- operations, created on a foundation of trust and confidence, ment, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies and with its own unique space culture. I am honored to be part for our air, space, and cyberspace force. With a workforce of of this historic moment and eager to work with my teammate more than 11,000 across nine technology areas and 40 other and fellow joint chief, the chief of Space Operations.” operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfo- lio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to Space is essential to America’s security and prosperity, so advanced research and technology development. For more much so that a branch of the military dedicated to its defense information, visit: http://www.afresearchlab.com. and “rules-based” future is required.

Barrett, Air Force Leaders Applaud Space Force’s The National Defense Strategy clearly articulates that U.S. Formal Creation adversaries have turned space into a warfighting domain and SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 20, 2019) continue to threaten U.S. national interests. The Space Force ARLINGTON, Va.—Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Bar- will organize, train, and equip forces to address these grow- rett praised the formal creation of the U.S. Space Force Dec. ing threats. The creation of the U.S. Space Force represents 20, identifying it as a critical capability in defending the nation a monumental change in the nation’s warfighting capabilities and pledging that the first new branch of the military since and the ability to fight and win future conflicts. 1947 would be established with speed and clarity of purpose. “With the establishment of the Space Force, we elevate the “The launch of an independent U.S. Space Force propels us ‘organize, train, and equip’ function consistent with the critical- into a new era dedicated to protecting U.S. national interests ity of the space domain,” said Gen. Jay Raymond, commander and security in space,” Barrett said. “We will work with [De- of U.S. Space Command. “The Space Force will deliver the partment of Defense] leaders, Congress, our joint military capabilities U.S. Space Command needs to control and exploit teammates, industry, and our national security partners as space for national advantage.” we establish the Space Force to ensure continued American leadership in space.” The Air Force, along with the DoD, has been preparing for this day. By design, the Space Force will be agile, lean, and Bringing the Space Force into reality has been a top priority mission-focused. It will minimize bureaucratic overhead and for Barrett since becoming the secretary of the Air Force in maximize focus on operations, intelligence, and fielding of ad- October. “An agile, lean and technologically-advanced force vanced capabilities. of talented professionals will now focus singularly on space,” she said. “The president and Congress gave us a job to do, and In addition, the Space Force will leverage the Air Force for more we are moving out.” than 75% of its enabling functions to reduce cost and avoid duplication. For example, this will include capabilities ranging In accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act from logistics, base operating support, civilian personnel man- signed into law Dec. 20 by President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. agement, business systems, IT support, and audit agencies. Space Force is the sixth branch of the United States military. While independent, it is nested within the Department of the The Department of the Air Force has a proud history and long- Air Force, much as the Marine Corps is connected to the De- standing record of providing the best space capabilities in the partment of the Navy. world, according to department officials. The Space Force will maintain that competitive edge and adapt to emerging chal- By creating a new, separate Service with a dedicated purpose, lenges. At the same time, the Space Force will have its own the U.S. will maintain space superiority, even as space be- budget, culture and ethos, doctrine, warfare development, comes more crowded and contested. The NDAA also directs training, and personnel development.

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AFRL Leads Defense Production Program to Success a five-year, $5 billion DPA Title III Hybrid Funding Opportunity in FY19 Announcement in July 2019. This demonstrated an innova- AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (DEC. 20, 2019) tive approach to reduce acquisition cycle times, provides the Donna Lindner flexibility to effectively execute a broad portfolio of projects WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio –The Air Force to tackle capital-intensive, strategic domestic, industrial-base Research Laboratory, serving as Department of Defense Ex- shortfalls, and provides a quick response to growing stake- ecutive Agent for the Defense Production Act Title III Program, holder requirements. reveled in a successful fiscal year marked by several accom- plishments and successes. To date, five call announcements for proposals have been re- leased against the Hybrid FOA addressing critical priorities in The DPA Title III Program is managed by the Office of Indus- energy generation and storage, space and rare earth elements. trial Policy within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Manufacturing and Indus- Additionally, nine requests for information have been issued trial Technologies Division serves as the Executive Agent. DPA since November 2018, the most recent of which address do- Title III authorities were established in the Defense Produc- mestic production capabilities for hypersonic materials and tion Act of 1950 and provide the President broad authority to small unmanned aerial systems components. ensure the timely availability of industrial-base capabilities essential to national defense. As additional shortfalls are identified, the Executive Agent will continue to address identified priorities through future RFIs, Since the 2018 release of the report in response to Executive FOA Call Announcements, and other acquisition and contract- Order 13806, Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing ing actions. and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States, 14 Presidential Determinations have been “The management of the DPA Title III Program made a real signed authorizing the use of DPA Title III authorities to ad- and lasting impact to the U.S. defense industrial base in FY19,” dress industrial base shortfalls. These determinations signifi- said Alan Albert, supervisory engineer. “The program is widely cantly expand the requirements of the DPA Title III Program. recognized by Congress and the Department as a powerful and effective tool to address national defense industrial base In recognition of the magnitude of challenges faced by the priorities.” domestic defense industrial base, the Executive Agent issued For additional information on Title III, visit: https://www.busi- nessdefense.gov/Programs/DPA-Title-III/.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, develop- ment, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 11,000 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfo- lio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit: http://www.afresearchlab.com.

NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Engineer Officer Awarded 2019 Moreell Medal The Title III Program partnered with MAC, LLC of southern NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND MID-ATLANTIC, Mississippi, to establish a qualified, cost-effective, light- PUBLIC AFFAIRS (DEC. 31, 2019) weight ammunition capable of being fielded in conventional Jeffrey C. Doepp weapon systems. NORFOLK—Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Com- Courtesy photo mand (NAVFAC) and Chief of Civil Engineers Rear Adm. John Korka announced Lt. Cmdr. Billy Woodward as the Society of

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American Military Engineers (SAME) 2019 Moreell Medal of work we continue to execute since Hurricane Florence came recipient, Dec. 23. through in September of 2018.

Woodward, a native of Comanche, Oklahoma, is the Resident “Specifically, the ROICC is a phenomenally high-functioning Officer In-Charge of Construction (ROICC) for Marine Corps team, I may be the one receiving an award, but everything has Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, been a team effort.” North Carolina. Woodward enlisted in the Navy in 1996 as a recruit and sepa- “Billy is most strongly deserving of this award,” said NAVFAC rated from the Navy in 2000 as a petty officer second class Mid-Atlantic Commanding Officer Capt. Rich Hayes. “His Aviation Electronics Technician. He rejoined in 2004 under superb engineering judgment, bold leadership, and detailed the Collegiate program and was commissioned in the Navy planning efforts in directing his staff, led to the delivery of $1.1 as an ensign in 2006. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil billion in architecture and engineering, service, and construc- Engineering from San Diego State University and a Master of tion contracts, directly supporting the installation and II Ma- Science in Civil Engineering (Construction Management) from rine Expeditionary Force operational missions. I am extremely the University of Texas at Austin. proud of his selection as the Moreell Medal recipient for 2019.” The medal is named for Admiral Ben Moreell, founder of the The medal, first awarded in 1955, is given annually to an of- Seabees. Moreell, the first chief of the Bureau of Yards and ficer of the Navy Civil Engineer Corps, regular or reserve, on Docks—the predecessor to Naval Facilities Engineering Com- active or inactive duty, or retired, or to a civilian employee of mand—was largely responsible for overseeing the bureau’s NAVFAC, in recognition of outstanding contributions to mili- vast construction programs, both domestic and overseas, tary engineering. during World War II.

Woodward expertly led his team in the aftermath of Hurricane For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Florence, which was one of the worst hurricanes on record for visit http://www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/. the East Coast. His team brilliantly managed the immediate recovery of the installation’s facilities and utilities infrastruc- Army Scientist Enhances Future Combat, Wearable ture. His efforts led to a quick, effective, and efficient return Technology to operations within days, allowing units and organizations to U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND continue their missions while the Public Works Department ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORY PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 6, 2020) (PWD) began the task of planning and executing permanent ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md.—A group of Army restoration and repair efforts. scientists are working to map out the cognitive mechanisms of the human system to seamlessly integrate future military Woodward accelerated his performance in 2019 by overseeing technology into the daily lives of Soldiers. the execution of 182 construction contracts valued at $1.05 billion and work-in-place of $410 million while minimizing risks These scientists, from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities De- to quality, delay, and safety. The projects attracted high levels velopment Command’s Army Research Laboratory, are not of attention from national, state, and local political leadership, only trying to make life easier in the combat arena—they are highlighting the resiliency and capability of military engineers working to save lives. to support sustained operations that defend American inter- ests around the world. One of these scientists, Dr. Chloe Callahan-Flintoft, is from the lab’s Human Research and Engineering Directorate and His efforts directing construction and service contracts di- is a contributing author and researcher of a study originally rectly supported the 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps published in bioRxiv Aug. 31, 2018. Psychological Review is also Planning Guidance in alignment with the priorities of the Na- reviewing the paper for publication. tional Defense Strategy. Callahan-Flintoft received her bachelor of science in math and “I am humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Wood- psychology at Trinity College Dublin. She then went on to get ward. “It’s important to recognize that the entire PWD Camp her master of science statistics at Baruch College - City Uni- Lejeune team deserve accolades for the tremendous volume versity of New York.

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She primarily based her work off of research accomplished Because this research simulates how items in the human visual with her graduate advisor at Pennsylvania State University field compete for attention, it was a natural step for Callahan- while getting her doctorate in psychology. A National Science Flintoft to become interested in how such a system behaves Foundation grant mostly funded the research. when observed objects are changing smoothly in time.

Callahan-Flintoft now works with the Army through an Oak Callahan-Flintoft then built the attentional drag model from Ridge Associated Universities Fellowship; however, she is pre- the framework. This model’s objective is to understand how paring to make the leap and join the lab’s scientific research human attention is engaged longer for smoothly changing ob- community full-time. jects versus abrupt movements. For example, an object ap- pearing quickly from around a corner versus smoothly shifting “I realized a lot of the problems I was interested in were highly facial expressions. applicable to tasks Soldiers face—such as how to strike a bal- ance so that you are staying on task, like searching for a target, She is a contributing researcher and author on a paper titled, but not setting such rigid attentional filters that you don’t see A Delay in Sampling Information from Temporally Autocorrelated unexpected events,” she said. Visual Stimuli. The paper covers her research on attentional drag and has been accepted by the publication Nature Com- Her work focuses on visual attention and how the brain sam- munications. ples information in both space and time. Because the human brain can’t process every visual input to the same extent, These models are the foundation for future combat and wear- Callahan-Flintoft helped to create a conceptual framework to able technology, she said. map out the cognitive mechanism. “My work is aimed on the importance of understanding the Her research is a model that can be used to generate predic- human brain, its underlying cognitive mechanisms, and how tions of how the brain will respond in explicit situations both to develop technology around the human operating system,” in reaction time and accuracy. It maps out the way informa- Callahan-Flintoft said. “Our brains were built from function- tion is inputted and processed in stages: Visual Input to Early ing in the natural environment. It’s integral to understand the Vision to Late Vision to the Attention Map, where attentional organic machinery before applying the technical advances.” resources are delegated.

Dr. Chloe Callahan-Flintoft is a researcher who is working with the Army to map the cognitive mechanisms of the human system in order to seamlessly integrate future military technology into the daily lives of Soldiers. She works with the Army through an Oak Ridge Associated Universities fellowship. U.S. Army photo by Jim Nelson

“Our environments present the human visual system with an The quantifiable predictions produced from these models allow abundance of changing information,” she said. “To meet pro- researchers to hypothesize and then test how the human visual cessing constraints, the brain must select and prioritize some system will respond to Augmented Target Recognition, or ATR, pieces of information over others.” highlights displayed on Augmented Reality, or AR, eyewear.

Her model is advancing research in the field of visual atten- “With the advent of AR, there is now new capabilities to tion, she said. display information to the Soldier overlaid on his/her visual field,” Callahan-Flintoft said. “One such implementation is ATR “RAGNAROC bridges two large bodies of literature in the at- highlights in which an AI system could encourage the visual tention community under one theory of reflexive visual atten- attention of a user to potential threats. Ideally such highlights tion by being able to simulate both human behavior as well as would provide helpful information to the Soldier without pull- electrophysiology results,” Callahan-Flintoft said. “In doing ing the Soldier off task or causing a detriment to the Soldier’s so, the model is able to account for seemingly conflicting find- situational awareness.” ings in previous work such as why sometimes our attention is pulled away from a target towards a salient distractor and Additionally, her work on the Human-AI Interactions for In- other times we’re able to suppress that salient distractor and telligent Squad Weapons project, is advancing knowledge of stay on task.” the cognitive mechanisms involved in attentional allocation,

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The U.S. Army selects 20 small businesses and their nonprofit research institution partners to receive 22 Small Business Technol- ogy Transfer, or STTR Phase I contracts. Many of the winning proposals resulted from the first Army STTR Industry Day, which provided attendees the opportunity to learn how to participate in the program and network for strong partnerships. U.S. Army photo scene processing, and decision making in order to advise ATR partners to receive 22 Small Business Technology Transfer, implementations. Their objective is to make tech that comple- or STTR Phase I contracts to develop technologies to address ments rather than competes with natural visual processing. military challenges.

Callahan-Flintoft envisions her work will lead to developments The $166,500, three-month contract awards will conduct in AI systems that work in tandem with humans. Her goal is feasibility studies to determine the scientific, technical, and effortless human and tech integration, she said. commercial merit of the concepts.

The CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the “We’re excited about the potential of these awardees to pro- U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As vide game-changing technologies addressing key issues for the Army’s corporate research laboratory, ARL discovers, in- the Army,” said Michael Caccuitto, Army STTR portfolio direc- novates, and transitions science and technology to ensure tor. “We have accelerated the STTR process so that successful dominant strategic land power. Through collaboration across projects will more quickly move on to developing a prototype the command’s core technical competencies, CCDC leads in and then transition to an acquisition effort to be put in the the discovery, development, and delivery of the technology- hands of the warfighter.” based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation’s wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major The awardees provided proposals in seven categories impor- subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. tant to the Army, including interference and jamming of high frequency radios, position navigation without GPS, phased- Army Selects 20 Small Businesses, Research Partners array antennas for extremely high-frequency satellite com- for Tech Development munications, millimeter waveforms for tactical networking, U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND edge sensor processing, adaptable tactical communications ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORY PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 7, 2020) (advanced Soldier radios), and standoff electronic denial (dis- RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—The U.S. Army selected rupting, disabling, or destroying the electronics on a remote 20 small businesses and their nonprofit research institution target).

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When Phase I is complete, the Army anticipates funding one Viberg, vice-chancellor from the Bleking Institute of Technol- project in each of the seven topics for STTR Phase II. Phase ogy in Karlskrona, Sweden, will receive the 2020 IEEE Signal II awardees receive a maximum of $1,100,000 for a period Processing Society Sustained Impact Paper Award at the In- between six and 18 months during which they conduct a major ternational Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Pro- research and development effort, culminating in a well-defined cessing this May in Barcelona, Spain. deliverable prototype. The paper, “Two Decades of Array Signal Processing Research: Congress established the STTR program in 1992 to provide The Parametric Approach,” was published in IEEE Signal Pro- small businesses and research institutions with opportunities cessing Magazine in July 1996. At the time, Krim worked at to participate in government-sponsored research and develop- Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the research was ment. The program requires the small business to collaborate conducted through the Center of Imaging Sciences, a multi- with a non-profit research institution, typically a university or university center funded by ARO. The center then included federal laboratory. Washington University, Brown University, Harvard University, and MIT. The Army evaluated and chose the 22 winning proposals from among 88 proposals. Many of those proposals were submitted The research paper provides a critical review of the accom- as a result of the first Army STTR Industry Day, Sept. 10, 2019, plishments of signal processing in high-dimensional statistical at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Friday Center. analysis of multi-channel data, and also looks to the future in the areas of multi-antenna and array data processing. The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory hosted close to 150 small busi- “While the signal processing research area has always been nesses and research institutions and provided attendees the important in radar, sonar and other defense applications, it has opportunity to learn how to participate in the Army STTR pro- further increased with the advent and huge success of wire- gram and network for strong partnerships. less communication, the dramatic rise of the social tetherless devices, and the information world we live in,” Krim said. “That CCDC ARL scientists from the Army Research Office and -ac has kept the topic current and of continued interest. I have also tive-duty Soldiers provided participants with detailed insight seen new applications in biomedical applications, and devices into the seven special topics solicited for the program. that now have antenna arrays on a chip.”

The Army STTR program invests in all Army modernization The Sustained Impact Paper Award honors authors of a journal priorities via nine participating CCDC and Army science and article of broad interest that has had sustained impact over technology centers. many years. In this case, the almost 23-year-old article has averaged nearly 190 citations per year. View a list of awardees at https://www.armysbir.army.mil/ awards/sttr_phase_I_recent. [Note that the Army selected At ARO, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities De- MaXentric Technologies LLC, an advanced research, develop- velopment Command’s Army Research Laboratory, Krim leads ment, and consulting company in New Jersey, in three topic efforts to fund disruptive research focusing on bio-inspired and areas.] multi-task machine learning and artificial intelligence that are applicable to the Army’s top priorities. Army Scientist Receives Top Honors for Signal Processing Research His research interests lie in the broad area of data science U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMMAND with a focus on statistical signal analysis and machine learning. ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORY PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JAN. 8, 2020) He is also pursuing applications in nuclear non-proliferation RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—An Army scientist earned agreement enforcement, visual cortex modeling, and image top honors for his signal processing research from Institute of classification. Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing Krim is on leave from North Carolina State University where technology for the benefit of humanity. he is professor in electrical and computer engineering.

Dr. Hamid Krim, a program manager in information processing Krim earned a bachelor and master of science and a doctor- and fusion at Army Research Office, and co-author Dr. Mats ate in electrical and computer engineering from University of

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Dr. Hamid Krim, a program manager in information processing and fusion at Army Research Office, and co-author Dr. Mats Vi- berg, vice-chancellor from the Bleking Institute of Technology in Karlskrona, Sweden, will receive the 2020 IEEE Signal Process- ing Society Sustained Impact Paper Award at the International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing this May in Barcelona, Spain. Shutterstock image

Washington and Northeastern University. He is an Institute of AFRL Engineer Leaves High-Power Legacy Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow and recipient AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY (JAN. 12, 2020) of the Japanese Fellowship for the Advancement of Science Jeanne Dailey and Engineering at University of Tokyo. He has also received KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.—The Air Force Research the National Science Foundation Career Award. Laboratory has developed a unique directed energy weapon demonstrator called the High-power Adaptive Directed Energy The CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the System, or HADES, that completed field testing in 2019. U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As the Army’s corporate research laboratory, the laboratory “HADES technology was designed with the warfighter in discovers, innovates, and transitions science and technology mind,” said the AFRL program manager Dan Marker. “The to ensure dominant strategic land power. Through collabo- system works by combining a large number of high-power ration across the command’s core technical competencies, fiber lasers in a fashion that corrects for distortions caused CCDC leads in the discovery, development, and delivery of by the atmosphere. This gives the warfighter a long-range, the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers high-power laser weapon.” more effective to win our nation’s wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Fu- The HADES technology was conceived by Nutronics, Inc., a tures Command. small business in Longmont, Colorado, that won Phase I, II,

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and III contracts with the Air Force through the Small Busi- ics’ success led to their recent acquisition by nLight, a NAS- ness Innovative Research program including special contracts DAQ listed company.” through the Commercialization Readiness Program. Between 2011 and 2019, the Nutronics team invented, developed, tested, “The HADES concept is generic,” said Marker. “The technol- and delivered the HADES demonstrator to the Air Force. ogy can apply to any type of mission or military platform. The system can be adapted to different power levels for use in Marker, an engineer at AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate a severely turbulent atmosphere or on missions that require at Kirtland for more than 30 years, has devoted a significant high-speed compensation such as the effects of air flowing amount of that time in bringing the HADES technology to over an aircraft turret.” fruition. Marker grew up on a remote farm in central Washington State “I started the HADES effort in 2011 with one industry partner where he attended a three-room grade school and worked that consisted of two employees,” said Marker. “Today the daily on a 65-acre apple orchard. From that rural beginning, HADES technology is a reality and the number of researchers he had a desire to be in the military. at that company has grown to nearly 40. Nutronics CEO and inventor of the HADES concept, Jeffrey Barchers, deserves a Marker says his enlistment in the Air Force provided him with lot of credit for this achievement as does consultant Wesley a tremendous growth opportunity that ultimately led to a com- Green who made a number of technical contributions. Nutron- mission as an Air Force officer with an engineering degree.

The AFRL’s High-power Adaptive Directed Energy System, or HADES, beam director mounted on top of a transportable shipping container, which houses the HADES laser source and beam control system. Photo credit: Nutronics Inc. Photo by Staff Sgt. Dylan Nuckolls

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He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical En- “The enjoyment of marathon technical discussions will be gineering from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, a gone, surrounding yourself with an endless supply of intel- Master’s in Business Administration from Webster University, lectually grounded people will be compromised, and the idea and a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the of surrendering my service that serves our military is difficult University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. to accept,” he said.

In 1983, Marker began his engineering career as an Air Force “I am honored to be lucky enough to find a large number of lieutenant with AFRL (at the time called the Air Force Weap- people who wanted to ‘get ‘er done.’ Ending my career with ons Laboratory) where he worked on phased array imaging HADES was a little like a Cinderella story; clearly the concept and laser beam projection technologies. After retiring from was late to the game, but the great work by Nutronics moved the military in 1992, he returned to the lab in 1997 as a civilian it into a top contender.” advisor supporting the development of optical quality mem- brane mirrors for high-power laser applications. Logistician Rises to Challenges of Supporting Warfighters “As the government principal investigator, I enabled the com- ARMY NEWS SERVICE (JAN. 21, 2020) mercialization of two membrane-related technologies,” said Miles Brown Marker. “This work led to the development of a novel mem- REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.—Gary Cathcart, a logistics man- brane optical coating process with industry partner Surface agement specialist with the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Optics Inc. The process we developed was used to coat the Command Logistics Center, thrives on challenges. Many of the primary mirror of the Kepler Space Telescope, which is often work challenges he faces daily test his ingenuity and technical referred to as the “Planet Finder.” skills at the Counter-Rocket Artillery Mortar (C-RAM) Project Directorate supporting warfighters thousands of miles from Marker switched over to the federal civil service system in Alabama. 2006 and began to develop technologies that eventually formed the foundation for HADES. Before concentrating on Cathcart, who hails from Dothan, Alabama, leads the logistics HADES, as the government principal investigator working with efforts providing global support for the broad range of prod- Lockheed Martin Coherent Technologies, he developed and ucts support, logistics support, supply, training, and mainte- field-tested a digital holography technology to remotely ac- nance activities sustaining the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft quire holograms in turbulent atmospheric conditions. Systems (C-UAS) and Land-based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) programs. “The field-tested concept produced super-resolution, distor- tion-free images, and provided atmospheric data needed to According to Phillip White, the C-RAM Sustainment Division pre-compensate a projected laser beam,” Marker said. “This chief, Cathcart contributes to the life-cycle management for type of technology is critical to the performance of a laser all the C-RAM Project Directorate’s acquisition programs. The weapon system.” intercept capability of C-RAM is effectively a radar-controlled, rapid-fire gun for close-in protection from indirect fire. The While in the Air Force, Marker met his wife Juanita in Japan. weapon system also contains a forward-looking infrared cam- They have two children; Shoi, a medical surgical nurse at era to allow Soldiers to visually identify target threats before Rhode Island Hospital; and Keith, a decorated combat Navy engaging the targets. Corpsman with over 200 enemy engagements supporting the 2/7 Marines in Afghanistan. Juanita provided engineering sup- “His diligence and dependability demonstrate that he is dedi- port for Sandia National Laboratory and is now retired. cated to the warfighter while maintaining program afford- ability,” said White. “All of the programs Cathcart supports Marker has many activities planned on his retirement at the directly contribute to combat capabilities in Afghanistan, Iraq, end of this year. “I enjoy remodeling – the whole gamut from and Syria.” construction to the electrical to the plumbing,” he said. “I also like landscaping and fooling around in the financial market. Cathcart heads a three-person logistics team dedicated to pro- Plus, I want to do some traveling with my wife. The Panama viding cradle-to-grave support for automated Air and Missile Canal, Athens, and Tokyo are on our list.” Defense systems used throughout the Army. The team dem- onstrated their creativity and dedication while trying to solve Retiring from the AFRL is not an easy decision, explained an LPWS supply and shipping challenge. Marker.

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The LPWS wooden shipping containers, used to transport the systems to and from deployed locations, were fragile, highly pilferable, and costly, according to White. Cathcart knew his team had to develop a better container. They constructed and tested a container prototype, which now serves as the standard LPWS shipping container. It holds all the system’s components securely in place during shipment and, because of its durability, can be used to store a unit’s gear once the system reaches the Soldiers in the field. Cathcart and his team’s efforts resulted in a savings of more than $1 million in fiscal year 2018, which exceeded C-RAM’s entire savings goal for the year.

Cathcart, who has worked on Redstone Arsenal for more than 15 years, thrives on the variety of challenges he faces day in and day out.

“I enjoy the challenges that come with the broad scope of responsibilities and requirements needed to support the sys- tems we have deployed around the world,” said Cathcart.

Those challenges included providing critical sustainment support for the Army’s C-UAS and Gun, Air Defense Artillery Towed (GADAT) programs. He recently completed base-line lists for insertion into C-RAM contracts, which allowed for completion of contract efforts ahead of schedule and identified the correct quantities and types of parts needed to support these critical programs. Cathcart’s efforts reduced the cost associated with parts acquisition by $15 million for the C-UAS According to White, Cathcart’s “versatile talents and abilities” program and $25 million for GADAT, according to White. greatly reduced costs associated with warehousing, account- ability, and care of supplies in storage. Cathcart finds the most rewarding part of his job in supporting those deployed downrange. Gary Cathcart, a logistics management specialist with the “I love to hear from deployed Soldiers and civilians who ap- U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command Logistics Center, inventories new heavy-duty alternators before they are in- preciate the performance of the systems we deploy and the stalled on Counter-Rocket Artillery Mortar (C-RAM) support successful sustainment of those systems,” said Cathcart. vehicles. Cathcart is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command Logistics Center nominee for the 2019 Ernest White echoed that appreciation as part of Cathcart’s nomi- A. Young Logistics Achievement Award. nation for the 2019 Ernest A. Young Logistics Achievement Photo by Miles Brown Awards. Cathcart’s leadership and teamwork were highlighted throughout the nomination package with numerous examples of his dedication to the warfighter. “Gary’s contributions directly support the Army’s goals and objectives while providing global support and sustainment of White detailed efforts that reduced costs associated with fielded systems,” wrote White. “His efforts are notable within transportation, parts ordering, and excess parts recovery ALC and PEO Missiles & Space, and contribute to Army readi- that saved the Army millions of dollars annually and improved ness, sustainment affordability, and mission accomplishment.” weapon system availability rates.

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