Photo By Tech. Sgt. Victoria Nelson | Airmen learn about resourcing tactics from ARCWERX innovators across the country...... read more read more
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Airmen from New England, New York and Colorado gathered at the ARCWERX Innovation Symposium at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire Aug. 8-11, 2022.
The program exemplified the Air National Guard and Reserve's innovation support program's founding pillars. Speakers from other Air National Guard Wings exhibited real-world pilot, or test, project demonstrations and networking exercises that highlighted the education, connection and facilitation of the innovation program.
"We presented today to show new innovators and people interested innovating how an idea can come to fruition," said 2nd Lt. Jennifer Hall, 173rd Fighter Wing officer in charge of sustainment services and a key member of ARCWERX running gate analysis pilot program.
The Running Gate Analysis was a proposal submitted to ARCWERX to help Airmen prevent injuries based on their running pattern and anatomy. The innovation program brought on the idea, supported and facilitated the implementation at Guard and Reserve Bases across the nation.
"This is a great example of taking something like running that many people hate, including runners sometimes, and helping people mitigate that friction of injury or discomfort that leads to hating running," explained Maj. Ray Stone, a C-17 pilot with the Colorado Air National Guard and an ARCWERX innovator.
"I think ideas like this show a really neat juxtaposition," he added. "When people think about innovation they think about 3-D printers and solutions; but what it comes down to is people being able to see the problems that need fixing in the first place."
The symposium stressed the integral strength of diversity in Airmen needed to identify short falls and bring their new ideas to life.
"Not all innovation teams have 1,000 Steve Jobs," said Stone. "Apple had one Steve Jobs, so people are learning this week that networking is huge. You don't have to love Sci-Fi and be a great inventor, you can identify issues, break down barriers and get people from different career fields to support resolutions, that's what this is all about."
During the beginning of the symposium, a map of New England was placed on the wall in front of the room. Each participant then presented a sticky note with a networking partner in their local area. By the end of the exercise the map was covered in colorful squares representing innovative support throughout the northeast region.
"We focus on making ideas sustainable by using the resources we have through networking in our own backyard," Stone explained. "The reason why funding and support from partners and leadership is so important is because the ideas are not a requirement, yet."
Stone and Maj. Bobby Carbonell, the co-founder and operations officer of ARCWERX, explained the end goal for innovators is to pilot ideas to the point where they become a requirement.
"Realistically that seems like it's an unachievable space but looking back at history we see examples of this everywhere," Stone said. "How did we get bombers and stealth aircraft? We used to shoot out the side of planes until someone saw an issue and designed something that filled the need to make it better. Now those aircraft are an integral part of our nation's defense."
"Airmen from this Wing and all over the Guard are continuing to design programs and further develop ideas that have been adapted by the Air Force and homeland response in our communities," Carbonell added.
Airmen of the 157th described the three-day workshop to be eye-opening. They discovered accessible platforms and began networking for the future of their ideas that afternoon.
"This is a really unique opportunity to build something from scratch and watch it grow," said Carbonell. "Looking at the teammates and partnerships we have developed and watching them teach the next generation of Airmen has been incredibly rewarding and inspiring."
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2022 16:15 |
| Story ID: | 427183 |
| Location: | NH, US |
| Web Views: | 278 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ARCWERX Inspires Airmen to Find Solutions, by TSgt Victoria Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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