Photo By Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon | U.S. Airmen with the Washington Air National Guard view a drone demonstration during...... read more read more
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CAMP MURRAY, Washington — The 194th Air Support Operations Group (ASOG) motor pool was transformed into a hub of innovation during the first-ever Washington Air National Guard Innovation Industry Day on April 6, 2024, at Camp Murray. The Washington Air National Guard Innovation Team invited innovative startup companies to showcase their technologies to Army and Air service members.
The event, held last weekend and co-hosted by the Washington Air National Guard Innovation Team and the 194th ASOG, showcased more than $7 million in industry innovation projects and prototypes, offering real-world insights into the innovation process involved in adopting new technologies.
Industry Day featured a series of presentations and interactive demonstrations highlighting everything from advanced drone technology and 5G communications to wearable biotechnology. During the event, guardsmen had the opportunity to engage directly with innovative developers, gaining firsthand knowledge of emerging technologies and their potential applications for military operations.
"It is crucial for guardsmen at all levels to leverage a strong and ever-growing industrial base to find unique ways to enhance operational capabilities,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Pavel, director of innovation for the Washington Air National Guard. “Opportunities like the Innovation and Industry Days do just that, bringing everyone together to solve both recurring and complex defense issues.”
One of the significant challenges in military innovation is integrating new technologies into existing systems and structures. The Air Force has made significant strides in streamlining its acquisition processes to accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies. Programs like AFWERX, an Air Force initiative to foster innovation within the service and connect with technology entrepreneurs, are crucial in this respect.
These approaches diverge from the military’s traditional acquisition processes by creating opportunities for smaller, non-traditional companies to speak directly with service members, identify their challenges, and develop prototypes—known as minimum viable products (MVPs)—to address their issues. Direct input from end-users during the design and development phases of new tools and systems ensures that innovations meet the actual needs of their users and enhance their capabilities.
Within the Washington Air National Guard, the State’s Innovation Team provides connectivity to these resources, in addition to consulting, deal-making, and strategic scaling and transition support.
“Our headquarters team is only a call or email away to help units connect with leaders in academia or industry,” said Pavel. “I want people to seek us out…[and] to look to us as a viable option/tool to solve their problems.”
The Washington Air National Guard Innovation Team is part of a broader effort to ensure that the Air National Guard remains at the forefront of technological advances and continues to meet its operational challenges effectively.
“We want to enable everyone, at all levels, to solve their own problems today without waiting for tomorrow,” said Pavel. “Our Air Force requires this level of commitment from each of us and any feasible idea should be heard and explored.”
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2024 18:14 |
| Story ID: | 468788 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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