Photo By Sgt. Brianna Badder | U.S. Army Sgt. Brandyn Brooks, a 15P aviation operations specialist with the 101st...... read more read more
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq- Through hard work and innovation, the Aviation Operations Specialists of 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, are currently developing a process within Maven Smart System (MSS) that introduces the capability to import mission files directly from AMPS (Aviation Mission Planning System).
Previously, the planned aviation routes were being manually transcribed from the aviation planning documents to the Common Operating Picture (COP), which increased the workload and the opportunity for error.
According to the developer MSS “leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to rapidly assess the battlespace, gather vast amounts of data, and analyze it to identify and prioritize targets”. Lt. Col. Robert Wells, commander of 6-101 Aviation Regiment, said the unit began integrating MSS during a warfighter exercise back in 2024, where the capability gap was identified. The unit found that the AMPS did not communicate with MSS on the COP interface.
He said over the course of several months, Soldiers collaborated with the 101st Airborne Division Operational Data Team, Knowledge Management Officers, and Palantir Field Service Representatives to find a software solution to bridge this gap.
“The best solution at the time was publishing the AMPS routes through the Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS) in the Airspace Coordination Order (ACO), which is pulled in through MSS,” said Wells.
This solution was “functional”, but Wells knew that it could still be better.
“I challenged our Aviation Operations Specialists (15Ps) and Aviation Mission Survivability Officer (AMSO) to find a better solution,” said Wells.
Sgt. Brandyn Brooks, the HHC, 6-101 GSAB Flight Operations Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, was assigned to be the leader of the project.
Brooks said he discovered his passion for computer science and programming at the age of 12. He appreciates the unique obstacles programming presents and the ability to provide creative solutions.
“One of the most difficult challenges (for most developers) is finding a way to convey the right information in the simplest way possible,” said Brooks.
Brooks appreciated the obstacles that the AMPS to MSS integration presented and recognized the potential Maven Smart System (MSS) had to offer for the future of aviation.
“I have been in Army Aviation for over seven years, and I have never felt such a sense of hope for the future,” said Brooks.
Brooks emphasized that the ability to see a route’s geometry on a map is not new or innovative, but the automation and accessibility of the process is what is significant.
“I anticipate this project will benefit many units to come, and thanks to the tremendous amount of support from my leadership, I intend to continue development in an effort to introduce additional features,” said Brooks.
Brooks said he is proud of the implementation as it currently stands but is excited to continue developing it into something even greater.
“Development isn’t done until someone stops me,” he said.
Lt. Col. Wells emphasized that he is proud of the effort and determination of Brooks and the Soldiers of 6-101 that made this idea come to life, and he has no doubts that they can accomplish any task assigned to them.
“I’m proud of our Soldiers for not taking no for answer and fighting through the roadblocks,” said Wells. “It’s a testament to what an empowered Soldier, provided with the appropriate resources can accomplish.”
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2025 09:06 |
| Story ID: | 499971 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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