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In the heart of central California, Operation Mojave Falcon provided the Army Reserve with more than just another large-scale training event. It served as a proving ground for a forward-leaning concept within the Army: the Operational Data Team (ODT) - a pioneering initiative aimed at bringing advanced data analytics into Army operations.
Modern military operations generate enormous amounts of data, but the Army often lacks the people and processes to harness it. Staffs can get bogged down in organizing data, leaving little time to analyze, gain knowledge, achieve understanding, and make decisions. ODTs are small teams of digital experts who rapidly meet critical, frontline decision support needs for commanders and staffs.
While units drilled tactics on the battlefield, a small, Army Reserve team from the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve (OCAR) quietly worked alongside the 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC), helping it transition from static staff products to more dynamic, data-informed decision making. The team’s presence marked a shift in mindset: data isn’t just a back-office capability, it’s a battlefield enabler.
Although the U.S. Army Reserve was not tasked to create an ODT, the Chief Data and Analytics Office at OCAR took advantage of this unique training opportunity to experiment and learn while bringing unique skills to bear. Similar in spirit to data modernization programs within the 18th Airborne Corps, Mission Command Center of Excellence, and elements of Special Forces, the OCAR ODT is uniquely tailored to the challenges of a component often working with fewer resources and more legacy systems. Reflecting on the exercise, Lt. Col. Jim Perkins, a product manager on the ODT, said that some leaders think that, “Muskets and horses are fine—we won two wars with them,” highlighting the mindset some still carry when it comes to adopting new technologies. His comment wasn’t dismissive of tradition but rather a pointed observation about the reluctance to move beyond familiar, legacy systems.
While foundational tactics remain essential, the modern battlefield demands more. From shooting artillery to delivering logistics, digital systems are delivering speed, integration, and data-informed decision-making that are critical in today’s operational environment—especially against near-peer threats. Continuing to rely solely on outdated tools and manual processes risks limiting a commander’s ability to respond effectively.
The ODT’s approach is less about software procurement and more about enabling Soldiers at every level to use data as a core part of their toolkit. Their methods include teaching data literacy, building data products, demonstrating the utility of platforms like Palantir and Tableau, and guiding staff on how to ask more precise, data-driven questions. It’s about creating a cultural shift—not just a technical one.
The Mojave Falcon experiment revealed just how much operational potential goes untapped when systems are underused or disconnected from real-time programs and capabilities. By introducing practical, accessible ways to integrate data into daily battle rhythm, the ODT began to shift the culture—from passive reliance on legacy methods to active exploration of what’s possible.
In one instance, the team helped the ESC staff analyze and forecast sustainment requirements using scenario data, enabling a clearer picture of logistical shortfalls and unit movement timelines. This wasn’t about technology for its own sake—it was about supporting better decisions, faster.
“Our goal wasn’t to give them a product and walk away,” Perkins said. “We wanted to elevate the questions being asked, and once that started happening, the staff began to say: ‘Oh, it would be great if we could...’ and drive their own improvements.”
While the outcomes were promising, the experiment also highlighted enduring friction points. Many of the Army’s enterprise tools—like advanced AI-enabled systems—require infrastructure that are available in theater, but units don’t always have access to in the field. The 311th ESC, for example, operated on a local network with limited bandwidth, constraining its ability to access key enterprise platforms.
For the first days of the exercise, staffs were forced to pass information over radio, transcribe it manually, and input it into local spreadsheets—undermining the speed, accuracy, and utility of the data itself. It was a vivid example of how the right tools exist, but are often undercut by policy, infrastructure, or training gaps.
Despite the constraints, the ODT pressed forward, demonstrating that even with limited bandwidth, substantial gains in insight and clarity could be achieved through thoughtful application of existing tools.
This experiment marks a turning point for the Army Reserve’s approach to digital operations. The ODT isn’t just filling a gap—they’re modeling what Reserve Component participation in a data-centric force could look like.
Their work at Mojave Falcon is already influencing future planning discussions. Lessons learned from this effort are shaping ongoing conversations, and the broader takeaway is clear: the Army Reserve is not only capable of contributing to the Army’s digital transformation—it has a critical role to play in it. “What we’re doing is directly tied to how the Army envisions a software-defined future,” said Perkins. “And if we want our commanders to make better decisions, we have to give them better inputs.”
The OCAR-ODT is proving that with the right mix of expertise and intent, Reserve soldiers – many of whom are civilian experts in digital technology can punch well above their weight in the data fight. As modernization efforts expand across the force, initiatives like this one show that the Army Reserve isn’t just participating in transformation—it’s helping lead it.
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2025 11:43 |
| Story ID: | 501132 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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