Category: United States Defense

Source: United States Air Force

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) —  

On Dec. 19, Keesler Air Force Base welcomed a familiar face, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, who explored the base to gain a firsthand perspective on how the 81st Training Wing is executing its mission.

Bass represents the highest enlisted level of leadership, as her position includes offering guidance to the enlisted force and advocating for their interests as necessary, both to the American public and across all government levels.

Accompanying her was the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Honorable Alex Wagner and Chief Master Sgt. John Alsvig, Air Force first sergeant special duty manager, also known as Diamond 1.

The tour kicked off with the senior leaders having a sit-down breakfast with Airmen across the wing. Hitting on the 81st TRW’s priority of empowered Airmen, the breakfast provided opportunity for Airmen of all ranks to have open discussion on topics such as the benefits of transitioning from bullet format to narratives for evaluations, capitalizing on military benefits, managing a work life balance and staying motivated.

“Never forget where you came from, why you do what you do and never quit learning,” Bass said.

After breakfast, they witnessed how the 81st TRW is focusing on training through going on tour of the 333rd Training Squadron’s schoolhouse, where officers and enlisted service members go for cyberspace initial and advanced skills training. They surveyed the Cyber Escape Room, designed to challenge students’ skill sets from ​​decoding cyphers and packet tracing to programming and networking. Additionally, the tour highlighted the 334th TS’s air traffic control study room that gives students greater access to radar and tower static tables and Max Sim ATC simulators which has proven to reduce the elimination rate of the course by 4%. Providing study rooms give students more opportunities to absorb and retain information outside of classroom hours, further enhancing dorms as a weapon system.

Following a peak into the 81st Training Group, Bass hosted an all call for approximately 400 Airman across the installation, providing them insight and discussion of our evolving force and answering questions with the support of Wagner and Alsvig.

Bass’s time at Keesler AFB wrapped up with a final formation of all five training squadrons, where she motivated Airmen and Guardians in training and conducted an ‘End of Watch’ retiring of the aiguillette ceremony for two military training leaders.

The tour to Keesler AFB marks the last time Bass will visit the installation as the chief master sergeant of the Air Force. Immediately before her CMSAF assignment, Bass was stationed at Keesler AFB as the Second Air Force command chief making the base an unofficial homecoming tour.

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force announced the six Spark Tank 2024 finalists Dec. 14 following the announcement of the 15 semifinalists Dec. 5.

The Spark Tank team presented the top 15 ideas identified through pairwise voting and subject matter expert evaluations from this year’s pool of submissions. DAF senior leaders convened to review and discuss the merits of each idea, reaching consensus to identify Spark Tank 2024’s six finalists.

Out of 138 submissions from across the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force, the following were selected for the semifinals round:
Air Traffic Control Situational Awareness Mobile Network – a man portable combination system that provides a RADAR-like capability in austere environments

CLEAR skies, safe eyes: Protecting aircrews from laser strikes – technology to triangulate locations of ground-based laser attacks directed at aircrews

COMMERCIAL CHECK – Pioneering the Path to Eradicate Acquisition Delays – harnessing automated intelligence and machine learning to securely expedite acquisitions

Enterprise Digital Credentialing Service – a user-centric integration of credentials from both DAF and external systems to provide a wholistic view of Airmen’s knowledge, skills, and abilities

Increasing USAF Air Dominance Lethality and Survivability through M&S – an application for advanced framework for simulation, integration and modeling for rapid tactics evaluation tool

Project Spectrum Shield – a network of connected devices that detect and locate intrusion by unauthorized devices collecting against air bases and sensitive operating locations

Revolutionize the PCS Process–Bring Transportation of HHG from 1975 to 2023 – an application that fully automates household goods shipping management

Secure Agile Communications System – a self-contained fly-away kit that establishes secure communication channels for forward operating bases

Unmanned Flight Interface – a unified dashboard that provides a reliable, seamless integration of all software tools utilized by unmanned vehicle pilots

The following were selected as the finalists from the top 15:
Autonomous Vehicles for Flightline Resupply* – automated delivery vehicles to provide supplies to maintenance crews working on aircraft on the flightline

CyberAssess – like TurboTax for your Authority to Operate* – an application that simplifies the steps and automates the paperwork required to introduce new technology into the Air Force information architecture

F-16 Collapsible Cockpit ACE Ladder* – a collapsible ladder that can be carried inside the cockpit thus removing the need to preposition bulky legacy ladders

Flyways Defender for Airspace Awareness and Defense* – an artificial intelligence-enabled to provide air defense situational awareness and aid decision making

Load Plan+* – an interactive load plan application that allows medevac crews to label patients, select equipment needed for the mission, and optimize placement within the aircraft

Project Lavoy (formerly Project Lifesaver)* – advanced technology for contingency blood transfusions

The six finalist teams will travel to Arlington, Virginia, in January 2024 to refine their pitches and stage presence in preparation for their presentation to the secretary of the Air Force, chief of Space Operations, chief of staff of the Air Force, chief master sergeant of the Space Force, and chief master sergeant of the Air Force next year at a yet-to-be-announced location.

Spark Tank is DAF’s flagship competition in which innovators from across the department pitch their ideas to a panel of top leadership and industry experts in pursuit of sponsorship to realize their idea.

Source: United States Air Force

ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Ontario (AFNS) —  

The United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force recently demonstrated their commitment to a strong partnership through the Enlisted Professional Military Education, or EPME, exchange initiative. This initiative has seen mutual collaboration, with four non-commissioned Airmen from the USAF completing the RCAF Primary Leadership Qualification course at the RCAF Academy in Borden. 
 
Participating in this exchange program were two French scholars in the Language Enabled Airman Program, or LEAP; U.S. Air Force technical sergeants, Ndap Tah and Sanvi Panou. As Canada has two official languages, English and French, with most military courses being taught in both languages, their involvement in the program provided them with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture of their Canadian counterparts. This fostered a close collaboration and mutual understanding of each other’s perspectives. 
 
“The experience of constantly speaking French with my Canadian counterparts was very interesting. It helped us learn about each other’s cultures, our shared goals of serving our countries, and it created a partnership and a very close collaboration,” Tah said.

In a reciprocated gesture, three RCAF members recently graduated from the Airman Leadership School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, underscoring the mutual commitment to cooperation and knowledge exchange between the two air forces. 
 
“This program further strengthens our friendship and partnership between our two great air forces,” said Chief Warrant Officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force Chief Warrant Officer John Hall. “On exercises, operations, and through the bi-national command NORAD, USAF and RCAF members routinely serve side by side.” 
 
This strategic collaboration signifies a significant step in fortifying the interoperability and professional development of noncommissioned leaders, highlighting the commitment to mutual learning and shared expertise. The EPME exchange initiative, which began in 2021, aims to foster greater cooperation and understanding between the enlisted ranks of the two air forces. The RCAF Academy, a modern institution providing leadership and management training to over 1,000 annual students, plays a pivotal role in this initiative. 
 
“The cross-national Enlisted PME initiative illustrates our dedication to nurturing airmen’s development through diverse learning environments. It encompasses more than education; it involves building connections, fostering global perspectives, and strengthening strategic partnerships,” said Chief Master Sgt. Denny Richardson, command chief master sergeant, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Region (CONR)-First Air Force (U.S. Air Forces Northern and U.S. Air Forces Space). “I would like to express my gratitude to Senior Master Sgt. Alejandro Velez from the CONR-1AF(AFNORTH/AFSPACE)/A5/A8 for playing a crucial role in bringing the program to fruition.” 
 
The partnership between the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force, as demonstrated through the EPME exchange initiative, is a testament to their commitment to mutual learning and collaboration. These joint initiatives signify a significant step in strengthening the professional development of non-commissioned leaders, showcasing the depth and resilience of their partnership. This ongoing collaboration is expected to make a noteworthy contribution to the security landscape in North America. 

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The Office of the Secretary of Defense Chief Digital and AI Office, Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Army Pacific Command and the U.S. Air Force will host a multi-classification hackathon open to all U.S. citizens, Feb. 5-9, 2024.

A hackathon is an innovation event commonly employed by technology companies in which teams develop prototypes in response to enterprise challenges associated with data. The BRAVO 11 Bits2Effects hackathon will occur at one of the DOD AI Battle Labs on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Any American citizen is eligible to apply, regardless of whether they currently work for the federal government or possess a security clearance. Applications, available online here, will be accepted on a rolling first-come-first-serve basis with the first group of acceptances taking place in mid-December. Due to past events exceeding 400 participants, BRAVO has secured an over-flow room, although organizers still expect demand to exceed supply.

Attendees are not required to hold a security clearance. However, certain spaces, use-cases and datasets may require a U.S. secret security clearance or higher. Applicants may apply as an employee for the U.S. government, a U.S. government contractor working on behalf of a federal contract or as U.S. citizen either affiliated or unaffiliated with a company. Any U.S. federal employees or federal contractors are eligible to submit potential use-cases and proposed collaborations within the application process. Sourcing a use-case to these hackathons often results in an operational prototype and feedback for the sourcing organization.

Starting in 2021, the U.S. Air Force began organizing multi-service prototyping events, known as BRAVO hackathons, to expedite learning and capability development from classified and protected operational data. This year’s BRAVO 11 Bits2Effects, the fourth BRAVO hackathon and first-held inside a combatant command, is seeking to produce solutions to combatant command challenges utilizing Indo-Pacific operational theater data. BRAVO utilizes a permissive software development environment that permits the co-mingling of classified and protected data with untrusted open-source and commercial software otherwise not approved for production systems within minutes.

Prior hackathons have produced prototypes influencing major Defense Department programs in areas including large language models, space launch, flight telemetry and biometrics, unmanned systems, personnel recovery, security classification, sensing and targeting and battle damage assessment among others.

“In the early 1920s, Army Col. Billy Mitchell assessed battleships, a top military funding priority of the Department of War, could be sunk by bombers just 1/80th the cost,” said Stuart Wagner, Chief Digital Transformation Officer for the Department of the Air Force and BRAVO AI Battle Labs Executive Agent. “To disprove widely held resourcing beliefs of senators, four-star generals and the Secretary of War, Mitchell organized the Project B exercises where bombers repeatedly sunk German-captured battleships, changing warfare by turning investments to airpower in the leadup of World War II.

The BRAVO DoD AI Battle Labs are again seeking to change how warfare is conducted by enabling innovators to develop and employ data driven effects during competition and conflict.”

Applicants looking to participate may do so in one of three roles:

The “Hacker” role is open to all applicants and expects project builders with varying skill sets and experience, including operational and warfighter expertise, software development, data science, machine learning, design and user interface/user design, data visualization and product management. Hackers may optionally supply a use case during the application process.

The “Hacker Subject Matter Expert” role is open to government and government contractors who lead one or more teams with specific expertise about a use case or dataset or supplies and administers infrastructure utilized at the hackathon. HackerSMEs will be required to supply a use case during the application process.

The “Supporter” role, open to government and government contractors, provides administrative support to the event by running security, facilitating supplies delivery, organizing social events and facilitating the delivery of science fair materials and attendee check-in.

Any federal government organization (contractor or government) is eligible to submit a use case, dataset, infrastructure or potential collaboration with the hackathon by submitting a Hacker/HackerSME application to the event. Further clarification can be obtained via saf.cn.bravo@us.af.mil. U.S. citizens and industry not leveraging an existing DoD contract for their proposed collaboration are encouraged to contact the Defense Innovation Unit at onramp-hack-bravo@diu.mil.

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

The Office of the Secretary of Defense Chief Digital and AI Office, Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Army Pacific Command and the U.S. Air Force will host a multi-classification hackathon open to all U.S. citizens, Feb. 5-9, 2024.

A hackathon is an innovation event commonly employed by technology companies in which teams develop prototypes in response to enterprise challenges associated with data. The BRAVO 11 Bits2Effects hackathon will occur at one of the DOD AI Battle Labs on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Any American citizen is eligible to apply, regardless of whether they currently work for the federal government or possess a security clearance. Applications, available online here, will be accepted on a rolling first-come-first-serve basis with the first group of acceptances taking place in mid-December. Due to past events exceeding 400 participants, BRAVO has secured an over-flow room, although organizers still expect demand to exceed supply.

Attendees are not required to hold a security clearance. However, certain spaces, use-cases and datasets may require a U.S. secret security clearance or higher. Applicants may apply as an employee for the U.S. government, a U.S. government contractor working on behalf of a federal contract or as U.S. citizen either affiliated or unaffiliated with a company. Any U.S. federal employees or federal contractors are eligible to submit potential use-cases and proposed collaborations within the application process. Sourcing a use-case to these hackathons often results in an operational prototype and feedback for the sourcing organization.

Starting in 2021, the U.S. Air Force began organizing multi-service prototyping events, known as BRAVO hackathons, to expedite learning and capability development from classified and protected operational data. This year’s BRAVO 11 Bits2Effects, the fourth BRAVO hackathon and first-held inside a combatant command, is seeking to produce solutions to combatant command challenges utilizing Indo-Pacific operational theater data. BRAVO utilizes a permissive software development environment that permits the co-mingling of classified and protected data with untrusted open-source and commercial software otherwise not approved for production systems within minutes.

Prior hackathons have produced prototypes influencing major Defense Department programs in areas including large language models, space launch, flight telemetry and biometrics, unmanned systems, personnel recovery, security classification, sensing and targeting and battle damage assessment among others.

“In the early 1920s, Army Col. Billy Mitchell assessed battleships, a top military funding priority of the Department of War, could be sunk by bombers just 1/80th the cost,” said Stuart Wagner, Chief Digital Transformation Officer for the Department of the Air Force and BRAVO AI Battle Labs Executive Agent. “To disprove widely held resourcing beliefs of senators, four-star generals and the Secretary of War, Mitchell organized the Project B exercises where bombers repeatedly sunk German-captured battleships, changing warfare by turning investments to airpower in the leadup of World War II.

The BRAVO DoD AI Battle Labs are again seeking to change how warfare is conducted by enabling innovators to develop and employ data driven effects during competition and conflict.”

Applicants looking to participate may do so in one of three roles:

The “Hacker” role is open to all applicants and expects project builders with varying skill sets and experience, including operational and warfighter expertise, software development, data science, machine learning, design and user interface/user design, data visualization and product management. Hackers may optionally supply a use case during the application process.

The “Hacker Subject Matter Expert” role is open to government and government contractors who lead one or more teams with specific expertise about a use case or dataset or supplies and administers infrastructure utilized at the hackathon. HackerSMEs will be required to supply a use case during the application process.

The “Supporter” role, open to government and government contractors, provides administrative support to the event by running security, facilitating supplies delivery, organizing social events and facilitating the delivery of science fair materials and attendee check-in.

Any federal government organization (contractor or government) is eligible to submit a use case, dataset, infrastructure or potential collaboration with the hackathon by submitting a Hacker/HackerSME application to the event. Further clarification can be obtained via saf.cn.bravo@us.af.mil. U.S. citizens and industry not leveraging an existing DoD contract for their proposed collaboration are encouraged to contact the Defense Innovation Unit at onramp-hack-bravo@diu.mil.

Source: United States Air Force

Fort George G. Meade, Md. (AFNS) —  

This week’s look around the Air Force highlights Operation Christmas Drop 2023, a humanitarian event that brings the U.S. and partner nations together to deliver essentials to remote islands in the Indo-Pacific region. (Hosted by Staff Sgt. Milton Hamilton)

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For previous episodes, click here for the Air Force TV page.