Lab teams prepare for show stopper demonstrations

  • Published
  • By Michael Kleiman and Karen Jackson
  • Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) --  Two, six-member Junior Workforce Challenge Project teams working on non-lethal, vehicle-halting prototypes for deployed area checkpoints will display their efforts at an upcoming competition.

Each team consists of Air Force junior officers and civilians. They have been working on ideas since June, one team here and the other at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. They will present their best concepts at a Raytheon facility in Arizona this month.

Initiated by Air Force Research Laboratory Commander Maj. Gen. Ted Bowlds earlier this year, the Junior Workforce Challenge Project seeks to innovatively and rapidly construct, evaluate and prove options for U.S. and coalition forces. Supplemented by $60,000, each squad features novice engineers who created affordable, versatile and portable samples with the end user in mind.

According to 2nd Lt. Greg Moran, a member of the Wright-Patterson AFB team, information was gathered through interviews with troops, reporters, civilian police and area experts who have been involved in the war on terrorism.

"After gathering the information, we wanted to start building immediately," said Lieutenant Moran, who is assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Center. "We were eager to do something or get something accomplished, but our leader urged us to continue our research."

The additional research paid off for the group, which started the contest with a total of 30 ideas. Through a variety of tests and discussions, the total was reduced to 15. The Wright-Patterson squad has six or seven viable solutions.

Besides solving the engineering problem within all of the required constraints, other challenges the Wright-Patterson AFB team faced involved working through the proper use of facilities, vehicle registration policies, as well as purchasing procedures and cycles.

One of the most exciting moments for the Ohio-based group occurred when one of their prototypes stopped a moving vehicle.

"When we actually saw it stop, we were really excited," said 1st Lt. Christopher Prosser of the AFRL Sensors Directorate. "This was the positive reinforcement we needed."

Capt. Chris Rehm said the Kirtland AFB team is getting close to having good things to demonstrate.

"We are in a good position to put on a good show," said Captain Rehm, an electrical engineer who's serving as team lead. "It has been really neat to see how our team operates as we all have fallen into roles that are needed. Everyone brings an important perspective to the table."

The Kirtland team will demonstrate three primary prototypes and another attention-getting device at the competition.

"We have had to come up with a concept and develop it from beginning to end. It has been a very streamlined, fast-paced process," said Jack Massarello, a metallurgical and materials engineer. "I have felt pressure everyday, but it has been a rewarding experience. I am grateful that I was selected to participate in the project."

Support and mentoring for the Kirtland AFB group has been provided by its leaders from the Space Countermeasures Hands On Program while the Wright-Patterson AFB team has received guidance from its leaders from the Operational Technology Program. Both programs are designed to assist junior Air Force personnel in completing tasked missions within a three- to four-month period and expose vulnerabilities of current and future systems and assets by using open source information.

According to Col. Kirk Kloeppel, the AFRL Directed Energy Directorate deputy director, these types of projects keep talented people energized, invigorated, interested and actively involved and engaged in the design phase.

"This is just the start," said Colonel Kloeppel, who also is the Junior Workforce Challenge Project manager. "We must continue to tap into their potential to help us achieve our mission in the most efficient and effective manner."

He also stated that this project is not just an amiable contest between Wright-Patterson and Kirtland Air Force bases.

"Our mission is to find positive solutions for the warfighter, and along the way, friendly competition ... will motivate 12 talented individuals to solve some of our urgent needs," the colonel said.