SECAF, CSAF, AFMC/CC witness Team Kirtland's second AFRL Junior Workforce Challenge win

  • Published
  • By Ruth L. Moser
  • Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  In a showdown between two seven-member teams of Air Force Research Laboratory junior officers and civilians, Team Kirtland edged out Team Wright-Patterson (AFB, Ohio), during the second annual AFRL Junior Workforce Challenge, conducted at the Melrose Range in eastern New Mexico. 

The Junior Workforce Challenge, initiated by former AFRL Commander Maj. Gen. Ted Bowlds, has two primary objectives: to satisfy warfighters' requirements and to develop the AFRL's junior workforce. Applicants were selected from across AFRL to form these two teams, which were assembled at Wright-Patterson AFB and Kirtland AFB for the competition, under the mentorship of the Center for Rapid Product Development and the Space Countermeasures Hands on Program, respectively. 

The goal of the 2007 Challenge was to rapidly provide the warfighter with viable, sustainable, persistent communications and surveillance capabilities. A two-team approach increased the potential for innovative solutions and also encouraged an environment of friendly competition, according to the event planners. 

Specifically, the teams worked to find innovative solutions for persistent imagery and sensing capability -- a challenge suggested by the Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne. Additionally, each group had only $75,000 to create affordable, versatile and portable prototypes with the end user in mind. 

"The challenge was a unique opportunity to witness a complete lifecycle development of hardware targeted directly to end users, with the true potential to save lives in the near future," said 1st Lt. Chris Grant, Kirtland team lead. 

Over a five-month period starting in April 2007, the two groups worked with users to better understand the problem, and then explored, fabricated, and tested innovative, small unmanned air vehicles with electro-optical sensors and communications capabilities. 

During the four-day event, each team demonstrated their solutions in a simulated rescue operation to determine the winner. In addition to Secretary Wynne and General Bowlds, Gen. Bruce Carlson, Air Force Materiel Command commander, also attended the final day of the competition. 

"No other experience affected me more; our engine not operating properly on game day, briefing after briefing to a judging panel, showing the system to the secretary of the Air Force, discovering the fuel leak that finally did us in; none of those compared to seeing the looks on the operators' faces when we showed them Providence and what it could do" said Capt. Dan Montes, the lead for the Wright-Patterson team in reference to Providence, the name of the team's aircraft. 

With their victory, the Kirtland AFB team retains the trophy after last year's win. The inaugural contest occurred in November 2006, and like its successor, featured teams from the same two bases. 

"Even though one team was chosen as the winner, I believe everyone who participated in this effort is a winner for accomplishing such a significant feat," General Bowlds said.