ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The company behind a next-generation hoist rescue stabilization system for aeromedical evacuations has won the fourth round of the Army’s xTechSearch competition.

Vita Inclinata Technologies of Broomfield, Colorado, was named the winner of xTechSearch 4.0 in a presentation Oct. 15 during AUSA Now, the association of the U.S. Army’s virtual annual meeting. The company will receive a $250,000 prize.

The Army is working to build more data science and data engineering expertise in the force by adding a short-term certification program to a pilot program underway now at a leading university.

The upcoming program will select a number of soldiers to do a six-month certification program in data science through Carnegie Mellon University, a “world leader in data science,” after which the soldiers will return to the force, said Maj. Gen. J.P. McGee, director of the Army Talent Management Task Force.

The Army’s efforts to build a synthetic training environment will “revolutionize” the way soldiers train for years to come, said Maj. Gen. Maria Gervais, director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team. 

Speaking Oct. 15 during a Warriors Corner presentation at AUSA Now, the 2020 virtual annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army, Gervais said her team is working closely with academia, government and industry partners.

The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office is set to deliver new, leap-ahead technology to the force as the service continues to transform and modernize for the future battlefield, a senior leader said.

“Every year, for the next five years, the RCCTO will deliver at least one piece of equipment that's new to the battlespace at the tactical level,” Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, director of hypersonics, directed energy, space and rapid acquisition, said Oct. 15.

To win on the future battlefield, the Army must be faster than its adversaries and better at harnessing emerging capabilities such as artificial intelligence, autonomy and robotics, senior leaders said as they wrapped up a new exercise as part of the Project Convergence initiative.

Taking place over six weeks at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, the exercise is designed to be an annual event putting the Army’s Multi-Domain Operations concept into action and showcasing some of its ongoing modernization efforts. 

From installation news to online shopping, the Army’s newest mobile app, called Digital Garrison, is putting “real-time information” into people’s hands.

“Digital Garrison provides information at the ready to improve the quality of life for soldiers and their families,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, commanding general of Army Installation Management Command, said in a press release.

“Staying connected as a community is key to strengthening readiness and resiliency,” he said.

The Army is launching two new programs this fall as it builds its talent management efforts in the areas of artificial intelligence and data science, a senior commander said.

First up is a master’s degree program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where the Army’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force is based, said Gen. Mike Murray, commander of Army Futures Command. 

The Army also is creating a yearlong program for young officers, NCOs and warrant officers, he said.

Army leaders around the world are relying on a mobile and desktop app to get real-time information on local COVID-19 outbreaks, a tool that could become increasingly valuable as communities start to lift restrictions and businesses reopen.

Known as the Joint Analytic Real-time Virtual Information Sharing System (JARVISS), the software pulls from more than 80,000 sources to provide “real-time” information relating to local criminal activity, natural disasters and, now, COVID-19 patterns.

From virtual town halls to online religious services, the Army continues to find ways to connect with soldiers and families sequestered at home during the COVID-19 pandemic—and the efforts have produced surprising results, officials said.

“This is an interesting phenomenon that’s occurring,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas Solhjem, the Army’s chief of chaplains. “Not only are we connecting with our soldiers, families, civilians, veterans ... but that audience is extending over into civil society.”