Photo By Colette Topfer | During the Wearables Demonstration the JPEO-CBRND Interns supported the experiment by...... read more read more
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. – This past summer, undergraduate and recent grads participated in the Defense Department’s (DOD) Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Minority Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) summer research program and the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) internships. These young professionals were busy solving STEM challenges alongside staff at the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and Army Combat Capabilities Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC).
The DOD benefits from training these scholars. During the program, interns present their research at symposiums attended by DOD scientists and engineers, keeping DOD staff connected to the latest knowledge and expertise. Additionally, 14 of these interns supported the JPEO-CBRND in a live demonstration event for the JPEO-CBRND’s Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) Wearables Experiment. The Wearables Experiment team will participate in a large-scale CBRN defense exercise this fall.
To prepare for the exercise, the JPEO-CBRND recruited the interns to support data generation and real-time modeling of the OCE wearables technologies. The wearable devices are in testing across the DOD and under consideration for use by the joint force to enhance CBRN threat detection and general biometric monitoring. Wearables provide the services with tools that can clear some of the 'fog of war,' through better situational awareness of both unit and personal fitness and readiness indicators looking at things like hydration, temperature, heart rate, respiration levels, fatigue and “body battery”. The various wearables (i.e., smart watch, Oura ring and more) are monitoring and reporting for things like heat strain monitoring, illness prediction, the status of protective gear (i.e., a CBRN mask) and other indicators like levels of liquids or other critical resource indicators.
The in-house JPEO-CBRND leadership demonstration, was organized to help the Wearables team prepare and refine their approach this fall and to give JPEO-CBRND leaders a way to discuss the capabilities and interoperability of this technology. During the live demonstration the team simulated a CBRN event for both chemical and biological scenarios and watched as the data from the interns poured back to the simulated Joint Tactical Operations Command Center, where leadership participated in the tabletop exercise. The exercise will have representation from all the services and the attention of senior DOD leadership – so the team brought in the Intern support to help better prepare the scenario and technology for prime time.
Students with STEM backgrounds from HBCU/MIs and various universities around the country, worked for the Army, gaining valuable experience and building a bench of new talent, skills and problem solvers needed for a more diverse, motivated, and skilled civilian workforce. The JPEO-CBRND and DEVCOM CBC rely on a strong STEM-based workforce to achieve critical needs within our organizations. The HBCU/MI program is supported by Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD[R&E]) and attracts students with wide ranging backgrounds and interests, from chemical engineering, cyber security and material science, because it takes all backgrounds and skillsets to accomplish the mission.
Without real-time data generation, leadership would not have had the opportunity to see the power and innovation of the wearable’s technologies. During the exercise, service members will be equipped with the wearables that monitor heat and hydration levels, basic background biometrics and provide real-time data for units, company, and even brigade-level decision makers. This will allow them the opportunity to learn about the products and benefit from the information each device provides. Since warfighters have so much gear and equipment they need, it’s critical to understand if adding these biometric and CBRN sensors is worth the extra hassle and weight.
To assist with this real-time need, on the morning of the wearables demonstration the interns were sent around Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood to serve as support for the live demonstration. Not only did they help the leaders in the command center visualize the data being generated by the wearables, but they were brought back into the mix to provide feedback and debrief the experience with JPEO-CBRND’s executive leaders. The interns met with Mr. Darryl Colvin, Joint Program Executive Officer, Ms. Nicole Kilgore, Deputy Joint Program Executive Officer and Mr. Gordon Graham, Chief of Staff for the JPEO-CBRND.
Interns shared their wisdom and thoughts with leadership about the exercise and the internship experience overall. It was a chance to trade insights on more than just the technology. Many shared their perceptions and feedback about what it was like to wear the gear, and what it felt like to be part of the experimentation and test process. Meanwhile Mr. Colvin and Ms. Kilgore shared their wisdom about the value of systems thinking, product design, and how critical these young folks’ insights are in the JPEO-CBRND’s efforts to protect the Nation’s warfighters.
Stephen Snyder, a rising Junior studying mechanical engineering at University of Maryland College Park, shared that he “thought the wearables demonstration was fun and appreciated the inclusion in such a demo. It gave me a more concrete idea of what the JPEO-CBRND develops, and how it gets used in the field.” This was an illustrative and didactic experience that interns often will not get doing their own projects or research in a campus setting.
When asked about his guidance for future interns, Stephen recommended taking advantage of every opportunity. “During my summer here, I’ve met a bunch of interesting people and heard their stories, and I was able to hang out with a bunch of other interns from all over. I also got to take part in a couple of events, of which the wearables demo was my favorite.”
As the JPEO-CBRND and DEVCOM CBC interns return to their fall routines, our workforce is reflecting on the lessons they’ve learned from our intern workforce. They shared their energy, perspective, and willingness to roll up their sleeves. Which in turn provides our workforce with the needed energy to march forward toward the excitement of the exercise and all the demands of the return to fall routines.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2024 11:30 |
| Story ID: | 481069 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Interns Support Wearables Demo Leading Up to CBRN Exercise, by Alexandra Hillman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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