Photo By Senior Airman Zachary Foster | A member of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Desert Spark Innovation Lab (DSIL)...... read more read more
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U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – In an ever changing battlefield across Air, Space and Cyberspace, every American Airman and Guardian is looking to find change for the better within their sector of control.
For many workcenters, the day-to-day mission accomplishment is the sole priority, but for members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), the installation’s Desert Spark Innovation Lab (DSIL) provides a fully functional environment for members to pursue innovative ideas outside of the workplace.
The DSIL is a 100% volunteer-run laboratory open for all U.S., joint force and coalition partners assigned to the installation. It features equipment like three dimensional printers, laser engravers, virtual reality headsets and many more to provide deployed personnel with an outlet to innovate; competitive with similar organizations stateside.
“The Desert Spark Innovation Lab is a space dedicated to developing rapid solutions to various problems people face in their workplace and everyday life while providing a creative outlet and fostering innovation,” said a DSIL member.
Leveraging the free use of equipment, members of the innovation lab have found practical solutions to real-world missions.
Earlier in the rotation, one member used prior experience with three dimensional design and his access to three dimensional printers to support U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) in a time of need.
“Some folks over at the SOF compound were given a short-notice task to compete in an international sniper competition, but they didn’t have any magazine pouches for their MRAD sniper rifle,” said a DSIL member. “Not wanting to do any rappelling or conquer other obstacles with magazines thrown into random pockets, our team rapidly designed and printed customized magazine pouches to attach to their equipment.”
Aside from supporting the needs of the wing, the innovation lab provides a relaxed environment for service members to de-stress at the end of the day.
“Folks come in with a general idea of what they want for themselves, their workplace, or their families back home, and we either find something that suits their needs or design it ourselves,” said a member of the innovation lab. “Handing folks the tools and teaching them to create things for themselves, seeing their skills increase and how much fun they’re having while doing it leads me to believe there’s no question about the impact the lab has on morale.”
As the 70-member community of volunteers looks to the future, they see the opportunity to become an enduring and more stabilized presence across the installation.
“Having a dedicated wing innovation team, even if it was just one person, would greatly stabilize our operating hours,” said a DSIL member. “As of now, our folks show up when they can and the schedule is unpredictable, but we have an outstanding team that gets the job done when we know there’s a job to do. As long as we get our message out there and continue to find volunteers, I think the future for the lab looks pretty good.”
As the Wing shifts to a more enduring presence, the DSIL’s role as a “home away from home” becomes even more important to service members across the installation.
The dedicated space to innovation and the members that facilitate its continuation maintains an integral pillar of morale for future-minded service members.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2024 02:03 |
| Story ID: | 481143 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 21 |
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