REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Team Redstone chief technology officers continue to learn from each other as they share ideas and discover ways to improve technology with goals of supporting the Warfighter and defending the nation at a CTO Roundup hosted by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command May 12.
Dr. Steve F. Pierce, chief technology officer, USASMDC/ARSTRAT, began the meeting with all the CTOs and S&T leaders on Redstone Arsenal to provide a forum for the senior scientific officers for each command to come together and glean information from each other. The day's agenda was titled, "Science and Technology that Enable Multi-Domain Battle."
Participating in the CTO Roundup were representatives from the chief technology and science and technology offices of Army Materiel Command; SMDC; NASA; Defense Acquisition University; U.S. Army Missile Research Development and Engineering Center; Program Executive Office -- Aviation; Program Executive Office -- Missiles and Space; Missiles and Space Intelligence Center, Threat Management Systems Organization; and others located on the installation.
"SMDC is always honored to host the CTO Roundup," Pierce said. "It is a special thing to bring in all of the science and technology directors and chief technology officers here. It is great to discuss some of the efforts we have going on and look at some of the challenges we have and how we can help each other. We also get to discuss the core competencies roots we have in each one of our organizations that we can share.
"What the CTO Roundup is trying to accomplish is leverage the greatest strength we have here at Redstone Arsenal, and that is the different types of expertise we have residing here," he added. "Whether it be in missile defense, space, electronic warfare or intelligence, and we are trying to leverage that."
During the CTO Roundup, participants were briefed on Multi-Domain Battle, space operations, directed energy, advanced hypersonic weapons and cyber technology as well as participating in open discussions.
"Today was great, we do this once a quarter and we try to schedule topics that are of interest to all of us," said Patrick J. O'Neill, AMC CTO. "I find it very useful because each of these I have been to, we find something we are all interested in and can share information. We learn something from what we see today and can use that accomplish better combined and joint efforts moving forward."
"I am happy we are doing these and I think they are a great way to share ideas and enable us to be more effective and efficient when it comes to technology," he added.
In each of the commands, science and technology officers lead in the development and set direction for weapon systems and cutting-edge technologies. With the responsibility to lead their respective organizations, they are using the CTO Roundup to gain insights and different perspectives from their peers.
"One of the big things is that I get an intimate awareness of the challenges that all of these chief technology officers and their organizations face," said Jeff Craver, Defense Acquisition University professor of engineering and science, technology, engineering and mathematics coordinator. "These meetings allow me to translate those challenges with my students who then become the next level of leadership moving forward. So being able to translate challenges and scenarios in my science and engineering classes is vital.
"I appreciate hearing issues at this level on what our CTOs are challenged with and what they are excited about," he added. "For them to allow me to hear that, I can make my students experience in the classroom have more value."
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