assigned to the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, present their artificial intelligence
invention during the ARCENT Ideas for Innovation (A12) 23 at Patton Hall, Shaw Air
Force Base, S.C., on Oct. 2, 2023. Finalists were given nine minutes to pitch their
innovation idea and nine minutes to field questions from the panel of judges. (U.S. Army
photo by Sgt. Amber Cobena) VIEW ORIGINAL
Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. --- U.S. Army Central hosted the second iteration of the ARCENT Ideas for Innovation Challenge, or “AI2”, at Patton Hall on Shaw Air Force Base, October 2nd.
The challenge placed four teams of innovative Soldiers against each other before a panel of military leaders and tech experts. 1st Lt. Charlson Ro and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jimmy Martinez of the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade won the challenge by presenting a solution incorporating artificial intelligence into unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, classification.
“This concept provides incredibly fast identification of UAS, almost at the speed of detection,” said Ro, “This identification gets to the warfighter on the front line faster, enabling them to react to any threat they encounter. This concept could, potentially, save lives in a kinetic environment.”
Martinez believes that AI2 ensures that innovative and important ideas are generated at the lowest level, by the personnel who need these projects the most.
“With all the expertise from the various competitors, this was a real challenge to present and compete in this environment,” said Martinez. “Every presenter was a true expert in their project which ensured each idea had incredible potential. I am so proud of this team and appreciate the support from our teammates at 513th MI Brigade. Our forward leaning leadership, such as Col. Solsbury, our commander, and the highly capable Soldiers of the command drive us to maximize the potential impact of innovative ideas.”
In July, Task Force 39 put out a call for all “innovative ideas” across ARCENT. Any Soldier, regardless of rank or position, was allowed to submit a project for consideration. From the initial group of more than 20 submissions, ARCENT selected the top four projects to compete live in the challenge. Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, the ARCENT commanding general, is committed to this egalitarian concept.
“Innovative solutions can come from any formation across ARCENT,” said Frank. “The Ideas for Innovation Competition empowers Soldiers and Civilians throughout the organization to take ownership of our Army’s future. These competitors put immense time and effort into generating solutions that enhance their respective organizations. By providing these innovators a platform, we are creating a culture of innovation that will pay dividends in the CENTCOM region and throughout our Army”
Each team had nine minutes to present their project before receiving feedback from the panelists. Task Force 39, ARCENT’s innovation directorate, facilitated the event.
“This is an intense environment where the competitors are expected to be experts in their field,” said Maj. Michael Tinker, the Task Force 39 deputy. “They must present a cutting-edge solution to real world problems in front of our expert panel with the entire staff in attendance while on the clock. The best innovative solution will rise to the top.”
Task Force 39 has a history of implementing innovative solutions to meet operational needs. In July 2023, the group tested Carpe DRONVM, a cell phone app designed to help detect and crowd source information about unmanned ariel systems, or “UAS.” In later July and September of that year, they demonstrated three autonomous vehicles in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Tinker believes this is only the beginning.
“We continue to prioritize finding the best possible solutions to enable the warfighter to be more lethal, more ready, and more effective,” said Tinker. “One of the best ways to deter our adversaries, support our partners, and maintain a lethal fighting force is by developing and keeping our advantage in innovation. AI2 is just one example of how we maintain that edge.”
The winner of AI2 will compete at the U.S. Central Command “Innovation Oasis” early next year at McDill Air Force Base, F.L.
ARCENT is the Army Service Component Command for United States Central Command and is responsible to the Secretary of the Army for the support and administration of more than 12,000 Soldiers, including those assigned to joint task forces and embassies, across the 21 countries in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility.
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