In a groundbreaking partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense Chief Digital and AI Office, New Mexico State University has developed a cutting-edge program to help cultivate a robust defense civilian workforce at White Sands Missile Range. The Defense Civilian Training Corp Program, also known as DCTCx, provides students an unparalleled opportunity to gain invaluable experience in the defense industry. Managed by NMSU's Physical Science Laboratory, the program has already launched its first full-year cohort. On April 19, 2024, these talented students, who have shown unwavering dedication to their work, showcased their achievements. They shared their experiences with the White Sands Missile Range leadership, including Executive Director Vincent Liddiard and Test Center Commander Col. Shawn Smart.
The event was a pivotal moment for the DCTCx program and the NMSU students to come together and demonstrate to the WSMR community what they learned and what the program meant to them. The WSMR audience went above and beyond to express their admiration for the students, highlighting how their contributions will benefit the future warfighter.
"We are looking for quality employees at White Sands, and that is not just with the Test Center. That is with DEVCOM, the Navy Detachment and others as well," said Smart. We want you to stay here locally and be a part of the WSMR community; that is part of the reason why this program was established. We know that you are our future, and we want you to be here and be part of what happens here on White Sands, so thank you for your participation."
Over the course of two semesters, seven teams were assigned mentors who are experts in their respective fields. These mentors were crucial in guiding the teams through their capstone projects, which were conducted at White Sands Missile Range and utilized government assets. After completing their projects, all teams presented their findings during the event. The student also shared their future plans, with many expressing their newfound interest in pursuing careers within the government due to their participation in the DCTCx program. This shift in career aspirations is a testament to the program's success in inspiring the next generation of government leaders.
During their project, a team consisting of Garret Coletti, Taylor Rodriguez, Victoria Torres, and Caylene Romero, who is graduating in May and studying Aerospace Engineering, decided to focus on improving the method to find the optical sensor plane offsets of KTM payloads. They utilized high-speed cameras and tested their technique at White Sands. The team's research revealed that this approach provides accurate results and has the potential for future upgrades and improvements.
"We learned how to brainstorm many ideas for this project and how to narrow it down to one concept that is ideal for our problem that we were given," said Romero. "We also learned how to network with the DoD workforce, how to ask for help, and how to gather ideas from them and how to move forward with our project."
Eduardo Quispe-Olaya, WSMR electronics engineer, was one of this year's participating mentors. A true DCTCx success story, he participated in the pilot program and began working for WSMR after graduating.
"I think it helped me get an understanding of what I would be doing once I started working for WSMR," said Quispe-Olaya. "I think it was really influential to obviously wanting to get into the field and choosing where to start my career."
Project Names and Participants
- Space of a Rocket Release Turbulence (SMART) Laydown Experiment - Isaac Padilla & Ruben Teasyatwho
- Global Navigation Satellite System Truth Antenna Array - Edward Rivota
- Project SPECTRA - Alex Paque Garns
- DEVCOM PAC 6 M&S (Pentest) - Jack Nolen
- Common Range Calibration Source - Jimmy Rico, Jonah Martinez, James Robinson & Marcos Salazar
- Optical Sensors Position Data - Garret Coletti, Taylor Rodriguez, Caylene Romero & Victoria Torres
- Custom Drone Development for Counter-Drone Testing - Brandon Gama, Chaney Young & Joseph Jaramillo
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