PULLING TOGETHER


deliver integrated capabilities that maxi- mize opportunity and minimize risk.


Te U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Research, Development and Engineer- ing Command (RDECOM) works to deliver


integrated solutions by lever-


aging the expertise of scientists and engineers from across its seven centers and laboratories. One example is the Soldier Wearable Integrated Power Sys- tem (SWIPES), which brings together the command’s Communications- Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center


(CERDEC)


COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE The author, center, then-director of RDECOM, leads a discussion about the communities of practice during a town-hall video teleconference April 15 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. RDECOM’s establishment of the technology-based communities across the enterprise enables greater collabo- ration, technical situational awareness and integration. (Photo by Conrad Johnson, RDECOM)


and


Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC).


SWIPES uses the Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment vest to integrate force protection, electronics and communications


equipment with


advanced power sources. Te system supplies a lightweight main battery from a central location in the vest to power all end items, and places pouch-mounted chargers and power cables for batter- ies, GPS units, shot-detection systems and handheld communications into the vest. SWIPES allows for extended mis- sion times without the need to swap out batteries or power sources, by keeping devices charged at all times.


Tat kind of collaboration is of neces- sity greater than that of the corporations who are supplying our phones and cloud computing services, because the govern- ment has a wider array of interests than a corporation, such as maintaining the domestic industrial base, ensuring equal opportunity, encouraging


small busi-


OPEN TO COLLABORATION Scientists Dr. Kenneth Ball, left, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at San Anto- nio; Stephen Gordon of DCS Corp.; and ARL statistician Vernon Lawhern gather in an ARL lab to discuss new results of a recent neuroscientific analysis. Their collaboration exemplifies ARL’s recently launched Open Campus initiative, which aims to foster industry and academia’s col- laboration with Army scientists and engineers in areas of common interest. (Photo courtesy of ARL Public Affairs)


ness, etc. Our goals are more important, too: securing the nation and bringing Soldiers home safe.


RDECOM plays a unique role in the acquisition community, meaning that


118


Army AL&T Magazine


October–December 2014


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161