CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- A Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity Marine was recognized by Maj. Gen. Vincent A. Coglianese, commanding general, Marine Corps Installations Command, during an Installation neXt Mobility symposium and industry day event May 7, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.
Maj. Steve Harvey won the MCICOM 2019 Resilience Crowdsourcing Challenge, which sought to address making Marine Corps installations more resilient in five categories: energy, water, communications, food and logistical mobility.
“Whether it's connecting the right partners from industry, academia and government agencies to collaborate on a project, or finding a way to place current or emerging technology in Marines' hands, I am constantly looking to unlock opportunities to make Marines more capable,” said Harvey.
Installation werX, or I-werX, a supporting branch to the MCICOM Office of Modernization Development, led the event, which brought together stakeholders from the U.S. government, large and nontraditional defense firms, nonprofit organizations, cities and agencies.
I-werX seeks to explore, identify and implement the newest and most efficient technologies and processes involving the development and management of installations across the command, said Lt. Col. Brandon Newell, the I-werX West lead.
Newell noted that I-werX aims to continue the advancement of all Marine Corps installation capabilities through purposeful processes, extensive research and experimentation, and the development of meaningful partnerships.
One of these partnerships is with the MCTSSA Innovation Center, which Harvey leads.
“This was a collaboration between Installation neXt and the Innovation Center that started with the idea of selecting the right officers to intern for six months at Amazon to learn artificial intelligence and machine learning best practices in support of installation resilience,” said Harvey.
The first day of the event began with Harvey’s recognition, followed by demonstrations and topical panels that exposed stakeholders to emerging mobility technologies and services.
The second and third day of the event focused on the ability of all Marine Corps installations to integrate emerging mobility services and technologies to operate smarter, increase efficiencies and reduce costs for both personal and official movement of people and goods.
By leveraging attendee best practices and expertise, the stated goal was to generate potential mobility solutions.
“I have a saying,” said Harvey. "We do combat really well, better than anybody else. Industry does everything else better.
“The Marine Corps should be looking at every opportunity to gain an advantage on the battlefield, especially in technology,” he said.
MCTSSA has more than 40,000 square feet of engineering and lab spaces operated by Marines and technical experts with the sole purpose of making Marines more capable. Yet, there is recognition that a great deal of expertise exists outside the gates.
“Major Harvey has an appetite for seeking out emergent technology and always looks to explore the realm of the possible,” said Col. Robert Bailey, MCTSSA commanding officer. “This recognition will not only benefit our command but the entire Marine Corps.”
MCTSSA, an elite, full-scale laboratory facility operated by the Marine Corps, is a subordinate command of Marine Corps Systems Command. MCTSSA provides test and evaluation, engineering and deployed technical support for Marine Corps and joint service command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems throughout all acquisition life-cycle phases.