MODERNIZATION NATION

The Newsletter for National Guard Reform

June 2021

Connecting Guardsmen to Help

DOD Deliver at the Speed of

Relevance

By Mr. Keith E. Buchholz, NGB J8 Programs

and Resources/ Comptroller

The National Defense Strategy says “Success no

longer goes to the country that develops a new

technology first, but rather the one that better

integrates it and adapts its way of fighting.”

Helping guardsmen connect is a key component

of the National Guard Reform strategy. Only by

working together - across units, across state

lines, and with partner nations - can we work

fast enough to deliver performance at the

speed of relevance. 

An example of connecting National Guard

members is the standup of the Additive

Manufacturing (AM) Tech Hub by the Texas

National Guard, led by the 149th Fighter Wing. 

The AM Tech Hub provides a forum for all

guardsmen interested in Additive

Manufacturing to connect in order to transform

the Guard. AM is a potential game-changing

solution to the problem “how do we mitigate

long lead time supply chain shortfalls.” AM

Tech Hub meetings, supported by National

Guard Bureau J8 (NGB J8) and ARCWERX, have

enjoyed a huge response from Guard additive

manufacturing experts and users. 

The Guard is making strategic investments in

additive manufacturing after an AM solution

won the CNGB Innovation Competition. Since

then, the DOD OSD R&E has published the DOD

Additive Manufacturing Strategy, which further

solidifies DOD commitment to AM.

The AM Tech Hub is the first Guard Hub. Hubs

are a critical component of the strategy to

connect National Guard members across the 54.

Hubs can be centered around a key

technological problem or Guard need. I know

there are many states working to reform

processes around the National Guard. National

Guard Bureau J8 is ready to assist you by

connecting you with other experts that can

assist you! 

Other states are in the process of standing up

Hubs to connect Guardsmen to solve the

Guard’s biggest challenges. For example, the

Ohio National Guard is standing up the Holistic

Fitness Hub, and the Michigan National Guard is

standing up the Innovators Professional

Development Hub. Along with the AM Tech

Hub, these efforts show great potential, and I

hope there will be many more soon. 

149th Fighter Wing Jet Washing

Robot

By Senior Airman Ryan Mancuso 149th Fighter

Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND,

Texas, – A new Gunfighter has arrived at the

149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San AntonioLackland ... a jet washing robot.

The new robot was programmed and tested at

the 149th Fighter Wing under the AFWERX

innovation initiative and was designed and built
June 2021

2

as a proof of concept to potentially be rolled

out Air Force-wide.

The robot is able to fully wash an F-16 in an

hour, a job that typically takes a team of four

people up to six hours. Total aircraft downtime

is also reduced from two days, down to one.

Typically, an F-16 would receive a wash every

180 days to prevent corrosion and prolong the

lifespan of the airframe.

Cleaning removes any built-up dirt and grime,

which includes grease, oil, and hydraulic fluids,

as well as soot from the engines, smoke from

firing the gun and launching weapons, and

environmental debris like insects.

NY ANG Intel Officer Describes

AF Ventures Experience

By Airman 1st Class Michael Janker, 107th

Attack Wing / Published January 25, 2021

“Going through this experience recommitted

me to the Air Force's mission.” This is how 1st

Lt. Ryan Scadlock describes his recent

experience attending an AFWERX-funded

fellowship called AF Ventures. AFWERX is the

Air Force’s team of innovators that help

facilitate connections throughout the industry.

The AFWERX mission is to solve problems and

further enhance effectiveness of service

through innovation. “As a technologist and an

intelligence officer, I'm being immersed into a

world of innovation,” said Scadlock, who

maintains cybersecurity for a global

manufacturing firm in his civilian life. “I hope to

take some of that and direct it to support the

warfighter.” Scadlock, an intelligence,

surveillance, and reconnaissance officer with

the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, of

the 107th Attack Wing, New York Air National

Guard, was selected through a competitive

application process to join the 2020 AF

Ventures fellowship. The six-week fellowship

places U.S. Air Force and Department of

Defense leaders into technology and business

ecosystems across Silicon Valley. Scadlock

explains the group who attended the fellowship

ranged from cyber operations to Air Force

Special Operations Command pilots. The

program is open to active duty and Reserve

components of the U.S. military, members of

the National Guard and Department of Defense

civilians.

Indiana National Guard Cell

Phone App

By Sgt. Tackora Hand Indiana National Guard

Headquarters

INDIANAPOLIS – A

new smartphone app

efficiently connects

Indiana National

Guardsmen, their

families and anyone

else interested in the

organization to

services and

information, ranging

from job vacancies

and education benefits to unit updates.

Hoosier Guardsmen created the app to

streamline communication and information in

one easy-to-use app for service members,

families and civilians.

"The app is a one-stop tool for all things Indiana

National Guard. It has links to an incredible

number of resources and notifications of

important announcements," said Command Sgt.

Maj. Dale Shetler, the state's highest-ranking

enlisted Soldier. "If a Soldier has a question, this

app will help them get the answer. With the

app, I have all of the resources of the National

Guard with me at all times."

The app was built for Guard members by

Guardsmen. Members of the visual information

office spent most of 2020 designing,

implementing and testing before releasing the

free app to Apple and Google Play.

"The app offers users the ability to review every

resource the Indiana National Guard offers and
MODERNIZATION NATION June 2021

3

information," said Sgt. 1st Class Ramon Baty,

the leader of the development team and visual

information office manager.

"Service members should download the app so

they know what services and opportunities they

have within the Indiana National Guard," said

Baty. "Leaders should download the app to

point their Soldiers and Airmen in the right

direction."

Designing and launching the application isn't

the last step for the development team.

"If you download the app and don't find what

you're looking for, fill out the feedback form,"

said Baty. "We will continue to make updates to

ensure we provide the best app possible for our

service members."

"Life is busy," said Shetler. "We are all looking

for a way to make life easier and information

more accessible. This app can do that for you.

Stay up to date, excel as a Soldier, and

download the app today."

Massachusetts National Guard

Innovation Team Seeks Original

Ideas from All Levels

Story by Sgt. Tricia Andriski, Massachusetts

National Guard

The Massachusetts

National Guard’s

greatest strength is

its people.

Ingenuity and

problem solving

abilities are what

senior leadership is

seeking, from

members at all

levels, to build an organization capable of

meeting the complex challenges of the future.

The Patriot Pitch competition held at the start

of the fiscal year is one of the most recent

events aimed at encouraging meaningful

contributions from the force.

Maj. John Macuga, Manager for the

Massachusetts National Guard Innovation

Team, described how this program is truly

leading from the front.

“Building on the Massachusetts National

Guard’s success at the 2020 Chief of the

National Guard Bureau’s Innovation Challenge,

with the 104th Fighter Wing’s F-15 panel repair

idea, MANGIT held a joint, state-level, Shark

Tank-style competition, in November, called

“Patriot Pitch.” MANGIT collaborated with the

National Security Innovation Network to create

an online submission portal and host the virtual

Patriot Pitch event. The effort generated a

pipeline for likely Massachusetts National

Guard submissions into the 2021 CNGB

Challenge,” said Macuga. “Soldiers and Airmen,

Officers, NCOs, and junior enlisted are all

welcome to apply for membership on the

innovation team,” said CPT Triolo. “There are

many ways of getting involved with the

innovation team, from serving as a Unit

Innovation Advisor, to supporting the core team

as an SME, to bringing an idea to a hackathon or

Patriot Pitch. We want MANGIT to be a way for

anyone to improve the organization.”

Brig. Gen. Peter Green, Assistant Adjutant

General-Air and Chairperson for MANGIT, has

emphasized how important the program is to

the National Guard. “The Massachusetts

National Guard Patriot Pitch initiative puts

Soldiers and Airmen at the forefront of

innovation and is designed to encourage and

support our Army and Air National Guard

personnel to submit their innovation ideas.

These field-generated innovations are focused

on improving overall mission readiness,

efficiencies in current operations and our

modernization efforts. They assist in our

execution the Adjutant General’s “empowering

innovation” priority, to drive innovation in all

areas of our Massachusetts National Guard,”

said Green.

Soldiers and Airmen are encouraged to apply

and submit ideas that will innovate and improve

the National Guard. Innovation Team

(massnationalguard.org)
June 2021

4

Michigan National Guard boosts

partnership with Latvian

National Armed Forces

By Bruce Huffman, Michigan National Guard

March 17, 2021

Since January, the Michigan National Guard has

collaborated with the University of Michigan

and leaders from the Latvian National Armed

Forces to find ways to strengthen Latvia’s

defense and deterrence capabilities. A work

group at the Kelly Johnson All Domain

Innovation Center (KJJADIC) was formed in

January to explore innovative possibilities to

improve Latvia’s security profile. Guided by the

innovation techniques of Jeff DeGraff, a

University of Michigan professor, the think tank

began analyzing the situation in Latvia and

coming up with as many out-of-the-box

solutions as they could fit on dry erase boards.

Grouping the team members by personality

types and having them list their ideas elicits

imaginative and diverse thinking, according to

DeGraff. “In a larger mixed group, it’s possible

for a few individuals to take control and hijack

the thought process,” he said.

While the groups filled the whiteboards with

their ideas, DeGraff floated thought-provoking

encouragement around the room. “The solution

already exists; we just have to find it,” he said.

“What if the answer to our problem isn’t

starting something new, but stopping

something old? What is your innovation getting

rid of?”

Latvia and Michigan plan to continue innovation

collaboration and joint force all-domain training

with Latvian joint terminal attack controllers

and joint fire observers and expand Latvian

combat engineer and artillery capabilities.

“We couldn’t have done this without the

support of the University of Michigan, the

Latvian soldiers, and the Latvian Ministry of

Defence personnel who participated in this nontraditional innovation project aimed at

strengthening Baltic security,” said Maj. Gen.

Paul Rogers, adjutant general and director of

the Michigan Department of Military and

Veterans Affairs. “This pilot project was

successful in demonstrating the potential of our

new innovation center and the ability of a small

team to follow a proven innovation process.”

The Michigan National Guard and Latvia have

been partners under the National Guard

Bureau's State Partnership Program since 1993.

NGB POCs and Links:

Mr Keith E Buchholz

Keith.E.Buchholz.civ@mail.mil

Mr. Clay McGuyer 

james.c.mcguyer.civ@mail.mil

Mr. Chuck Crosby 

charles.t.crosby.ctr@mail.mil

Information:

Modernization Nation Homepage:

https://gko.portal.ng.mil/joint/J8/SitePages/Reform

.aspx

National Guard Innovation Portal: 

https://unum.nsin.us/ngb

Innovation Toolbox:

https://gko.portal.ng.mil/joint/J8/SitePages/Reform

.aspx

Partners and Associates:

ARNG Innovation: 

https://innovatedefense.net/arng

National Guard Professional Education Center

Innovation Workshop: coming soon

AFWERX: https://www.afwerx.af.mil/

Defense Innovation Unit: https://www.diu.mil/

National Security Innovation Network: 

https://www.nsin.us/