Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Team Robins “sparks” innovation: Spark Cell hosts inaugural Pitch DayCol. Michelle Carns, 461st Air Control Wing vice commander, delivers opening remarks during the inaugural Pitch Day hosted by the Robins Spark Cell and Air Force Sustainment Center Contracting located at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., Sept. 20, 2019, at the Advanced Technology and Training Center. The event is an initial prototype effort to assess the capabilities of current commercially available virtual reality training systems when used in a military environment, particularly within the 461st and 116th Air Control Wings at Robins AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tommie Horton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Team Robins “sparks” innovation: Spark Cell hosts inaugural Pitch DaySenior Airman Alzara Kimalova, Air Force Sustainment Center contract specialist, goes through virtual reality power-off procedures for C-130H Hercules at the inaugural Pitch Day hosted by the Robins Spark Cell and AFSC Contracting, Sept. 20, 2019, at the Advanced Technology and Training Center , Robins Air Force Base, Ga. The event is an initial prototype effort to assess the capabilities of current commercially available virtual reality training systems when used in a military environment, particularly within the 461st and 116th Air Control Wings at Robins AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tommie Horton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Team Robins “sparks” innovation: Spark Cell hosts inaugural Pitch DayLt. Col. Jay Vizcarra, 461st Air Control Wing Robins Spark Innovation chief, delivers opening remarks during the inaugural Pitch Day hosted by the Robins Spark Cell and AFSC Contracting located at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Sept. 20, 2019. The event is an initial prototype effort to assess the capabilities of current commercially available virtual reality training systems when used in a military environment, particularly within the 461st and 116th Air Control Wings at Robins AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tommie Horton)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Robins AFB sparks innovation: Spark Cell hosts inaugural Pitch DayPublished Sept. 24, 2019
                    
                    By Shellie-Anne Espinosa
                    
                    
                    Robins Air Force Base Public Affairs
            **WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (AFNS) --**The Robins Air Force Base Spark Cell hosted its inaugural Pitch Day Sept. 20 at the Advanced Technology and Training Center, alongside Air Force Sustainment Center Contracting located at Robins AFB. The Pitch Day was a first of its kind for AFSC, cutting a contracting process that can take, on average, 100 days, down to just six.
The event is an initial prototype effort to assess the capabilities of current commercially available virtual reality training systems when used in a military environment, particularly within the 461st and 116th Air Control Wings at Robins AFB.
The team is seeking to rapidly procure commercially available VR technology for the 461st and 116th Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons working with E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft. The technology would allow aircraft maintenance training through the use of training scenarios and modules for JSTARS members.
Successful implementation of a VR training system will enhance the mission effectiveness of about 500 JSTARS aircraft maintenance personnel. According to the Robins AFB Spark Cell and AFSC Contracting at Robins AFB, training retention using VR systems has been shown to be 60% more effective than traditional training.
An added plus to this Pitch Day is the awarding of “Other Transaction Authority” contracts. OTAs are often used to engage industry and academia for research and prototyping activities. OTAs help to speed along the acquisitions process, something that is important within the Air Force, particularly when handling items within the information technology sector where technology is constantly improving at a rapid pace.
Pitch Days allow for people to witness rapid, agile contracting in action. They give a forum for Air Force leadership to see innovative training technology platforms, meet companies within the training industry, and understand the procurement processes that take place to get these state-of-the-art systems into the hands of Airmen.
At the Inaugural Air Force Pitch Day held earlier this year in New York City, the Air Force awarded 51 contracts to companies valued at $8.75 million in a matter of minutes.
“The innovation and responsibility Other Transactions give back to the contracting officer and the evaluation team is refreshing and just what is needed to be able to execute an award faster and more efficiently,” said Elizabeth Midkiff, Robins AFSC Operational Services Contracting chief. “Pitch days allow the customer and contractors to interact, have live dialogue about the proposed solution, and receive meaningful feedback. Combing an OT with a pitch day was the perfect chemistry. I am so thankful to the leadership, my team and all the contractors that participated.”
Robins AFB Pitch Day invited 15 companies to make proposals on their VR technology. From those companies, a short list was created to come to Pitch Day and give a 15-minute presentation to a committee of subject matter experts on why their technology will best fill the needs of aircraft maintenance personnel within JSTARS.
After the presentations, the committee worked with Robins AFB OT contracting officers to award one same-day contract.

“The combination of innovation initiatives and rapid agile contracting is the trend in the Air Force as a whole,” said Lt. Col. Jay Vizcarra, Robins AFB Spark Innovation chief. “The innovation hub intends to work closely with AFSC Contracting at Robins (AFB) to bring warfighter capabilities here today and the future faster for Robins.”USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Robins AFB 



innovation 



Spark Cell 



Pitch Day 



Air Force Sustainment Center 



AFMC 



Air Force Materiel Command 



advanced technology and training center 



AFSC 



VR 



Virtual Reality 



technology 



LR Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil