(Montgomery, Ala.) – Participants of MGMWERX’s most recent design sprint were named winners of Spark Tank, an annual competition where finalists out of hundreds of candidates pitch innovative ideas to top Air Force leadership and a panel of industry experts. Selected as a finalist out of over 200 candidates, Gabriel L. Flagg, CMSgt, USAF, Wing Weapons Manager, 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, and his team presented their Weapons Loading “Smart” Checklist and were selected to receive the grand prize.
“We are so proud of the work done by the 52d Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base and all the businesses and military entities involved in taking this project from idea to prototype,” proclaimed Joyce Vaughn, Marketing and Events Manager of MGMWERX. “Those three days here at MGMWERX during the Design Sprint allowed us all to test the idea and work with some local, talented subject matter experts to create a usable prototype. The smart weapons loading checklist could go on to enhance weapons loading processes in the Air Force at large.”
In early December, MGMWERX set up a design sprint and hosted representatives from Spangdahlem Air Base to streamline current weapons-loading checklists. Other contributors to the sprint included the Air University, 187th Fighter Wing, 187th MXS (Weapons Maintenance Squadron), the Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation (BESPIN) team, and BESPIN’S developers from Kessel Run and Pivotal Software, Inc. Now the Weapons Loading “Smart” Checklist prototype is one step closer to becoming a reality with the funding received from this win at Spark Tank.
“MGMWERX has provided our team with the opportunity to turn an idea into reality,” stated CMSgt Flagg. “I’ve been in the Air Force for almost 24 years, and we’ve never witnessed the ability to turn a great idea into a working prototype in only 6 months. MGMWERX has provided that capability!”
MGMWERX was originally approached by CMSgt Flagg to assist in the project after his attendance at the Chief Leadership Course at the Barnes Center. At that Course, he saw how MGMWERX brought together the best of the private sector with the military to create top-notch solutions. The design sprint hosted by MGMWERX facilitated the creation of an automated checklist system expected to accelerate the identification of the proper checklist sequence, depending upon the aircraft and weapons configurations.
MGMWERX was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement to align with the education initiatives of Air University. MGMWERX augments ongoing Air University programs, through events like Pitch Night, to enhance production of high-quality, innovative research and ideas that span issues of importance to the Air Force. This includes, but is not limited to, doctrine, strategies, capability needs, operational concepts, training, education, and science and technology.