Archive | July 29, 2011 | Armed with Science

Released: DoD Commander’s Guide on Invasive Species Outreach

Filed under Earth Sciences by Julie Weckerlein on July 29, 2011 at 4:16 pm {no comments}

Photo courtesy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Department of Defense’s Natural Resources (DOD NR) Program has released a Commander’s Guide on Invasive Species. This Guide addresses the unique challenges of sustaining testing and training capabilities while simultaneously safeguarding the natural resources and habitats that DOD stewards.

Military commanders and installation personnel need to understand both the threats posed by invasive species and the tools required to control them. The Guide includes examples of how invasives can affect training, jeopardize military infrastructure, and harm soldiers and native plants and animals. It also highlights tools and methods to prevent and control invasive species, emphasizing that prevention and partnerships are the keys to management success.

You can download a copy of the Commander’s Guide on Invasive Species (PDF) on the DOD NR Program’s resources page. Check out the DOD NR Program’s Twitter account, @DODNatRes, for more information.

View more documents from Department of Defense.

Future Force: Army Research Lab Equips Warfighters

Filed under Education & Culture, Uncategorized by Julie Weckerlein on July 28, 2011 at 6:26 pm {no comments}

Scientists at the Army Research Laboratory conduct research on a variety of fronts. Here, a mannequin is positioned in one of the lab's auditory research environments. ARL personnel conduct an array of auditory research, including the effects of various types of headgear on sound detection and the identification and localization of acoustic signatures. Photo Credit: Army Research Lab

A researcher monitors a Soldier as he uses a multi-display driving simulator. The simulator is used in a variety of research applications, to include mild traumatic brain injury treatment. Photo Credit: Doug LaFon

The U.S. Army is a well-trained, well-equipped fighting force. And behind every weapon, piece of armor and training that prepares and protects Soldiers in battle are teams of scientists and engineers who are solving complex problems and driving future capabilities.

As part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, the Army Research Laboratory is a key component of the Army science, technology and engineering enterprise that supports Soldiers, according to ARL Director John Miller.

“Our diverse assortment of unique facilities and dedicated workforce of government and private sector partners make up the largest source of state-of-the-art research and analysis in the Army,” said Miller.

Focusing on the future while supporting the current warfighters, ARL’s scientists are a diverse group who hold the keys to technologies for Soldiers five, 10 and even 20 years down the road.

Almost every non-medical scientific field is touched by ARL, from advanced sensors to neuroscience to flexible electronics to weapons technologies to complex analysis. Basically everything a Soldier needs or may need in the future is investigated by ARL.

Although it has more than 2,000 employees, the majority of whom are highly-educated and skilled leaders in their fields, the lab combines in-house technical expertise with the intellectual powerhouse of academic and industry partners.

The research discoveries ARL produces either within its laboratories or through its partners are used as the foundations for other Army research, development and engineering centers under RDECOM, Miller explained.

“We act as the corporate laboratory, providing the underpinning of science, technology and analysis for the rest of the Army,” said Miller.

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Air Force Secrets Declassified – See Them For Yourself

Filed under Technology by Carla Voorhees on July 26, 2011 at 2:17 pm {no comments}

The Air Force has secrets – and now you can see them for yourself.

Documents pertaining to UFOs, nuclear issues, conflicts, Strategic Air Command, and Combat Search & Rescue are now declassified, along with photos, videos, and other historical artifacts. The Air Force Declassification Office (AFDO) is not only responsible for declassifying Air Force information, but actually publishes a list of physical locations where these items can be found. They’ve also shared a treasure trove of information line that is easily accessible by the public.

The areoshell of a NASA VOYAGER-MARS space probe just prior to launch at Walker AFB, New Mexico (formerly Roswell AAF).

From their website:

AFDO has a unique mission – it is responsible for the declassification and safeguarding of classified permanent historical National Security Information documents produced by the Air Force. AFDO is identifying the location boxes of historically significant documents which have been declassified and are located at the National Archives and other sites. The purpose of the Secrets Declassified Web Site is to identify as many records as possible that fall into these categories in an effort to capture more thoroughly the full history of the U.S. Air Force. (more…)

DoD Cyber Crime Conference Call for Papers ends August 1

Filed under Challenge, STEM by Julie Weckerlein on July 25, 2011 at 3:06 pm {no comments}

Malcolm Smith (standing) and Mark Neno perform an operational check on various servers in the live network acquisition classroom at the Defense Cyber Investigations Training Academy in Linthicum, Md. Mr. Smith is the forensic track manager and Mr. Neno is a forensic track instructor.(U.S. Air Force photo/Lance Cheung)

By Jim Christy (S.A. Ret.), Director of Futures Exploration at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3)

Planning for the 11th Annual DoD Cyber Crime Conference sponsored by the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) is really ramping up!

In order to keep up the momentum from last year, we’ve extended the Call for Papers deadline to 1 August 2011. In each of the last 3 years, the conference has had over 220 speakers in over 20 concurrent track sessions presenting in the areas of cyber crime investigations, digital forensics, cyber crime law, information assurance, system administration, e- discovery, and research and development.

We are currently seeking additional Legal, Law Enforcement and Information Assurance briefings. So don’t hesitate, submit an abstract today. Georgia was so nice we decided to go there again! The conference will return to the Hyatt Regency Grand Hotel in Atlanta, GA, for another dose of southern hospitality 24-27 January 2012, with pre-conference hands-on forensic training scheduled 20-23 January.

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End of an Era: STS-135 Atlantis Landing

Filed under Earth Sciences, Space, Technology by Carla Voorhees on July 21, 2011 at 11:35 am {one comment}

Katherine Winters on the Weather Console

Kathy Winters is an Air Force Civilian Meteorologist at the 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. She is the Space Shuttle Launch Weather Officer providing weather support to the Space Shuttle Program at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as the Launch Team prepares for the 21 July 2011 landing of Atlantis. You can find out more about the 45th Space Wing at their Facebook page.

Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center this morning. The weather was perfect!

Sometimes weather can cause the Shuttle to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In this case, the Shuttle team immediately starts preparing the vehicle for a Ferry Flight. This mission was not the last chance for a Ferry Flight—Ferry Flights will also take Endeavour and Discovery to their designated static display locations once they are prepared.

Space shuttle Atlantis lands for the final time at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA TV

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End of an Era: While Atlantis is On Orbit, Tropical Storm Bret Develops

Filed under Earth Sciences, Space, Technology by Carla Voorhees on July 20, 2011 at 9:40 am {no comments}

Katherine Winters on the Weather Console

While Atlantis is on orbit, the 45th Weather Squadron is keeping busy. In fact, Tropical Storm Bret formed approximately 170 nautical miles offshore Sunday, July 17. Bret is in a somewhat unfavorable environment for intensifying, and meteorological models are in good agreement that Bret will move off to the northeast, away from the Florida Space Coast, luckily!

The 45th Weather Squadron is monitoring Tropical Storm Bret off the Florida Coast north of the Bahamas. Source: National Hurricane Center Website http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/flt/t1/flash-vis.html

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Army Launches Students into Future to Recruit Young Scientists

Filed under Education & Culture, STEM by Julie Weckerlein on July 19, 2011 at 6:48 pm {one comment}

American students and aspiring scientists will be able to check out what the Army can offer them when they get a visit from the STEM Asset in January at the All-American Bowl. It’ll showcase high-tech capabilities all within a large, special truck.

Students taking part in U.S. Army All-American Bowl activities will be instantly transported to 2032 amid terrorist attacks and civil unrest. They will join a team of U.S. Army Soldiers and civilian scientists to design new technologies to protect lives and defeat the threat.

An immersive, high-tech portal will deliver students directly into the Army’s high-tech world. The Army is building the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Innovation Asset, a recruiting effort designed to attract and engage aspiring young scientists, officials announced July 18, 2011.

Middle-school, high-school and college students across the country will be able to experience a hands-on mobile showcase of Army technological capabilities starting in January, said Katie Everett, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, outreach coordinator with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, or RDECOM, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, or APG.
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