FORT BRAGG, NC - I had the pleasure of recently attending the grand opening of the remodeled LTG James M. Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost at Fort Bragg. I came away optimistic that the Army, industry and academia are serious about solving the problems of the soldier in the field, quickly and in a cost-effective manner, to deliver lethality on the battlefield and maximum protection for the force in combat.

The center is named after famed Airborne LTG James M. Gavin; in fact, his daughter cut the ribbon to open the sparkling new facility. LTG Gavin lead the 82nd Airborne into combat for he first time in WWII.

Gavin, who developed the concept of heliborn assault, was known for making up tactics and equipment 'on the spot'.

"My Dad would be thrilled," said his daughter Chloe Gavin-Beatty at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a well-attended reception.

The event was attended by representatives from Duke University, UNC, local educational institutions as well as West Point.

Local politicians also attended, including the district's Congressman Richard Hudson who spoke to the large crowd. Industry was also well-represented.

"We are innovating at speed and scale. Those that innovate better win. We are America's global contingency response force as the 18th Airborne Corps. We have urgency for innovation," said LTG Gregory K. Anderson, 18th Airborne Corps CC.

"We are informed of the soldiers' needs directly from the different theaters," Anderson confirmed in a side talk we enjoyed after the event.

Major General Christopher D. Schneider currently serving as the Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology) represented the Pentagon.

"I'm seeing alignment from places I've never seen. We are the pathfinders for Army risk-informed innovation. Primes [contractors] are not pushing back as the soldier is always right. We are not just fielding a product, we are solving soldiers' problems," he declared.

The JIOP's CTO Robert Braun described how the organization literally throws a problem on the table for industry, the Army, and academia to 'figure it out'. "We call it the scrum. We can get results in as little as two weeks," he said.

Recent examples of the collaboration include frangible ammunition for use against FPV drones, and a drone-carrying device for maximum ease for soldiers to get equipment to the field.

Fayetteville State University Chancellor Darrell T. Allison was on hand to describe the collaboration between his institution and the military in North Carolina.

"We are making our educational experience cheaper and quicker for students to move into this industry where talent is desperately needed," he said.

I look forward to returned to Fort Bragg in the near future to view ongoing project development.

I also can say the Army got this one right, and family members of soldiers should sleep a little easier knowing that America's innovation is behind their soldier in the field.