Reflecting on 2023: Celebrations and Aspirations for 2024

As we step into February 2024, we embrace this opportunity to reflect on the remarkable journey of the past year and to welcome the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Although our annual recap arrives with a touch of delay, it comes with no less enthusiasm for the achievements we've shared and the exciting prospects that the new year brings!

Here you will see highlights from our team, ideas from Airmen, and other resources to keep you informed about the Air Force innovation ecosystem.

If you have been following us, you know we take a unique approach to share our message. This newsletter approach is an experiment: if you have feedback, ideas, or want to tell us we are on the right track, please let us know! We are here to serve Airmen and connect you to the right resources.

In August of 2023, we did a mid-year wrap-up of our Airmen’s accomplishments and a promise of more to come. As we reflect on the past twelve months, our strides towards implementing Airmen ideas and pushing the boundaries of possible are evident of that promise.

ToC Strategy Update

Our 2024 planning will continue to highlight the growing culture of Theory of Constraints. With the fall solicitation for ToC implementation, we gathered dozens of inputs from the field and set goals to execute ToC in 2024. Additionally, we accomplished slingshots at both Offutt Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base in the fall of 2023, where we will continue to provide virtual, Tesseract support through 2024. Contracted efforts in 2023 included PACAF, AETC, AFGSC, and a first ever Security Forces focused effort at Kirtland Air Force Base. Impacts of these #ToC efforts continue to drive force readiness and better prepare our warfighters for the great power competition.???

As generation efforts continue, we would like to loop in as many trained ToC facilitators as possible. As projects develop within their geographical realms, look out for opportunities to “answer the call” as we engage and? continue to multiply our force’s capacity for #ToCgeneration .?

Our #Communication line of effort published three additional case studies with Luke, Dover, and Kirtland, and are available on the Avolve DoD Hub for review here. The first ever iteration of the Fighter Playbook is also published, providing guidance and examples of ToC implementation as seen in the field since the inception of #ToC. Be on the lookout for a Heavies Playbook coming soon.

The #Education line of effort captured nine ToC facilitator courses this calendar year, pushing out over 100 trained individuals armed with knowledge to take greater Theory of Constraints insights back to their unit. For the first time, these individuals consisted of allied partners from the Royal Australian Air Force. We were encouraged by those near and far who took their lessons learned and shared them with their teams through further education or ToC implementation.?

If you hope to spread the ToC love within your unit, we would be glad to walk alongside you in your endeavors, and are just a quick email or Slack message away.?Hit us up on Slack by joining the Tesseract Liaison Officer Network ?? Click Here!

It Takes a Village…Spotlight on Airmen Innovators

Our LNO network has been hard at work during the first half of 2023 and their accomplishments are no small feat. We hope the highlights below encourage you to see the power of possible within your own units:

LNO SMSgt Michael Lee pioneered the development of a C-130 engine oil pan hoist, a device that streamlines engine repairs by easing the removal and installation of the engine oil pan on C-130s. The System Program Office made this tool a force-wide reality by adding its usage to the C-130J model technical orders, and the oil pan hoist is not complete with its own NSN, making it procurable for all units.

An engineer with Project Arc, SSgt Ryan Amador led the development of a 4- and 12-way communication adapter which he showcased to F-16 and F-35 units at Eielson Air Force Base. This adapter allows up to three personnel to communicate with the pilot, enhancing training effectiveness and troubleshooting capabilities for our aircraft maintainers. The adapters are currently being built by the Air Force Repair Enhancement Program for $200 and have been issued out to Spangdahlem Air Base, Nellis Air Force Base, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and March Air Force Base.

At Luke Air Force Base, TSgt Daniel Fournier has been developing an Aerospace Ground Equipment dashboard that synergizes the ToC tools of WIP control and bundling with the F-35s unique ALIS database to provide greater decision making power to these fifth-gen AGE troops.?

Finally, LNO MSgt Ryan Powers toured several AFCENT bases to show off the Acclimate cooling suit. This vest has been through multiple iterations of research and development, leading to a promising prototype with the expectation of being scaled and readily available to the field in 2024.?

The might of our LNO community continues to shine and we hope it encourages you to know that you, too, can be an agent of change in our logistics family.?

To join our LNO network, connect with us on our helpdesk page!

In 2023 we attended over eight conferences. From the Air & Space Forces Association conference, to the Logistics Readiness Leadership Summit, the Aircraft Maintenance Leadership Summit, and even hosting our very own inaugural Tesseract Summit! Each place we ventured to brought us more opportunities to meet with Airmen in the field like you.

These connection points grew our liaison network to over 1,100 members and branched into cyber career fields, security forces, and engineers!

This year also saw the offering of a new course: the Build Your Own Adventure cohorts. While two courses were executed at Lakenheath Air Base and Luke Air Force Base, the final, and perhaps most exciting BYOA cohort of 2023 took place at Andrews Air Force Base this month, where Tesseract hosted the #AetherSprint24 finalists and team coaches. This final cohort of the year will help these Airmen to walk into the new year with an executable plan to climb the mountain that is grassroots innovation.?

Another exciting accomplishment of this year was the securing of WARCRY, a rapid prototyping contract that enables innovators to generate material prototypes faster. The first innovation to hit the WARCRY refinement was the K-Wedge, developed by SMSgt Brett Kiser. The prototype created through WARCRY provided a 46% reduction in cost to weight ratio, giving the ability to transport all 3 components of the wedge by one person.?

In the digital world, we secured enterprise support for fielding Jet Dash, HyperKit, and RAWHIDE as well as hosting on CloudOne via BESPIN. These three innovations will be evaluated in the next year at target units across the force.

If you are interested in having these tools piloted at your base, feel free to connect with In Bok Lee!

This year led us on many new adventures to collaborate with Airmen. In the back half of 2023, Tesseract headed out to the final frontier, visiting both Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. JBER Arctic Spark and Eielson’s Iceman Spark defied the impending winter chill to cook up visits that highlighted their crucial missions and avenues for Tesseract support.?

Shortly after, a contingent of the team toured the Florida panhandle, visiting units at Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Tyndall Air Force Base, sharing both ToC love and commiserating over grassroots ideas with a number of innovators. At each stop of this road trip, we were impressed by the spirit of innovation and openness to new concepts like ToC shown by the Airmen we interacted with.

We also sent two team members?to Yokota and Kadena Air Bases and visiting Shogun Spark and YokoWERX. with a firm mission: gathering feedback and real-world observations of Project Kinetic Cargo - an Aether Sprint 2023 finalist project! This visit also led to discussions with the Japanese Self-Defense Force, furthering relationships and expanding the innovation network with our western allies.?

Traveling back east and south, brought us to Texas, at the Software Factory Coalition event, hosted in the Army Software Factory. This powerhouse event was attended by partners like BESPIN, Kessel Run, DoD Platform One, and many allied partners, serving as a forum for exchanging ideas and growing relationships that will serve our innovation community in the years to come.

On the homefront, we had a noteworthy visit from the French Air and Space Force’s Chief of Staff, General Stéphane Mille. His visit allowed us to showcase the innovative spirit of our logistics force as well as highlight a few exceptional Airmen. The projects shared with General Mille included Acclimate, the SABR Box presented by TSgt Brandon Swenson himself, and the K-Wedge presented by SMSgt Brett Kiser.?

We were thrilled to meet Airmen, both American and Allied, across the globe this year who are driving a spirit of innovation within their workplaces, in pursuit of greater lethality in the future fight!

A Gift to the Ears: Tesser-Podcast Wrapped

If podcasts made their way onto your Spotify “wrapped” then you’re in good company. A tasteful alternative for your commute home, the Tesseract Podcast left a total of thirteen episodes under your tree from last year. The episodes feature a recording of the Tesseract Summit’s senior leader panel, where you can hear Ms. Kim Brown, HAF A4L Deputy, Brigadier General Jim Hartle, HAF/A4L Associate Director, and Mr. Brian Malby, HAF/A4PA IT Specialist discuss how innovation brings a new flavor to the traditional hierarchy of military staff life.?

Additionally, tune into an episode with Col Bary Flack on Dover’s re-organization to the Mission Generation Group, where traditionally mission support owned functions came alongside maintenance functions to unite under a common leader and goal of global power projection.?

Want to know what our allies are doing to get after innovation in their forces? Pop in your earbuds to hear from Amanda Whalen and Diana Prenoveau, MBA, two service members in the Royal Canadian Air Force. These ladies spearhead the RCAF’s Plan Quillq initiative, where they are charged with transforming Canadian air operations through innovation.?

You will find these and much more anywhere you listen!?

Do you know someone who the force would benefit from listening to? We are always looking for innovators and mountain climbers to put on the air! Drop us a note via our helpdesk (click here), or an email to [email protected].

Aether Sprint 2023 Update

Our 2023 Aether Sprint finalists continue to reach new heights. The Shape Shifters received IDIQ Phase 3 SBIR funding in October to field the Air Force’s first digital twinned warehouse at Eglin Air Force Base. Their efforts are setting the precedent for greater data-driven decision making across the logistics community. The Modernize Aircraft Jacking Project has advanced to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Support Equipment and Vehicle’s Technology and Modernization Program (STMP) Assessment Process, where engineers from AFLCMC will conduct and view field testing of the jacks in USAFE prior to final approval of the item for commander procurement. Next, Project Kinetic Cargo was recently awarded $600k in Momentum Funds to further expand capabilities in PACAF. Finally, the Automated Passenger Reservation Tool (A-PRT) continues to grow in its user footprint and base implementation. We anticipate further sustainment of this tool in 2024 by pairing A-PRT with a contract that will provide dedicated troubleshooting and platform build as its user base grows.

Aether Sprint 2024

While we continue to walk alongside the 2023 Aether Sprint finalists, we kicked off the 2024 Aether Sprint competition in late August, receiving a total of 56 project proposals. Of the 56, seven were chosen to advance to the semi-finalist stage of the sprint. These seven teams were chosen based on their demonstrated efforts to bring their ideas to the competition in a solution ready prototype and their fulfillment of the five challenge questions given by Lt Gen Linda Hurry for this year’s competition.?

The seven teams are:?

The “KC-135 Cargo Crane”, led by Maj. Nate Mocalis and fellow team innovators: TSgt Nicholas Sowder, MSgt Donald Lehman, SSgt Tristen L., Capt. Freidrich Martin and Team Coaches: SSgt Joshua Nash and MSgt Dakota Belcher!

The “F-35 WMS Cover”, led by TSgt Emil Wodicka, Team Innovators: TSgt?Jonathan Hunter?and TSgt Kalib McBride, and Team Coach: TSgt Kris Lopez!

The “Project Weapon”, led by SSgt Ryan Amador,?Team Innovators: TSgt?Matthew Connelly, MSgt Anthony Cicchino, MSgt Randy Stoiner, Mr. James Mik and Team Coaches: Mr. Pedro Mendes?and TSgt?Christopher Anderson!

The “Rays to Jet Power”, led by MSgt?Jet Nesle,?Team Innovators: SMSgt Jason Yunker, TSgt?Cameron Olson, TSgt?Manny Rivero, Major Raymond Hill and Team Coaches: MSgt Brandon Eastman?and TSgt?Taylor Mogford!

The “Panhandle Panthers”, led by SSgt Tyler Schmitt, Team Innovators: TSgt?Andrew McCamish?and SrA Wade Bryden, and Team Coaches: Major Theresa Crampton and TSgt Mariana Hernández-Chávez!

The “CLAWS”, led by CMSgt Travis Chaney, Team Innovators: MSgt?Khalil Bashir, SSgt?Brett Doyle, TSgt Joshua Rogers, and Team Coaches: MSgt?Brandon Eastman and TSgt Taylor Mogford!

The “Mobile Munitions Production Platform”, led by MSgt Cayla Larson and fellow team innovator TSgt Harris Hamburg, and Team Coaches: SSgt Joshua Nash and MSgt Dakota Belcher!

These amazing teams convened at their very own cohort of Build Your Own Adventure from 11 Dec to 15 Dec. The next phase of the competition will consist of each team presenting their project to the Headquarters Air Force Logistics Directorate. From there, three final teams will be selected to present on the main stage of #LOA2024 as finalists!

It’s hard to believe that the 2024 Logistics Officer Association Symposium is already right around the corner! We are looking forward to another year in St. Louis alongside each of you. You can expect to see Tesseract on the main stage for Aether Sprint 2024, showcasing the Airmen finalists of this year’s competition. We also hope you’ll join us for another round of Theory of Constraints academics and battle labs, with the potential for Kingfish ACE to make an appearance. Whatever the week holds, we hope you’ll visit us at our booth, located at the far side of the vendor area, nearest the hallway to the auditoriums!

As any military organization knows, change is the only constant, and Tesseract is no exception. This year we bid farewell to many of our original members and ushered in new members across the branches.?

Farewell to Capt Sophia Rizzo, Capt Mike Comiskey, Allie Praskach (& Monty), Lt Col Jonathan Menashi, Maj Michael Hester, and Capt Matt Carpenter. To each of them, their impact on our team and the force were next-to-none. If you were lucky enough to meet them, and many of you have, you know they each leave things better than they found them. The Tesseract team was no exception. We also bid a bittersweet farewell to SrA James Doerfler, who was picked up for the Senior Leader Enlisted Commissioning Program and will leave in early 2024 for Officer Training School!?

We welcomed in a new Team Chief, Lt Col Nicholas Lee, along with a new Senior Enlisted Leader, CMSgt Greg Beck, and a Director of Operations, Maj Ashley Gunn. Additionally, we brought on Capt Chloe Hohman and MSgt Derrick Brooke to the Process Advancement branch; 1st Lt In Bok Lee, Jake Dolinger, MSgt Amanda Dennis and TSgt Daniel Kosty Jr. to Concept Integration; Capt Theodore Rask as the new acquisitions guru; MSgt Heikell Perez to the Data Rats, and our first civilian and technical director, Ms. Tanika Belfield! Perhaps most excitedly, we welcomed our first ever field agent TSgt Mariana Hernández-Chávez!

We would also be remiss not to mention the departure of our long time advocate Lieutenant General Linda Hurry. Gen Hurry has been a Tesseract champion and fierce supporter of our team since our beginning. Her absence will be felt, but the culture of innovation and spirit of empowerment that she set during her time have no doubt left a lasting legacy on our A4L community. We look forward to welcoming in Maj Gen Jeff King as the new leader of the A4L!

We are excited for all the things ahead and wish you the best in 2024. Stay inspired, friends. -Team Tesseract

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