Vendors bring latest tech to JB MDL

Published March 21, 2013
By 2nd Lt. David J. Murphy
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Joint base community members came to Tommy B's Community Activities Center to see technological advancements from more than 50 vendors throughout the country March 13, 2013, here.

Service members, civilians, Department of Defense contractors and others were invited to attend the 5th Annual Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Information Technology Expo.
Col. John Wood, JB MDL commander, opened the event and expressed excitement and intrigue about the technology being featured.

"As we think about what our military has to do and what our government asks us to do, we have to innovate, so you being here gives us time to think and reflect and maybe find opportunities to do that," said Wood. "I'm an engineer by trade but I'm excited when I see some technology and I'm looking to get around and see what's out there."

The expo was organized by Donna Flemister, Federal Direct Access owner, who wanted to provide joint base community members an opportunity to see new technology without having to leave the base.

"The concept was to bring the technology directly to the military," said Flemister. "Years ago I used to work for a large trade show and only certain people got to go to them ... so we started bringing them directly to the base to make them available to the users and decision makers."

Flemister worked with members of the 87th Communications Squadron, U.S. Naval Air Systems Command's Information Technology Information Management and the Dix Network Enterprise Center to help gather interest in the event.

"I was the point of contact to help get the word out to the NAVAIR side, to the engineering community and the leadership," said Scott Browning, NAVAIR's ITIM network engineer. "Our people are always looking for better ways to do things, especially in light of budget cuts, so if you can do something more efficiently ... with newer technologies ... that's helpful."

Air Force sponsor Lt. Col. Kenneth Black, 87th Communications Squadron commander, stated the event provided an opportunity for community members to see what technologies are working in the civilian sector for potential implementation into the military sector.

"It's all about posturing yourself and your organization for the future and learning how to leverage those emerging technologies," said Black. "The things I'm looking at relate to network security, it's something I'm very focused on. For the joint base partners, there may be some opportunities for deployable communications. Also, leadership may see things like tablets which allow them to be portable and have their applications and media with them."

Army sponsor Richard Eckstien, NEC director, explained the event comes at the right time of the budget year and allows the community to see and test new and advanced processes.

"Try to name a process that doesn't have technology at its base," said Eckstien. "All services' processes are technology based. Whether it is a cell phone on a Solider in the middle of Afghanistan trying to get directions to where he is going, or keeping a whole flotilla of ships in line."

Vendors provided information on new communication platforms, network and surveillance systems and interactive display devices among other technologies. Capt. Rikki Opperman, 174th Infantry Brigade lead communications officer, was one of many service members searching for potential technological opportunities.

"You can find out about all the new technology that can benefit your unit and see all the cool toys and what is going to be the future of communications for the military," said Opperman. "The more we go to training in the U.S. the more we are going to have to develop our own deployment packages and I think the technology show here is going to be the future of those deployment packages."

Call (877) 332-3976 or email Donna Flemister at donna@fdaexpo.com for more information about the show's vendors or upcoming events.