JULY 27, 2016, KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – From field-deployable, uninterruptable power supplies and lightweight satellite communications gear for austere environments to trusted cloud computing storage alternatives, there was plenty of new technology to interest even the casual observer at the annual U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Tech Expo, July 22.
More than 26 high-tech companies descended on Armstrong’s Club in Vogelweh Housing to show off and demonstrate the latest emerging technologies with possible military applications as part of the event’s theme: “Innovate. Collaborate. Educate.”
“There was a wide variety of next generation technology on display,” said Jenna McDonald, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz executive officer, who visited all of the company displays. “It was interesting to see some of the new advances coming out in the different fields, and have a chance to talk to the experts on site about how their products integrate with the evolving military missions.”
The annual expo provides a venue to bring government representatives and private vendors together to discuss military requirements supported by cutting-edge hardware and software tools, as well as establishing a professional network for future projects, explained Joseph Walker, chief of the garrison’s Information Management Operations division.
“Very often, we are required to conduct independent government estimates and knowing the technology while having a network of contacts can better enhance our overall success at obtaining the required technology at the right price,” said Walker. “In addition, technology is a key element to any mission requirement and must be understood in order to achieve that success.”
That view was echoed by the company representatives in attendance.
“I consider this a listening tour to learn more about our military customer needs,” said Jim Truemper with L3 Communications. “It’s a great opportunity to show some of the capability that we bring, but also just to have that dialog with the users to better understand what the issues are on the ground that we, as an industry, can respond to.”
“It’s all about bringing dynamic capabilities to the warfighter and helping DoD be more efficient,” added Eric Lewis with Simplivity Solutions.
The event drew several hundred local military and civilian employees from the Kaiserslautern Military Community.