Army Attempting To Establish a Culture of Innovation

As technology advances and evolves, U.S. Army leaders are working to adopt a culture that fosters and encourages modernization and fully utilizes new capabilities that are ready for the fight. To address this, Army officials are carrying out developments that are expected to help further innovation on the battlefield.  

First, Army personnel will open the Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost in December. Located in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the facility will serve as a place where soldiers and individuals in industry, academia and other related areas can meet to talk about how each community can best assist one another and help solve issues that another field may be experiencing, according to Robert Braun, chief technology officer, 18th Airborne Corps. The outpost will provide experts a place to ask mission-critical questions and offer differing perspectives. 

“[Soldiers and members of academia and industry] can all discuss together how to adapt to your problems,” Braun said during his keynote address at TechNet Augusta 2025. “Maybe it’s better using your system; maybe it’s a different tactic, technique and procedure; maybe it’s a technical problem; maybe it’s a science and technology problem that we need academics to start helping us define.” 

“We recognize that the Army is focused on creating a more efficient acquisitions process,” Braun added. “It has been said numerous times that the acquisitions community within the Army needs to move faster. Yes, they need to move faster, but they need to move faster in the right direction. We don’t need more things at a higher rate in the 18th Airborne Corps; we need the right things at the right time.” 

The Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost will also house other critical events, including warfighter exercises and large-scale technology conferences. The space will feature next-generation technology that can offer additional help toward solving problems quickly, according to Army officials.  

Outpost officials are teaming up with several groups, including the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), the Army Research Lab, the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and local government and school systems such as Duke University and the North Carolina University school system, to carry out their mission, according to Braun. Due to the significant number of partnerships and since some of these groups are physically close to Fort Bragg, these benefits can provide for even further collaboration and success within the facility, according to Army officials.  

Army leaders are further implementing the aforementioned culture of innovation through Scarlet Dragon. This exercise series provides warfighters with a chance to test, evaluate and learn more about different capabilities and how the systems can improve their operations. Through Scarlet Dragon, Army leaders landed on Maven Smart Systems and began using artificial intelligence for targeting, according to Braun, who spoke highly of the event during his keynote address. 

“This event is important to the future of the Army,” Braun stressed. “It just is; it always has been. And right now, more than ever, because we have to establish innovative culture throughout the force. I think we’re right there on the cusp. We’re right there.”

Scarlet Dragon Exercise 25-3 is ongoing and will conclude in a couple of days, and following this iteration of the event, leaders will immediately start planning for the first one of 2026, according to Braun. 

Finally, Dragon’s Lair is another initiative that is bolstering the Army’s effort to revolutionize their culture. This program offers soldiers the ability to share their ideas for innovation with leaders, similar to what takes place on the Shark Tank show, according to Braun. Events such as this encourage warfighters to brainstorm game-changing proposals that can help the Army prepare for the future. 

“Within the culture that we have in the 18th Airborne Corps, we want soldiers to look at problems that they face in their warfighting function and executing warrior skills tasks,” Braun said. “Where am I coming up short? Where can I be more efficient? How can I find more success? I want them to start thinking outside the box.” 

“The Army of tomorrow is going to demand adaptability,” Braun added. “It’s going to demand that innovative thought process, that culture. And in our opinion, Dragon’s Lair provides that opportunity.” 

TechNet Augusta is organized by AFCEA International with help from the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. SIGNAL Media is the official media of AFCEA International.