Developing Mach-21 Airmen - Epi 18 – Project Nexus

Welcome to episode #18 of the Developing Mach-21 Airmen podcast! In this pod, Captain Kyle Palko chats with 2nd Lt. Robert Guest about Project Nexus, an AETC Integrated Technology Detachment and AFWERX-Austin collaboration that is testing one way to fuel technology problem-solving efforts for Airmen across the Air Force. Capt. Palko, the Project NEXUS project manager, talks about the three test groups of Airmen, or cohorts. All Airmen are being taught software design by contracted, tech-bootcamp-style companies. Each Airman also focuses on either data science, software design, or user experience/user interface design. Capt. Palko goes in-depth on the types of problems that Project Nexus is aiming to solve. Some are specific, like one cohort’s capstone project to create a mobile app for instructor pilots to grade students in-flight. Others are more about changing culture and enabling Airmen to solve problems using data science and software organically, at their home units, aligning with larger Air Force goals such as revitalizing squadrons.