The Air Force’s explosive ordnance disposal airmen have adapted to the changing battle in Iraq, exchanging Humvees for the larger and more protective Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle, or JERRV. MSgt. Bryan Ripple reports that the new vehicles are equipped with the latest in optical cameras and forward looking infrared technology. The JERRV also has room for the EOD robots and the airmen’s 70-pound bomb suits. SrA. Stephen Ohge explains that the new “cutting-edge technologies are paramount to today’s EOD operations outside the wire.” And, the optical systems have enabled the EOD airmen to spot enemy fighters, whose positions they relay to security forces.
As the Defense Department looks to accelerate use of artificial intelligence and to connect its sensors and shooters into one massive data network, a new office overseeing those efforts will reach full operating capability in the coming weeks. The office of the chief data and artificial intelligence officer (CDAO) will…