The 11th Airborne Division hosted its inaugural “Angel Ascent” innovation event at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson this week, marking a major milestone in the division’s commitment to warfighting transformation and Soldier-driven solutions for the Arctic’s unique operational challenges.
The event, modeled as a “Shark Tank-style” pitch competition, brought together Soldiers from across the division to present their innovative solutions to a panel of senior leaders and subject matter experts from various industries and organizations, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the 673rd Air Base Wing, DEVCOM, and the U.S. Army Arctic Regions Test Center (ARTC). Angel Ascent will become a bi-annual fixture, alternating between JBER and Fort Wainwright, and is designed to harness the ingenuity of Soldiers at every rank, empowering them to drive continuous transformation in support of the Army’s warfighting mission and the profession of arms.
Maj. Gen. John P. Cogbill, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, emphasized the impact of Soldier-driven innovation on the division’s transformation. “The hardest part of today was picking a winner, because every Soldier who stepped into the arena to pitch their idea is a winner,” Cogbill said. “Each of these innovative solutions will be prioritized in our division’s innovation plan. My promise is that every one of these ideas will continue to move forward because we want to see them scale and make a difference on the ground.”
Over the course of the day, junior enlisted Soldiers, warrant officers, and officers presented a range of technology concepts and process improvements aimed at enhancing Arctic mobility, survivability, and mission effectiveness. Among the technologies and concepts pitched were cold-weather power solutions, advanced load carriage systems, and new approaches to Arctic sustainment.
The top award went to “Wardrive,” a passive reconnaissance small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) payload that detects adversary wireless emissions and automatically uploads and reports location data back to the operator. Wardrive was developed and pitched by WO1 Brian Raab of the 2/11 Multi-Functional Reconnaissance Company.
“We may not be a Transformation in Contact division, but you wouldn’t know it if you talked to our Soldiers or saw what’s happening here,” Cogbill said. “Our division is transforming because we have innovators at every level, figuring out how to fight, adapt, and win in the Arctic.”
Cogbill also highlighted the importance of partnerships and the division’s unique expertise. “Alaska presents challenges you won’t find anywhere else, and our Soldiers are the subject matter experts in solving them. We’re working with universities and industry partners to turn these ideas into real-world solutions that will save lives and make our Army more lethal and resilient.”
The event underscores the Army’s commitment to continuous transformation, strengthening the Army profession, and leveraging the full potential of its people. Angel Ascent aligns with the Army People Strategy and the Department of Defense’s focus on accelerating warfighting advantage through innovation.
“We’re going to keep pushing, keep growing, and keep learning from each other,” Cogbill said. “This is just the start of a culture of innovation that will define the 11th Airborne Division and set the standard for the Army.”
By MAJ Ian Roth
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