CRW teams up with Project Arc to heighten innovation

621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J — The 621st Contingency Response Wing is driving innovative change through unit level capability development with the help of two Project Arc airmen from the Headquarters Air Mobility Command and the 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

Lt. Col. Joshua Neustrom and Airman 1st Class Hannah Garwood, both degreed engineers, were selected for Project Arc in November 2022 through the Office of the Chief Scientist to be placed at Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst for six months to build and assist the ongoing efforts to develop and deliver capabilities directly into the hands of the warfighter.

Project Arc is an Air and Space Force wide program where active-duty airmen of all ranks across the globe are handpicked based on their skills and technical background. They are then temporarily placed in a unit desiring to accelerate change.

“Project Arc airmen around the world have saved the Air Force increasing amounts of time and money each year with the first two months of 2023 resulting in eight successful initiatives totaling $7.5 million and 30,000 man-hours saved,” said Maj. Jason Goins, Project Arc lead.

Project Arc fuses the user in need with the tech savvy airmen.

“Most solutions we need already exist in some airmen’s head,” said Neustrom. “Instead of expensive contracts, many airmen’s ideas just need a little technical expertise to make them a reality.”

“One of the problems our Air Force faces today is loss of technical talent due to under-utilization. Project Arc bridges this gap by allowing all ranks to apply, as well as placing us in units they believe are the best fit to utilize our skills. In our current cohort we have about half enlisted, half officers” stated A1C Garwood.

Project Arc has been supported strongly

See ARC Page 9