Welcome to the WISE Challenge
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, or DEVCOM Soldier Center, is honored to be the organizer and host for the Warfighter Innovation in Science & Engineering (WISE) Challenge, our Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) competition.
For the fifth year in a row, the WISE Challenge includes competitors from the United States Military Academy (USMA), the United States Naval Academy (USNA), the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
The WISE Challenge is designed to showcase undergraduate science and engineering solutions aligned to real world challenges faced by our military. For this challenge, the focus is on innovative approaches or technologies that offer potential operational impact to either Service-specific or joint mission areas. From the Soldier Center’s perspective, our Service Academy partnerships have consistently supplemented our work with fresh ideas, offering innovative approaches that can be adapted or transitioned to ongoing efforts or to even jump start new programs. I am really excited to see all of the ideas that come from this competition.
Douglas A. Tamilio
Director, DEVCOM Soldier Center
The Warfighter Innovation in Science & Engineering (WISE) Challenge is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) competition among all five prestigious U.S. Service Academies. Cadets/Midshipmen from the United States Military Academy (USMA), the United States Naval Academy (USNA), the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) will present their innovative solutions to Service-specific or joint-mission challenges in a virtual format on 22 April 2025.
Projects will be judged for innovation, technical approach/analysis, operational impact to the Warfighter, and how well their idea is communicated to the judges.
The WISE Challenge was designed in partnership with all Academies with the intent of DEVCOM Soldier Center hosting annually. The goal is to showcase innovative, undergraduate research and development achievements in both science and engineering. In addition, the WISE Challenge will serve as a conduit to expand networks between Academies and DoD stakeholders.
Competition Format
- Each Service Academy can send up to 3 teams to compete.
- Academies determine their own challenge problems or areas deemed relevant to their unique missions, and/or the joint Warfighter.
- Each team will provide a poster of their project for viewing by the public before 22 April 2025.
- Competing teams will present their projects and answer questions to the WISE Challenge panel of judges on 22 April 2025.
Winning Projects
- Winners will be announced Wednesday, 23 April at 2000 EDT.
- Watch live on DEVCOM SC’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/devcom.SoldierCenter).
Judging Criteria for Projects
- Innovation (20%): Is the approach creative? Is there potential for disruptive or breakthrough innovation?
- Technical (35%): How rigorous was the team’s technical approach and analysis?
- Impact (35%): What is the degree/breadth of operational impact to the Warfighter? Does it offer a solution to a capability gap or create a new capability in our mission?
- Communication (10%): Has the team effectively conveyed their project’s objective, background, approach, and outcomes to the audience?
Prize money will be awarded as follows to the top four teams
- 1st Place: $1200 per team member
- 2nd Place: $900 per team member
- 3rd Place: $600 per team member
- Honorable mention: $300 per team member
1st Place: US Air Force Academy – Team C – Autonomous Battle Damage Detection and Classification on Combat Aircraft
Team Members: C1C Elliott Kmetz, C1C David Ke, C1C Ashlynn Sweet, C1C Joseph Olson
Advisor: Dr. Humberto Ramos
Synopsis of Presentation: Used machine learning to develop a computer vision algorithm that can autonomously detect and classify battle damage on combat aircraft.
2nd Place: United States Air Force Academy – Team B – Innovative In-Field Service and Repair for Air-Launched Munitions
Team Members: C1C Ashlynn Sweet, C1C Quinn Johnson, C1C Sam Ellenson, C1C Jake Whitlock, C1C James Buchheit
Advisor: Capt. Aaron Bauer
Synopsis of Presentation: Developing innovative methods to conduct in-field service and repair of air-launched munitions, creating millions of dollars in potential savings.
3rd Place (tie): United States Merchant Marine Academy – Team A – Construction/Testing of the Suction Wing for the Generation of High Lift Forces
Team Member: MIDN Robert Novak
Advisor: Dr. Sergio Perez
Synopsis of Presentation: A 3D-printed slotted airfoil design, connected to a vacuum system and measurement devices, was tested in a low Reynolds Number wind tunnel. Data on lift, drag, velocity, and pressure were analyzed, scaled up, and compared to published data to assess the device’s feasibility for the US merchant fleet.
3rd Place (tie): United States Military Academy – Team B – SPEAR
Team Members: CDT Amber Matlach, CDT Isabelle Stoldt, CDT Kinady Pierce
Advisor: Dr. Beth Bachert
Synopsis of Presentation: Project focuses on using biological products to help the Army overcome the negative repercussions of harmful chemicals commonly used in commercial products and military-industrial complexes.
Honorable Mention: United States Military Academy – Team A – Haystack
Team Members: CDT Samuel Della-Santina, CDT Erich Brilliant, CDT Samantha Rose, CDT Kayla Jones, CDT George Glover
Advisors: COL Kirk Ingold and LTC William North
Synopsis of Presentation: Haystack aims to develop and build a cost-effective suite of RF devices to deploy on the battlefield to deceive enemy EW units. This system allows the user the ability to simulate the battlefield and display the range of each device on the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). While primarily intended for defensive operations, this system can also be used in a training environment.
Impact Award: Challenging The Status Quo – United States Military Academy – Team C – Optimizing Soldier Performance Through Data Analytics
Team Members: CDT Dominic Flowers, CDT Paige Herremans, CDT James Sharpe, CDT Carlton Spivey, CDT Claire Tsay
Advisors: COL Christopher Lowrance, COL Malcolm Haynes
Synopsis of Presentation: Employment of AI computer vision to track bullet holes on targets and generate performance metrics, which are stored in a database. Army leaders can use this system to monitor soldier progress, analyze trends, and optimize marksmanship training strategies.
Impact Award: Outstanding Collaboration – United States Coast Guard Academy – Team C – Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing: Red Snapper
Team Members: 1/c Sebastian Sanchez, 1/c Jaime Gustafson
Advisors: CPT. Victoria Futch, LCDR Kristen Zellman, Dr. Karina Mrakovcich, Dr. Donna Selch
Synopsis of Presentation: This project aims to provide law enforcement recommendations to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF) activity involving red snapper. The team combined Synthetic Aperture Radar and Automatic Identification System vessel tracking data to detect no-AIS vessels in the study area.
Team Members: 1/C Hayden Belcher, 1/C Zachary Meyer, 1/C James Stubbers
Advisors: Dr. Jenelle Piepmeier
Synopsis of Presentation: Designed and produced minimal viable product prototype of lightweight, agile, and modular soft armor under garment that protects SOF operators’ vitals from shrapnel munitions to increase survivability.
- Mr. Ed Mornston, SES
Associate Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence, HQ, U.S. Space Force - Colonel (Ret.) Douglas L. Loverro, USAF
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy and Former NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration - Colonel Erin Miller, U.S. Army
59th Quartermaster Commandant - Captain Michael Chien, USCG
Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center - Dr. William J. Sembler, P.E., Ph.D., Captain (Ret.), USMS
Professor Emeritus, Department of Marine Engineering, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - Dr. Charles A. Bass
Division Chief, Protection and Hazard Mitigation, Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency - Dr. Michael LaFiandra
Director, Warfighter Protection and Applications Division, Office of Naval Research
United States Military Academy (USMA)
It is an honor to participate again in the Warfighting Innovation in Science and Engineering Challenge! We are proud of the research and projects that our Cadets undertake each year to address important issues facing the Army and the Nation. Our teams are excited and honored to represent West Point on this much larger stage in front of senior leaders from across the Department of Defense. Here at West Point, sixteen teams volunteered to compete and began the journey toward the WISE Challenge finals. The three West Point teams that you will see in the finals excelled through West Point’s internal quarterfinal and semifinal competitions. I am personally excited to see all of the projects that each Academy will present. Thank you to Mr. Douglas Tamilio and his team at DEVCOM Soldier Center for hosting this event. And thank you to the West Point faculty and staff that educate and inspire our Cadets to seek out solutions to these significant problems. Best wishes to all of the Teams and Go Army!
Brigadier General Shane R. Reeves
Dean of the Academic Board
United States Military Academy, West Point
United States Naval Academy (USNA)
The United States Naval Academy is very grateful to participate in its next WISE Challenge. As the undergraduate university of our country’s Naval Service, the Naval Academy prepares young men and women to become professional officers of competence, character and compassion within the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The Naval Academy prides itself on providing its graduates a top-ranked liberal arts education with a strong focus on engineering and technical disciplines. Competitions like this provide a great opportunity for friendly competition that motivates the Midshipmen to excel and enhance the science and engineering knowledge and skills they have learned in class. Being able to work and innovate on Warfighter challenges, provides not only potential solutions but also gives invaluable experience in solving problems that will benefit them for the rest of their careers.
CAPT Rob Wolf
Dean, School of Engineering and Weapons
United States Naval Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA)
Welcome to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s WISE site. We are honored to once again be a part of this Service Academy STEM competition. This year the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s WISE teams feature the Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Marine and Environmental Sciences majors. These entries showcase just a few of the service-related projects Cadets complete as part of their capstone research experiences. We are extremely proud of the work our students do every year to advance Coast Guard missions and address Coast Guard needs. Thank you for supporting our Cadets, and good luck to all the teams.
CAPT Gregory J. Hall, Ph.D.
Vice Provost of Research
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
United States Air Force Academy (USAFA)
The Cadets and Faculty of the U.S. Air Force Academy are extremely pleased to be competing in the 2025 WISE Challenge with our fellow Academies. We are very proud of the scientific and engineering education we provide to our Cadets, and the ingenuity and hard work of the entire Cadet Wing are represented by these project teams. As we prepare junior officers to embark on their careers in the Air Force and Space Force, events such as the WISE Challenge provide an opportunity for them to apply the knowledge they have accumulated in their education and training to a real-world problem, while helping their fellow warfighters. It also underscores the importance of collaboration and teamwork in solving any difficult challenge. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Cadets’ projects and encouraging their success.
Dr. Mike Anderson
Director, Capstone Design Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering
United States Air Force Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)
The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) is ready to compete in our 4th year with the WISE competition. Our blend of theory, design and practical hands-on education and training has served our nation well, in peace and war. The projects presented are the result of our Kings Point Scholar program participants. This is a 9-credit independent research project, guided by a faculty advisor that students voluntarily take on in addition to their nominally 170-credit programs. This challenge provides our students with an opportunity to highlight the depth and breadth of the education, their personal interests, as well as their capacity to do more with less – a hallmark of our service. As the only academy who is able to put their graduates to work in the industry the day of graduation with a USCG license in their hands, our focus is on large commercial ships, military support ships, and smaller intercoastal commerce. Projects from our Academy go through proof of concept and prototype construction with limited resources available. We are proud to present our student’s project in this year’s competition with our other federal service academy family members. Thank you for supporting our midshipmen and we are looking forward to seeing all the projects submitted this year.
CAPT Anthony Nigro, USMS
Head, Department of Marine Engineering
United States Merchant Marine Academy