Defense Media Activity -- Marines and civilians from Marine Expeditionary Forces, Marine Corps Forces Command, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Marine Corps Intelligence Activity and several other intelligence commands gathered at ManTech Spaces in Stafford on June 2, 2015 for a technical design meeting.
The Marines and civilians spent the first day narrowing down the intelligence questions that the Corps faces. They then spent the next day coming up with solutions to these problems.
“This is an evolutionary process that allows you to constantly pull in new ideas,” said Jennifer Edgin, the chief technology officer for Headquarters Marine Corps Intelligence. “So all of the ideas, solutions and problem definitions go into something that we call the MCISRE blueprint which are incrementally built and delivered to the user.”
The Marine Corps Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Enterprise blueprint is an outline for solutions for problems the Marine Corps is facing or will face in the future. This meeting allows the participants to think outside of the box without worrying about rank or restrictions.
“Its refreshing to see a different approach to problem solving outside of the traditional means,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 James Musch, a signal intelligence officer for Marine Corps Intelligence Schools. “If the problems are attacked with the solutions that are given, it could drastically affect the Marine Corps.”
Once a problem has been agreed upon, each member spends the night coming up with an app, system or program that can be used to fix the problem. The following day each member has 60 seconds to sell his or her idea to the group. The idea is then voted upon and the process is repeated until all of the questions have a solution.
“This process is very innovative,” said Staff Sgt. David Yi, imagery analyst, Marine Corps Intelligence Schools. “It takes our everyday now scope and widens it. It’s very interactive and it gives us the chance to think about the ‘what if’ factor, it also shows everyone the technology that we are hoping for is out there and it’s available.”
Although this is a new way of solving problems for the Marine Corps, it has proven that it can create effective solutions to the problems that the Marine Corps faces and will face in the future.
“I think this is going to be vital in having an effect on the future of the Marine Corps,” said Joseph Toscano an operations officer for Headquarters Marine Corps Intelligence. “Anyone in the Marine Corps can use this method to solve a problem.”
For more Marine Corps news go to http://www.marines.mil/News.aspx .