1 SOW leadership attends FieldWerx military open

  • Published
  • By Airman First Class Robyn Hunsinger
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

The 1st Special Operations Wing Project 1 Innovation Cell held the FieldWerx military open event in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Aug. 24.

The event showcased the FieldWerx Makerspace, provided through a partnership between the 1st SOW and the Hsu Educational Foundation to the base and local community leaders.

“The ultimate goal of our FieldWerx space is to bring a culture of innovation to our Airmen and the local community,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jocelyn Schermerhorn, commander of the 1st SOW. “This will provide a space for (school-age) students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while providing our Airmen the space that they need to create novel solutions to problems that they face while executing our mission.”

The 1st SOW partnered with the Hsu Educational Foundation in June 2020 to create the FieldWerx Makerspace to offer STEM-based opportunities to Airmen and youth in the local community. The Makerspace is a location for individuals to streamline processes through development, research, prototyping, testing, and sustainability initiatives.

Airmen now have access to innovative equipment and spaces such as an area for drones, a woodshop and a room to work on car engines. They also have the opportunity to mentor and teach children in the local community about various subjects such as robotics, woodworking and computer programming.

“The importance of an event such as this is to bring the Air Force and the community together,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Courtney Freeman, command chief of the 1st SOW. “Lots of opportunities are available here in this space that our Airmen may not have access to otherwise. Having a space like this allows Airmen to get involved in the local community and solve problems with experts around assisting in that process.”

The Project 1 Team plans to continue expanding throughout cutting-edge programs and associations with the Hsu Educational Foundation and small businesses to create new solutions and processes. The military open event highlighted the future plans and relationship between the 1st SOW Innovation Cell and the local community.

“We recognize the vital role that innovation plays in our ability to be ready for our nation’s call, any time, any place,” Schermerhorn said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what our Airmen do here.”