Tools for Battlefield Airmen: Where we’ve been and where we’re going

Air Force Special Operation Command’s Battlefield Airmen (BA) work in physically and cognitive demanding conditions. They conduct asymmetric and irregular war operations that require advanced technologies to enhance situational awareness and battlefield effectiveness. Recent efforts have focused on providing tools for the Air Force Combat Controllers, one type of BA. Advances in technology include a wearable computer, advanced targeting capability, physiological sensors, lightweight power and ergonomically superior load carriage concepts. This work will be leveraged to expand the scope to assess the needs of the Pararescue Jumper or PJ. This panel will include a combination of researchers and operational personnel reviewing previous successes, outlining the operational challenges of a PJ, painting a vision for the next phases, and drawing from cognitive research in related settings.