Cpt Colin Stone
"Jungle Operation Resupply: Overcoming Nature's Obstacles to Keep the Mission Running"
Sponsor Perspective
CPT Colin Stone
Overview
Special ops forces operating in the jungle would have uninterrupted access to emergency supplies thanks to a solution devised by a team of students from the University of Chicago working with CPT Colin Stone of JTOC. The team's work, part of the national Hacking for Defense® course, leverages student teams to address national security problems facing the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.
Student teams across the nation are given a different problem and every problem has a government problem sponsor. Problem sponsors are members of the Department of Defense or Intelligence Community who possess the relevant technical or professional expertise to mentor their students. They act as both the client and liaison, owning the problem the students are trying to solve and guiding their investigation into its root causes.
Sponsor Biography
CPT Colin Stone has served as a sponsor for two projects with Hacking for Defense (H4D) in Fall 2022. CPT Stone was commissioned into the infantry from the United States Military Academy in 2018. From West Point, he attended the infantry officer’s basic course in Ft. Benning, GA, then traveled to Hawaii for an assignment in the 25th Infantry Division. He served in a variety of roles at the battalion level before being assigned as the officer-in-charge of the Oahu-based Jungle Operations Training Course (JTOC) and Small Unit Ranger Tactics (SURT) course at the Division’s Lightning Academy. CPT Stone is passionate about defense innovation and opportunities for academic collaboration and will attend Harvard University for graduate school in 2023.
Sponsor Perspective
Could you talk us through the problem you submitted?
Through my involvement in a number of special ops training cycles, I identified a problem: ground combat teams operating in jungle environments needed a way to precisely drop resupply loads from aircraft cabins to meet emergency supply needs.
What I proposed to the (University of) Chicago was that we need an adaptable approach that could be scalable to the next large-scale war. If we don't have the resources and aren't able to fly a helicopter, which could potentially be shot down or leave a trace that can expose the service member's location and decrease survivability, what would that solution be?
What did the students present at the end of the semester?
CPT Stone leading the student team on the Oahu-based Jungle Operations Training Course.
The student team's solution utilized technology already employed by the Air Force. This involved dropping unguided loads that could break through a canopy and using a proprietary gel to stabilize the impact. The team conducted numerous experiments to explore various solution pathways but ultimately prioritized scalability. They integrated features, including deception tactics and spreading drops across a designated land area to account for material defects, losses, or damaged goods.
In the end, the team came up with a fairly low-tech proposal, which was ideal. Their proposed solution does not rely on radar or electronic signatures that could be detected, while also being compatible with existing systems. I believe they have successfully met all the criteria I set regarding implementation and prototyping.
How did their finding impact the organization?
CPT Stone and the Jungle Resupply student team at a site-visit to the training course in Wahiawa, Hawaii.
A portion of the team is currently pursuing this solution pathway and has progressed to the stage of securing IP rights. The finalization of this process would provide a revolutionary capability to resupply moving units without logistical support, enabling them to stay on mission for extended periods.
Why should other potential government sponsors get involved in the H4D program?
H4D is the liaison between the academic side and the military side, connecting university students to soldiers, and can reap many rewards when approached as a collaborative partnership. The students’ maturity and passion allowed me to kind of sit where I most naturally do in this role, as a military subject matter expert and advisor.
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