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It is not enough to have current information technologies. By producing leading edge, operational information technology, the Institute for Information Technology Applications (IITA) works to provide tomorrow's Air Force next generation information technology systems.

Led by retired General James P. McCarthy, the institute reflects a respect for the lessons of the past with an eye towards the future. As the father of the Academy's cadet soaring program, McCarthy is no stranger to implementing innovative technologies. Today IITA is leading the way on several cuttingedge Air Force information technologies. He recently emphasized the importance of involving cadets in these developments.

"One of IITA's top priorities is to provide cadets the opportunity to develop real-world, operational military systems," said McCarthy. "Cadets are in the classroom developing software that will go into a system in six months time, which will be used by pilots, flight commanders, and eventually, the whole Air Force."

The Warfighter's Edge (WEdge) project is the main project of the institute. The stable and robust WEdge application provides Air Force pilots real-time, mission essential briefings in minutes and utilizes a common Windows operating system. In less than three years, the program has gone from the drawing board to approval for Air Force-wide operations. The program is currently deployed to more than 10 bases. According to the director of the WEdge project, Lt Col Andrew Berry, cadets are involved in multiple WEdge areas of research and development including a digital aeronautical flight information plug-in, 3D viewing capabilities capable of interfacing with Google Earth, and a joint mission planning software to collaborate mission planning throughout the DoD.

The Joint Installation Picture 4 Command & Control (JIP4C2) is another on-going project to provide critical event information to military and first responders including police, fire, and ambulance personnel. The project utilizes global positioning satellite and wireless

communications technologies and has been deployed throughout the Air National Guard (ANG).

ITA's Ms. Carolyn Dull mentors a team of Wing IT Services Engineers (WISE) who are challenged by General (ret.) McCarthy to determine important ways that information technology (IT) can improve the Cadet Wing. One of the projects from this year was the development of a Cadet Command Center automated bugle call system that eliminates human interface errors, such as the of playing "Taps" instead of "Reveille." Another project that the WISE cadets accomplished was an automated BAS form that allows cadet TDY reimbursements to flow more efficiently. As a final sample of the WISE team's abilities, an energy efficiency project has been researched and proposed to USAFA leadership and is expected to save USAFA $40,000+ a year in energy usage.

The "Airdrop Enhanced Logistics Visibility Information System (AELVIS)" project will develop software to track airdropped resupply bundles and their contents from command centers or ground forces worldwide. This will enable accurate and timely decision-making, will save money, and assist in the locating of lost items. Engineering Mechanics cadets will be involved in the "hardening" of the project's proposed tracking device.

"One of the principle missions of the Air Force and therefore the Academy is flight operations. We are highly motivated to develop that capability and the understanding of the precise discipline needed to support operations," said McCarthy on the challenge of simultaneously developing cadets and the new technologies needed by the Air Force. He added that the level of cadet participation in IITA projects results in highly motivated cadets who eventually will move into wing organizations and command and control positions. To help better prepare cadets for their future roles as officers, McCarthy has initiated an effort to identify and develop information technology capabilities specific to the cadet wing's needs.