The Montana Army National Guard (MTARNG), in partnership with the U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL) and the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2), held a ribbon-cutting event on Thursday, August 8, 2024, for its new Mobile Immediate Need Engineering Resource (MINER) at Fort Harrison. The Montana National Guard is the first in the nation to receive a dedicated mobile engineer lab resource to drive tactical innovation.
The MINER facilities are field-constructed makerspace labs equipped with 3-D printers, CAD stations, and workshop tools and designed to create a progression for frontline concepts to become prototyped solutions, allowing bottom-up concepts to transition from the abstract to the actual. The first MINER was deployed to Europe in FY23.
The installation of the MINER with the MTARNG represents the first partnership between DEVCOM ARL, CMI2, and the National Guard, meaning the Montana National Guard is the first in the nation to bring this capability to its force.
“I’ve already heard from several Soldiers who have ideas that they are excited to make a reality through this new facility,” said Brig. Gen. James Wilkins, Montana National Guard Director of Joint Staff. “Through our partnerships, we are establishing an environmental lab and makerspace capable of testing equipment and vehicles in temperatures ranging from -60 to 85 degrees Celsius.”
The dedicated innovation space at Fort Harrison will enable Montana’s Soldiers to receive engineering support and guidance as they turn their ideas into prototype solutions and novel technologies critical to future Army operations via the latest prototype engineering tools for tactical innovation efforts.
Attendees at the ceremony included Montana Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras, Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins, Montana National Guard Director of Joint Staff Brig. Gen. James Wilkins, DEVCOM ARL Chief of the Technology Transition Office Dr. Tom Saltysiak, Founder of CMI2, Dr. Zenovy Wowczuk, DEVCOM ARL Catalyst Pathfinder Innovation Program head Mr. Scott Martin, CMI2 Pathfinder Warfighter Innovation Chief for Montana Mr. Scott Abplanalp, Headwaters Tech Hub Executive Director Dr. Tim VanReken, and Montana State University Director of Innovation Mr. Mark Sharp.
“The investment and dedication of the MINER resource at Fort Harrison, in addition to future investments we will make in the coming months, only means the impact of Montana on tactical innovation will continue to evolve and positively impact our Soldiers,” said Dr. Zenovy Wowczuk, founder of the Civil-Military Innovation Institute. “Montana is an integral part of our ‘innovation in the dirt’ efforts, and at every opportunity, Montanans demonstrate you are up to the task.”
The next step in the innovation program will involve the collaboration of MTARNG renovating facilities to create a cold-weather experimentation chamber known as the MIST Lab, an initialism for the Mountain Innovation and Simulation Technology Lab. Additional details will be announced at a later date.
To learn more about the MINER Ribbon-Cutting event, visit the following links for media coverage of the event:
