August 7, 2025
As the 2025 Ignite Internship program draws to a close, the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) is proud to highlight the contributions of an exceptional intern whose work this summer has left a lasting impact on both the land and the legacy of our Adaptive Experimentation Facility in Clay County, West Virginia.
Today, we feature Madison Morton, a first-time Ignite intern with a passion for mapping and geospatial technologies.
Supporting Mission-Ready Events
As a first-year Ignite intern at Fort Andrew, Madison quickly made her mark supporting the CMI2 Adaptive Experimentation Force (AEForce). Over the summer, she collaborated with CMI2 experts and site specialists to develop land navigation training lanes, creating secure and flexible environments where military users and innovators could simulate operations, assess performance, and refine solutions in real-time.
As a result, Madison played an integral role in DIRT Days 25-03, a dynamic training and experimentation event hosted by CMI2 in partnership with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. In her role as an Ignite intern, Madison managed route reconnaissance and trail clearing, preparing terrain for both manned and unmanned ground operations across Fort Andrew. She also prepared essential equipment and materials, and supported on-the-ground logistics and operations throughout the exercise.
Learning Real-World Skills
A 2025 graduate of Clay County High School, Madison was also a dual-enrollee at Glenville State University, earning an Associate Degree in General Studies, with an emphasis on Land Resources. This included a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) certification.
Putting those skills to immediate use, Madison’s summer was packed with technical, hands-on training experience in land navigation, managing:
- Plot points on topographic maps
- Calculate directional azimuth and distances
- Use a lensatic compass and a map protractor
- Practice terrain association for location identification
- Traverse mountainous areas on foot during navigational exercises
Throughout the summer, Madison utilized digital tools, including Google Earth, topographic maps, and GPS devices, to select and verify signage locations across rugged terrain. She placed signs and markers on-site to guide trainees through roads, trails, and mountainous paths. Her attention to detail ensured reliable training environments for future participants navigating this complex terrain.
Madison also worked on completing her FAA Part 107 license, which governs the piloting operation of small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, weighing less than 55 pounds.
A Summer of Growth and Purpose
When asked to reflect on her experience, Madison shared:
“It’s taught me time management, how to get things done, and allowed me to see what I can do and what things I’m capable of, leading on to telling other people or showing other people how to do things.”
Her growth, both professionally and personally, stands as a testament to the success of the Ignite internship program, created through the CMI2’s ILLUME (Innovative, Leading, Learning, Uniting, Making, Experimenting) student-focused initiative. Designed to empower the next generation of innovators, ILLUME introduces young talent to real-world national security challenges and emerging technology fields.
Looking Ahead
As Madison returns to her studies, her contributions will remain long after the internship concludes. She has laid the groundwork for future interns and training participants at Fort Andrew.
Her commitment extended beyond technical tasks. Madison also gave back to the community by volunteering with the Mountaineer Food Bank, exemplifying the well-rounded, service-minded ethos CMI2 aims to cultivate through the ILLUME program.
Thank you, Madison, for your dedication, and look forward to seeing her continued success beyond Clay County.
