February 20, 2026 CMI2 has officially launched the inaugural ILLUME Rope Rescue & Wilderness First Aid Course with our partners at Braxton County High School. This first-of-its-kind collaboration marks a significant step for local students and enhances hands-on STEM education in West Virginia. The immersive course instruction will take place on Fridays over the […]
The Rapid Operational Innovation Detachment (ROID) Driving Innovation in Realistic Training (DIRT) Days series integrates Soldiers into structured experimentation sprints aligned with U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) operational priorities. Hosted by the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) and USCENTCOM, the series provides a framework to evaluate […]
LIZEMORES, WV January 22, 2026 — A new push to speed battlefield-ready technology into the hands of U.S. forces is getting underway as the U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) Chief Technology Officer’s office teams up with the U.S. Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2), and Army units, including the 5th Special Forces […]
December 15, 2025 Collaboration is at the heart of meaningful community impact, and CMI2 recently had the opportunity to highlight one such partnership on Community Connections, a broadcast produced by The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (TGKVF). Our own Walter “Wally” Hatfield, Vice President of Training & Experimentation, joined TGKVF to discuss the work CMI2 is […]
November 7, 2025 During the week of November 3, CMI2’s ILLUME team visited Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School to meet with students and educators, sharing stories and demonstrations that brought the program’s mission to life. “The enthusiasm we saw from students was incredible,” said Walter ‘Wally’ Hatfield, Vice President of Training and Experimentation […]
Morgantown, WV – OCTOBER 8, 2025 — The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) today announced a strategic partnership to strengthen collaboration between defense, industry, and academia in advancing autonomous systems, experimentation, and training at CMI2’s Adaptive Experimentation Facility at Fort Andrew in rural West Virginia. This partnership […]
October 6, 2025 The tools are here. The students are ready. In Jefferson Davis County, the future begins today. The ILLUME Mississippi program has moved from vision to action. This week, our CMI2 ILLUME team was on the ground in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi, delivering and installing state-of-the-art engineering equipment at Jefferson Davis High School, […]
Program launches in Brooke, Calhoun, and Braxton County schools, creating new opportunities for students to innovate, lead, and shape the future. The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) is partnering with the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative (WVPEC) to expand its ILLLUME (Innovating, Learning, Leading, Uniting, Making, and Experimenting) STEM program into three more West Virginia counties. […]
August 26, 2025 Ignite Interns Plant the Future with Fort Andrew Greenspace The new Fort Andrew greenspace represents more than just a physical addition to the site, it’s a symbol of growth, collaboration, and forward-looking innovation. Designed by our 2024-2025 Ignite Interns as a destination to bring people together in a setting that balances nature […]
August 22, 2025 Lighting the Way: ILLUME Arrives in Brooke, Calhoun & Braxton Counties Our vision for the CMI2 ILLUME program —short for Innovating, Learning, Leading, Uniting, Making, Experimenting—is more than a classroom add-on. It’s a chance to reimagine what students in rural West Virginia can achieve, helping them see themselves as makers, problem solvers, […]