Innovation in the Dirt™

It represents the CMI2 frontline commitment to embedding with warfighters, identifying needs, and rapidly developing solutions that directly improve readiness, lethality, and operational effectiveness.

True military modernization does not happen in isolation. It starts in the dirt, on the front line, shoulder to shoulder with Soldiers. This approach ensures that innovation is not only immediate and practical but also grounded in the realities of the battlefield. By integrating end-user input from the start, CMI2 accelerates solution development and fosters a continuous feedback loop that sharpens equipment and strategy. The ultimate result is faster fielding, higher impact, and lives saved.

The CMI2 approach to tactical innovation emphasizes experimentation in realistic, multi-domain environments to ensure solutions are tested under the same pressures Soldiers face in combat. From advanced technology prototyping to field-driven iteration cycles, we create and validate capabilities that scale across units and mission sets.

This innovation pipeline also supports broader national security objectives, from supporting efforts on the U.S. Southern Border to the Golden Dome initiative, advancing technologies that improve surveillance, mobility, force protection, and rapid response.

Translating national security challenges into programs of record requires more than good ideas. It demands a system of effective problem identification, tactical curation, and warfighter engagement. CMI2 is the critical link between frontline needs and scalable defense solutions, ensuring that every innovation is built to perform, proven in the field, and positioned to deliver strategic and tactical advantage.

CMI2 is committed to building and sustaining a dynamic civil-military innovation workforce in close partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and public safety communities. Our efforts align real-world operational challenges with agile, field-ready solutions that enhance national defense capabilities across domains.

We engage a broad and diverse network of public and private sector innovators, including research institutions, mission-focused startups, established technology firms, and nonprofit organizations. By integrating expertise from Carnegie Classified R1 and R2 universities, community and technical colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other forward-thinking organizations, CMI2 fosters a culture of inclusive innovation designed to meet the urgent and complex needs of the warfighter.

Through this model, we drive the transition of innovative ideas into deployable capabilities that support readiness, tactical innovation, and lethality at scale.

Innovation in the Dirt is a registered trademark of the Civil-Military Innovation Institute.