by Dr John Colombi, AFIT/ENV

The Operational Technology Graduate Certificate is one of several certificates being offered by the Air Force Institute of Technology. Graduate certificates are associated with a focused area of knowledge, often require 3 to 4 graduate courses, and optionally have a capstone project. The OpTech program has been ongoing since 2002, where it was created by Gen Lester Lyles’ Commanders Action Group. In response to concerns about the development of junior science and engineering (S&E) personnel, the program is designed to provide scientists, engineers, and program managers with valuable education and experience in the development and fielding of new technologies and solutions. Past projects have focused on Special Operations, airborne sensor deployment for counter-IED, and most recently, a combat triage application. The current program brings together the Air Force Research Laboratory's Center for Rapid Product Development, AFRL activity in Core Process III (near-term technological solutions), and the Air Force Institute of Technology to teach the course material and administer the award of graduate certificates.

Technological advances, diverse threats, changing operating environments, and force reductions require that the Air Force Material Command transform its practices to ensure S&E personnel are trained, broadened, and retained to maximize their technical and technical leadership contributions to the Air Force and DoD. The program concept centers around highly focused courses, field trips, seminars, and hands-on development to immerse the S&E personnel in a specific operational field. This concept should maximize their understanding and appreciation of the operational environment, combined with a greater understanding of how they can take technology and apply it to the warfighting challenges. This is the winning combination that OpTech strives to achieve.

Air Force Material Command recently announced it was providing 12 competitive scholarships for the OpTech Graduate Certificate 2008-2009 program. Nominations for these 12 scholarships are being collected through 29 August 2008 for junior Wright-Patterson AFB military and civilians. Further information on the OpTech certificate program, the Student Application, and the AFIT Application for Graduate Admission can be found at http://www.afit.edu/crpd/Academics.cfm or by emailing afrl.afit.optech@wpafb.af.mil