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COVID-19 Telework Operations Create New Opportunities for 412 TW Teams

  • Published
  • By Christopher Valentino
  • 412th Test Wing
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

Although the day-to-day work of avionics and flight test engineers looks dramatically different due to the advent of telework operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, a few groups within the 412th Test Wing are taking full advantage of these unique times to accelerate their development of Python analysis tool capabilities using industry standard tools.

The 412 TW continues to adapt and overcome during this new telework environment and has created new opportunities during this COVID-19 pandemic. “While some folks were challenged to adjust to a telework environment due to COVID-19, our weapons team seized the opportunity, using GitLab to ensure we come back stronger than ever,” said Dan Stevenson, director, 775th Test Squadron.

GitLab is a collaborative software planning and development environment that supports the complete development and operations life cycle of source code.

Less in-person meetings and a slower flight execution schedule have allowed engineers from the 775th ENVWX Weapons Integration Flight, members of the Foundational Data Analysis Tool (FDAT), and Tactical Reconfigurable Universal Data Analysis Tool (TRUDAT) teams to spend more time on building software development environments to support weapons analysis across base, and to support multi-platform multi-service analysis for large force exercises (LFE) such as Orange Flag.   

Leveraging a capability set in place by the 812th Test Support Squadron, these three groups, who’ve worked closely together, have been able to create and setup GitLab software repositories to support their vision and goals.  

Working in a GitLab environment has enabled each group to take an abstract vision of where their development efforts needed to go and put it into action while also bringing their development efforts in line with industry best practices.

In previous years the weapons flight has labored to maintain configuration control and compatibility of source code across squadrons, which resulted in solving the same problem multiple times over.

Consolidating their development efforts into a single repository and using the industry standard version control system, Git, will enable them to develop more robust and extensible analysis tool capabilities while reducing unnecessary parallel development efforts.

The FDAT and TRUDAT team is made up of engineers from all different avionics backgrounds with the goal of developing a “big-data” analysis tool app ecosystem, particularly for events like Orange Flag.

The team has been closely collaborating with the operational test community to develop a standing list of desired apps and features that would help answer important tactical questions from the rich data set the LFE events generate.

Similar to the weapons flight, teleworking has given the members of both these teams the opportunity to fast-track their development efforts, resulting in a couple key functional prototype apps ready to be tested with real data once normal operations resume.

Slide show

COVID-19 Telework Operations Create New Opportunities for 412 TW Teams

  • Published
  • By Christopher Valentino
  • 412th Test Wing
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

Although the day-to-day work of avionics and flight test engineers looks dramatically different due to the advent of telework operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, a few groups within the 412th Test Wing are taking full advantage of these unique times to accelerate their development of Python analysis tool capabilities using industry standard tools.

The 412 TW continues to adapt and overcome during this new telework environment and has created new opportunities during this COVID-19 pandemic. “While some folks were challenged to adjust to a telework environment due to COVID-19, our weapons team seized the opportunity, using GitLab to ensure we come back stronger than ever,” said Dan Stevenson, director, 775th Test Squadron.

GitLab is a collaborative software planning and development environment that supports the complete development and operations life cycle of source code.

Less in-person meetings and a slower flight execution schedule have allowed engineers from the 775th ENVWX Weapons Integration Flight, members of the Foundational Data Analysis Tool (FDAT), and Tactical Reconfigurable Universal Data Analysis Tool (TRUDAT) teams to spend more time on building software development environments to support weapons analysis across base, and to support multi-platform multi-service analysis for large force exercises (LFE) such as Orange Flag.   

Leveraging a capability set in place by the 812th Test Support Squadron, these three groups, who’ve worked closely together, have been able to create and setup GitLab software repositories to support their vision and goals.  

Working in a GitLab environment has enabled each group to take an abstract vision of where their development efforts needed to go and put it into action while also bringing their development efforts in line with industry best practices.

In previous years the weapons flight has labored to maintain configuration control and compatibility of source code across squadrons, which resulted in solving the same problem multiple times over.

Consolidating their development efforts into a single repository and using the industry standard version control system, Git, will enable them to develop more robust and extensible analysis tool capabilities while reducing unnecessary parallel development efforts.

The FDAT and TRUDAT team is made up of engineers from all different avionics backgrounds with the goal of developing a “big-data” analysis tool app ecosystem, particularly for events like Orange Flag.

The team has been closely collaborating with the operational test community to develop a standing list of desired apps and features that would help answer important tactical questions from the rich data set the LFE events generate.

Similar to the weapons flight, teleworking has given the members of both these teams the opportunity to fast-track their development efforts, resulting in a couple key functional prototype apps ready to be tested with real data once normal operations resume.

Edwards provides care, opportunities for children aged six weeks through high school graduation

Edwards provides care, opportunities for childrenaged six weeks through high school graduation

The Child and Youth Program at Edwards AFB provides care and opportunities for kids ages six weeks old through high school graduation. A brief summary of those services follows:

  •                    The Child Development Center cares for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, with a DOD-wide curriculum. The curriculum is focused on learning through play activities supporting social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. Installations across DOD follow the curriculum on the same timeline to allow seamless permanent change-of-station transitions for youth enrolled in care.
  •                    The School Age Center provides before and after-school care and summer camp for children ages 5 to 12. During school breaks, full-day camps are offered. SAC promotes cognitive, social, emotional, cultural, language and physical development through programs that encourage self-confidence, curiosity, self-discipline and resiliency.
  •                    The open recreation program at the Main Youth Center provides a safe space for ages 9 to 12 to attend after school. Programs include Power Hour, STEM, Torch Club, social recreation, youth camps, special events and more.
  •                    The youth sports program provides intro and league opportunities for ages 3 to 12, and promotes inclusiveness, self-discipline, commitment, resiliency and social skills. There are four sports offered annually for ages five to 12: baseball/softball, soccer, flag football and basketball. Smart start programs are available to ages 3 to 5. There are many other sports and camps offered throughout the year.
  •                    The Teen Center is available for ages 13 to 18 during the school year. Programs offered include Military Youth of the Year, Keystone Club, social recreation, STEM activities, college trips, leadership camps and more.
  •                    Youth programs (SAC, open rec and teen) are affiliated with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H.
  •                    Family Child Care homes – there are currently three FCC homes on the installation. They can provide care for ages two weeks to 12 years. FCC providers are trained by Child and Youth Program training and curriculum specialists and have the flexibility to determine their hours of operation and the ages of youth within their care. The program’s new dedicated manager, Jennifer Stegmann, may be reached at 661-275-7529.

Although CDC enrollment capacity is 317, not all slots are currently filled because of a shortage of childcare workers. School Age Center enrollment capacity is 156. After-school care enrollment is 130. Before-school care enrollment is 75. Summer Camp 2022 was at its capacity and enrollment for Summer Camp 2023 opens April 3.