Why innovate? To explore the possibilities of tomorrow

  • Published
  • By 412th Test Wing Innovation Team
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  If I tell you about a road trip I'm planning, where I'm going, what I hope to see, and how I'm going to travel, you'll be left wondering why I'm going in the first place. Similarly, when you start talking to other people about innovation, especially other innovators, one of the first questions they'll ask is not what are you innovating, or how are you innovating, but why are you innovating. What is your purpose, the reason behind what you're trying to do? If you're not clear on why you're innovating, then you'll have trouble determining what to innovate and how to innovate. More importantly, you'll have trouble staying motivated when that great idea starts to look more and more like hard work, because the fact is, innovation requires us to give our best effort and work hard.

So here is our answer to "Why Innovate?"

Our freedom and the sovereignty of our nation is secured by men and women who put their lives on the line to defend us against those who seek our destruction. We believe they deserve the most advanced, reliable and effective war-winning capabilities delivered to the field in the shortest time. Our adversaries are determined and the threats are relentless. We must be agile and responsive in order to meet the needs of today's warfighter and exploit tomorrow's opportunities. We won't let red tape and bureaucracy defeat us. As Airmen we are partners with the warfighter and we innovate to remain at the forefront of test and evaluation. We innovate to invent new capabilities; we innovate to execute our mission efficiently; we innovate to apply knowledge to new frontiers, and we innovate to explore the possibilities of tomorrow because the greatest threat to the warfighter is Airmen who accept the status quo.

Does this cause resonate with you? Do you believe what we believe? Are you inspired to act? If so, we want to hear from you. We want to know if you identify as an innovator and we want to partner with you. Shoot us an email and tell us a little bit about yourself. What are you passionate about, what unique knowledge, skills, and abilities do you possess, what is your vision for the future of test and evaluation? Email: theodore.wuth@us.af.mil; or christopher.nagel.1@us.af.mil.