An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Oct. 28, 2019

Mercer University students help JSTARS innovate scheduling

By Tech. Sgt. Nancy Goldberger 116th Air Control Wing

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Team JSTARS, operators of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, are teaming up with Mercer University’s computer science department in Macon to advance an antiquated software system.

The goal is to make the multiple databases the unit uses for scheduling missions and flying operations seamless, and to aggregate 15 years of scheduling data to analyze for improvements, according to Lt. Col. Vanessa Cox, the chief of scheduling with the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Operations Support Squadron.

“When we can schedule more effectively, we train more effectively,” Cox said. “We need long-term data in one coherent place to do that.”

During the process, Cox made several trips to the university to meet with upper-level students and explained how the JSTARS scheduling section works. The computer science class also toured JSTARS.

“All of our needs are based on how we operate, and it’s difficult to explain it to people outside the organization,” Cox said. “It’s a whole different world.”

The process allowed military members to present their mission, translating military jargon to civilian terms, and enhance interagency cooperation. This skill is key to domestic and international operations for Team JSTARS as they provide joint airborne command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability to combatant commanders worldwide.

By the end of the semester, Cox expects to see demonstration products, which the unit can take to a contractor to build a fully operational version in line with cybersecurity and other federal requirements.

The students, in turn, will use this as their capstone project and provide the community with better-prepared technologists.

“It’s very beneficial for my students to see a real-world problem they can help with” said Bob Allen, the chair of Mercer’s computer science department.

Allen ran a trial course in the spring to explore software support for Robins Air Force Base, working with Lt. Col. Jay Vizcarra, the Robins Spark Innovation chief with the 461st Air Control Wing. It was popular enough to prompt Allen to create a formal course for the fall.

Cox recognized the potential of the partnership based on her computer science background, so when the call went out for projects, she jumped on the chance.

As more opportunities to innovate and collaborate with the community come to light, it will take subject matter experts to identify opportunities for improvement.

“We need Airmen in their shops who know their processes to get up and say, ‘This isn’t working’ or ‘This could be better,’” said Cox. “We need an appetite for innovation, for change.”

 

 

Related Articles
A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the New York National Guard's A Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, prepares to lift an M-117 howitzer belonging to the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery during a training exercise at Fort Drum, New York on June 8, 2025. The 258th Field Artillery's C Battery will be part of a 246-Soldier New York Army National Guard contingent serving as the Opposing Force, or OPFOR, at the National Training Center from July 25 to August 3.
NY Army Guard Serves as Opposing Force at Training Center
By Eric Durr, | July 15, 2025
LATHAM, N.Y.  –  Two hundred forty-six New York Army National Guard Soldiers will go to Fort Irwin, California, the home of the Army’s National Training Center in the Mojave Desert, starting July 15.The Soldiers will serve...

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines III, SEA to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the Adjutant General of Maryland and Command Sgt. Maj. David C. Harry, senior enlisted leader of the Maryland Army National Guard, pose for a photo with competitors in the Army National Guard’s 2025 Best Warrior Competition on July 12, 2025, at Under Armour Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition, hosted by the Maryland National Guard, is an annual event that unites Soldiers and Noncommissioned Officers from seven regions across the United States. Competitors face a demanding series of physical and mental challenges designed to test their military expertise, resilience, and dedication to the Warrior Ethos for the opportunity to advance to Best Squad Competition.
Army Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition Begins
By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Ames, | July 15, 2025
BALTIMORE — The Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition officially kicked off this week in Maryland, bringing together 14 elite Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from seven regions across the United...

An Oregon Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 641st Aviation Regiment, conducts a search and rescue mission on July 13, 2025, in the caldera at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The same Black Hawk later in the day conducted a second rescue mission at Lake Harriett, Southeast of Crater Lake, when three hikers were injured from a falling tree limb.
Oregon Guard Responds to Multiple Search and Rescue Missions
By John Hughel, | July 15, 2025
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Army National Guard’s 641st Aviation Regiment worked with several agency partners to respond to multiple search and rescue operations in one day across the state during its scheduled Inactive Duty...