FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – A team of Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division won the innovation competition at the U.S. Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition.
The competition, held Feb. 17-19 at the Huntsville Test Range in Huntsville, Alabama, included Soldiers from active component, National Guard and Army Reserve units. It had three categories: Best Operator, Best Tactical Squad and Best Innovation.
The 28th Infantry Division innovation team, consisting of 1st Lt. Ryan Giallonardo, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Reed, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathan Shea and Sgt. 1st Class Brent Wehr, won the innovation competition.
The team’s project, dubbed Project R.E.D. (Recovery Exploitation Drone), used a drone equipped with AI-enabled object-recognition software to identify downed enemy or friendly drones and a robotic, 3D-printed, carbon fiber arm with a claw to grab the downed drone and fly it back for intel exploitation or repair.
“This is a great achievement for the team and the UAS facility as well as the Pennsylvania National Guard as a whole,” said Reed, the 28th Infantry Division team captain. “Competing against the entire Army, putting in the work and coming out on top really speaks volumes to what the team has been doing and the hard work they’ve been putting in, and it highlights the Pennsylvania National Guard and what we’re able to accomplish.”
The innovation competition consisted of a Shark Tank-style pitch on the first day, followed by a live demonstration on the second day.
“The judges were very impressed with everything we went through,” Reed said. “We got a lot of positive feedback and a lot of opportunity to continue working further with the Army Research Laboratory. They were highly impressed with what we were able to put together.”
Reed, who is the Unmanned Aircraft System, or UAS, Training and Innovation Facility commander at Fort Indiantown Gap, said he viewed some of the other teams’ projects in the innovation category, and the competition was stiff.
“They did a lot of great work and put a lot of other great projects out there, so it was great for the UAS community in the Army as a whole to be able to come together and collaborate ideas,” Reed said. “It was a great honor for our team and for the state to be recognized as the top project amongst all the other great competitors in the event.”
In addition to the innovation team, Capt. Christopher Rongione competed in the operator category, and a team of Wehr and Sgt. Tyler Beck competed in the tactical squad category.
The tactical squad category, also known as the hunter-killer competition, began with a physical challenge that included weighted medical litter drags, overhead water-can presses and sandbag carries. Then they moved 1,000 meters with their gear to the target area where they employed their "hunter" drone to identify targets, send an enemy activity report, known as a SALUTE report, and then engage with the "killer" drone.
“In both categories, our team put in a lot of hard work and had a great showing, but unfortunately didn’t come out on top,” Reed said.
The 28th Infantry Division was the only Army National Guard unit to compete in all three events.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll attended the Feb. 19 awards ceremony and presented the winners with plaques.
In addition to a plaque, the 28th Infantry Division team also received an Army Research Lab drone prototype and a one-year research and development agreement, allowing the 28th Infantry Division to assist the Army Research Lab with design improvements.
“We’re excited to continue to have incredible support from state and division level leadership,” Reed said. “They’ve been very helpful and very supportive of everything we’re doing, and it’s allowing us to highlight what we can do at our facility. And, I’m super proud of my entire team and everything they’re doing.”