U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) held the largest international BRAVO 101 Hackathon from June 3-10, 2024, in which 258 data scientists, coders and developers from the Department of Defense (DoD) and tech industry gathered to develop solutions to warfighters’ most pressing challenges using data.
Challenges addressed at the event spanned from enhancing artificial intelligence in open-source intelligence reporting to improving logistical support for Allies and partners.
“This event not only showcased the innovative spirit and collaborative efforts of our participants but also marked a key step in moving to a data driven war fighting headquarters,” said USEUCOM’s Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Peter Andrysiak. “The prototype solutions developed are a testament to what we can achieve when we harness the collective expertise and creativity of individuals across service and agency enterprises to solve complex challenges rapidly and effectively.”
BRAVO Hackathons, sponsored by senior DoD leaders, aim to create technical and cultural innovation environments where government and industry can test and validate bold ideas using real DoD data. Participants, known as "hackers," develop prototypes within specific time constraints to initiate and validate innovative ideas.
Overall, the Hackathon produced 26 innovative prototype solutions for real-world DoD challenges, showcasing the power of collaborative, crowd-sourced efforts to solve problems swiftly and effectively.
“Experts from across DoD and industry believe that in a prolonged digital conflict, the countries that can learn and adapt faster than their opponents will have a higher chance of winning," said Dr. Jimmy “Rev” Jones, warfighting application team lead for the Secretary of the Air Force, and facilitator of the event.
BRAVO 101 is a process adapted from Big Tech that measures how quickly and successfully the DoD can use operational data and apply it to real-world scenarios, and track the time it takes to learn and adapt to new capabilities, tactics, strategies and training.
USEUCOM hosted a smaller proof of concept event earlier this year that led to this event’s 126 ‘hackers’ finding ways to better organize and operationalize administrative and warfighting data.
Both USEUCOM BRAVO Hackathons were made possible by the DoD’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office and the U.S. Air Force's Office of the Chief Information Officer.
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. USEUCOM is comprised of more than 65,000 permanent military personnel supported by rotational forces and DoD civilians working closely with NATO Allies and partners. For more information about USEUCOM, visit www.eucom.mil.