Last November, a U.S. Army unit preparing to go to the National Training Center discovered a problem with adversary electronic-warfare gear. Third Infantry Division’s Marne Innovation Team, led by Capt. Chris Flournoy and Staff Sgt. Michael Holloway, created a low-cost decoy emitter to counteract the issue. The emitter won first prize in the Dragon’s Lair IX innovation competition and will be implemented across the Defense Department.
Two runners-up in the competition offered separate improvements for moving injured troops. Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Ensinger and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Ensinger created a “practical replacement” for the Army’s rescue sled, while Chief Patrick McTavish thought of a way to standardize the way the Navy transports patients aboard ships. McTavish’s method “basically speeds up the process” of setting up the system and moving the injured patient.
Doug Beck, director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, served as a judge for the competition. Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of Fort Liberty and the 18th Airborne Corps, co-hosted the competition and expressed pride in the innovator teams.
