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By Matthew Clouse Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs
“It’s something that’s not on every package, so I definitely think being an AFWERX fellow contributed to me winning this award,” said Hospelhorn.
AFWERX fellowships are designed to cultivate a better understanding of current industry trends, broaden innovation perspectives and expose Airmen and Guardians to programs with Department of the Air Force-level impact. The fellowships include a professional development curriculum, allowing selectees to refine their project management capabilities and expand their skill sets.
At the encouragement of a former fellow, Hospelhorn applied and began his fellowship in November 2022. Since his educational background and expertise were in unmanned systems, he was tasked with developing the groundwork for the Air Force’s efforts in detecting and defeating drone swarms. A drone swarm refers to a group of drones operating together autonomously to accomplish a specific task. “Since a threat hasn't been demonstrated, senior leaders aren't necessarily as aware of it as they could be,” Hospelhorn stated. “So we worked to put together a demo of what a drone swarm would actually look like along with our abilities or possible inabilities to counter such a threat.”
The four-month fellowships are open to members of all ranks currently serving in the Air and Space Forces, Reserve, Guard, and to government civilians. Both full-time and part-time positions are available and are primarily virtual, making them easily accessible regardless of location. “The cool thing about AFWERX is, it’s rank agnostic. They see you as the person with the brain and not just the rank on your uniform,” Hospelhorn said. “You work in casual clothing and attend web meetings, so it's a unique side of the Air Force. There’s plenty of travel opportunities, you get to attend conferences, and it’s different than anything else you're going to do in the Air Force.”
Hospelhorn completed his fellowship in March and is now stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. He is currently working in nuclear security at the 841st Missile Security Forces Squadron.
“I'm not sure exactly what's next, but I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of difference I can make,” said Hospelhorn.
To learn more, contact fellowship directors Craig Buying and Jason Newborg at craig.buying@afwerx.af.mil and jason.newborg.fellow@afwerx.af.mil or visit afwerx.com/join-us/traditional-fellowship-program.
About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.