Naval Postgraduate School

09/03/2026

A commander can know exactly what the force needs and still not be able to get it fast enough. That is where expeditionary contracting comes in.

During SPEAR 27.1, held Aug. 17-21 at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Marines, Airmen and Soldiers worked through realistic contracting scenarios designed to prepare them to support forces in deployed and expeditionary environments.

SPEAR, short for Strategic Procurement for Excellent Acquisition Readiness, is a hands-on contracting exercise focused on building contracting professionals who can turn operational requirements into acquisition strategies, and deliver the supplies and services needed to support military operations.

“The biggest takeaway is that expeditionary contracting is an operational capability that can directly enable a commander’s ability to accomplish the mission,” said Marine Corps Capt. Gangmung Jung, operations officer and contracting officer with 1st Marine Logistics Group’s (1MLG) Expeditionary Contracting Platoon.

SPEAR 27.1 is the second time NPS has helped 1MLG advance expeditionary contracting through an onsite exercise this year, expanding the training audience to include contracting professionals from other services, including the Air Force and Army National Guard.

The work matters most when resources are limited, timelines are short and conditions change. Contracting can help commanders access commercial supplies, services and capabilities when organic resources are unavailable or needed elsewhere.

“The greatest benefit expeditionary contracting provides a supported commander is flexibility,” Jung said. “Ultimately, it expands the commander’s range of options and provides another means to adapt and sustain operations as conditions and requirements change.”

Bringing SPEAR to NPS also connected the operational contracting workforce with students in the Defense Contract Management curriculum. While SPEAR focused on tactical contracting ex*****on, NPS students study acquisition through a broader lens, including the acquisition life cycle and enterprise-level concepts.

For participants, SPEAR was about more than writing contracts. It was about learning how contracting supports commanders, sustains operations and delivers capability to the force when and where it is needed.

• Learn more about NPS programs in Defense Contract Management: https://www.nps.edu/web/dafm/academics

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | U.S. Pacific Command | I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) | 1st Marine Logistics Group

09/02/2026

How do you connect multiple simulations to create one realistic environment grounded in military operations?

Students in the Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) program are gaining the technical knowledge and hands-on experience to tackle that challenge.

“MOVES bridges technical knowledge with hands-on simulation experience,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Evelyn Berecz, an NPS MOVES student. “Beyond understanding concepts, we gain the technical depth to build, integrate, and troubleshoot complex systems.”

During an Aug. 17 demonstration for the MV4503 Advanced Simulation Interoperability course, students used Distributed Interactive Simulation, a standard protocol for platform wargaming, to connect multiple constructive and virtual simulations into a shared tactical environment. The demonstration incorporated immersive technologies such as augmented reality and fielded capabilities such as the Android Tactical Awareness Kit.

The MOVES senior student cohort represents multiple U.S. military services and international partners. By combining technical skills with operational experience across multiple domains, the students are putting classroom concepts into practice.

“We are able to combine our talents and experience to create technologically strong solutions that are grounded in current tactics and operational requirements,” Berecz said.

The work will continue this fall. In a follow-on course, students will expand the project by creating a similar shared simulation environment across the NPS campus using an experimental 5G network.

The lesson extends beyond connecting systems. It is about making those systems useful for the people who train, plan, and operate with them, and developing solutions with direct applications to military training and operations.

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps

09/01/2026

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Steven Nelson, a student in NPS’ Applied Design for Innovation program, was one of four Airmen recognized by USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach with the Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award.

“To have your name associated with one of the greatest heroes in Air Force history is one of the highest honors our service can give you,” Wilsbach said during an award ceremony early this Summer. “Each of you has made an impact on your units, your teammates, and the mission. Your actions strengthened readiness and helped generate combat power for our Air Force."

Nelson’s selection for the award recognized his service as flight chief and wing survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) superintendent for the 1st Special Operations Support Squadron (1SOSS). There, he guided the Air Force's largest operational SERE flight, directed global training and deployments, and his overhaul of SERE field training standards established a new Air Force-wide benchmark.

As he nears the halfway point in his NPS master’s program, Nelson hopes his thesis research will build upon the work he was recognized for.

“My research will be connected to the SERE career field, but not for SERE training standards,” he explained. “I wanted to focus on a bigger impact that would positively affect not just SERE, but warfighters writ large. Taking a broader approach, my work will focus on personnel recovery and how we could improve the warfighter's chance through a more proactive approach.”

Recognizing exceptional leadership in both service and conduct, the Sijan Award is named in honor of Capt. Lance P. Sijan, an Air Force fighter pilot who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism and resilience while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.

Receiving this award is “truly an honor, and I am grateful for the opportunity,” Nelson said, “but I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the 1SOSS and, specifically, all the Airmen in aircrew training who helped me get here, because without them, this wouldn’t be possible.”

• Learn more about the Sijan Award: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4501378/four-airmen-honored-with-lance-p-sijan-leadership-award/
• More about NPS’ Applied Design for Innovation program: https://nps.edu/web/da/programs-of-study

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | United States Air Force | Air Force Special Operations Command | Hurlburt Field

08/31/2026

Passive ocean acoustic neural networks and novel cyber security defensive operations are just the beginning!

Today on Federal News Network’s Federal Drive program, NPS Vice Provost for Warfare Studies and AI Task Force lead U.S. Navy Capt. Michael Owen discussed some of the school’s initial research efforts to capitalize on the recent installation of an NVIDIA DGX GB300 AI supercomputer.

⬇️ Check out the full interview to learn more! ⬇️

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | NVIDIA | Federal News Network

This is not the first time that a technology giant, if you will, has seen the need to partner… with the Naval Postgraduate school," said Capt.

08/28/2026

Last day to submit your proposals for JIFX 27-1!

Preparations are underway for the next Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) event … If you've been thinking about testing an emerging defense capability, now is the time to submit your experiment!

• Learn more about JIFX, check out recent events, and submit your proposal at: https://nps.edu/web/fx/home

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

08/27/2026

The U.S. Department of War set the imperative in its DOW AI Strategy — the military must be an AI-first warfighting force. U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Archie Bass is advancing this effort, exploring the potential for machine learning to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the intelligence targeting process, and his initial research is gaining attention and accolades.

Bass’ thesis is split into two parts. The first is an in-depth analysis of each step of the Joint Targeting Cycle, evaluating individual tasks against AI capabilities. His goal is to establish a sound analytical framework, grounded in doctrine, that optimizes human-machine teaming in targeting operations.

“In an era of ubiquitous technical surveillance, persistent collections, and hybrid threats, intelligence analysts cannot keep pace with the volume of reporting required to build and maintain target networks,” Bass explains, leaving analysts challenged to deliver “ruthlessly accurate assessments at the speed of relevance.”

“As we work to implement AI into our processes, leaders are being asked to make decisions on AI adoption without a deliberate process for risk assessment,” Bass continued. “My methodology provides a framework to break down a military workflow and identify the risks associated with AI adoption at each step.”

Bass presented his framework during last month’s European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security, one of seven NPS student projects shared at the conference. Bass’ work was recognized by his academic peers with the event’s top research poster award.

Up next, Bass begins the second phase of his research to operationalize the work. Through a cooperative research partnership between U.S. Special Operations Command and Incerta Intelligence, Bass will be utilizing the capabilities of NPS’ CORE Lab to deliver tools analysts can use.

“We are developing a platform that allows analysts to ingest large volumes of multi-int material and make sense of that information to better inform commanders' decision-making,” Bass said. “The goal is to work with U.S. government agencies ... to synchronize our efforts to solve this persistent problem by transitioning this to a program of record and getting a solution to the force.”

Bass’ recent selection of a Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC-PAC) Fellowship will provide him with additional mentorship and broader access to naval assets to further support this work.

• More about NPS’ Department of Defense Analysis: https://nps.edu/web/da

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) | Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) | Marine Forces Special Operations Command | U.S. Department of War

08/26/2026

This week, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) proudly hosted senior leaders across U.S. Pacific Command for a commander’s conference focused on aligning operational priorities and strengthening the partnerships necessary to rapidly develop and field capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.

“It was a privilege and honor to host industry and military leaders at NPS to reinforce our American advantage and build deterrence through strength and deep partnerships,” said NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau.

NPS’ role in developing operationally experienced military leaders and connecting real-world challenges with advanced education, applied research, innovation, and industry partnerships provided a productive environment for conference discussions, building on the school’s longstanding relationship with the operational forces and its role in developing leaders and advancing research in support of national security.

⬇️ Check out today’s release from U.S. Pacific Command for a full report.

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao | U.S. Pacific Fleet

Senior commanders from across U.S. Pacific Command convened at the Naval Postgraduate School Aug. 24-26 for a commander’s conference focused on aligning operational priorities and strengthening the partnerships needed to rapidly develop and field capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.

🔗 https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Articles/Article/4583916/us-pacific-command-commanders-convene-at-naval-postgraduate-school-to-accelerat/

08/25/2026

At NPS, a patented innovation is more than just an invention, it’s a solution to a warfighting challenge. But transitioning these inventions into capabilities that can be fielded by warfighters requires partners.

NPS’ Office of Research and Innovation is accelerating that transition through a series of reverse pitch events, where NPS inventors showcase their discoveries to potential industry partners, investors and technologists.

Up next, the Lab-to-Launch BlueTech Nexus — Sept. 22 at Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, 6:00 p.m. — will showcase several leading edge maritime and defense innovations by NPS inventors as well as our educational partners. And registration is still open!

A preview of some of the technologies to be featured …

➡ Water Submersion Detection Switch – A compact water-activated sensor that automatically triggers a connected device or system when personnel or equipment are partially or fully submerged. By enabling immediate response, this invention enhances safety, protects equipment, and supports maritime and autonomous-system operations.

➡ Spatial-Temporal Photogrammetry System – Unstable drone and aircraft video makes real-time measurements challenging. The Spatial Temporal Photogrammetry System uses direct, kinetic image motion compensation and geo-referencing to turn these aerial platforms into a data-gathering powerhouse with precision, repeatability, and lower costs.

• Learn about all the technologies to be pitched at BlueTech Nexus and register to attend: fleetwerx.org/opportunities-new/bluetech-nexus
• More about patents at NPS: nps.edu/web/research/patents

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | Stanford University | California State University, Monterey Bay | TechLink | Naval Postgraduate School Foundation & Alumni Association

08/24/2026

What happens when operational experience meets innovation?

At the Warfare Innovation Continuum (WIC) Workshop, operationally experienced NPS students work alongside faculty, government leaders, and industry experts to explore emerging concepts that could help shape the future naval force.

This year's "Naval Forge 20XX" theme examines the Navy's Hedge Strategy and challenges participants to think through how AI, autonomy, robotics, and modular force packages can generate combat advantage in an increasingly complex security environment.

WIC Workshop | Sept. 21-24 | In person or online

• Learn more and register for this year's WIC Workshop: https://event.nps.edu/conf/app/NWSI/home #!/page/830?c=81

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations | Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao

08/21/2026

The institution is deeply saddened to share the passing of Dr. James G. Roche, a naval officer, Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) alumnus, and one of the first inductees into the NPS Hall of Fame when it was formally established on Sept. 27, 2001.

“Throughout his life, Dr. Roche demonstrated a steadfast commitment to military excellence, innovation, and public service,” noted NPS President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau in a message to the campus. “His legacy endures through the countless service members, leaders, and institutions he influenced, and through the example he set as a scholar, officer, and statesman.”

A 1966 operations research graduate, Roche was appointed the 20th Secretary of the Air Force by President George W. Bush in January 2001, leading the service through one of its most consequential periods in modern history following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

During his naval career, Roche served as a surface warfare officer, leading combat search-and-rescue missions in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. His command of USS Buchanan (DDG-14), a guided-missile destroyer, from 1973 to 1974 led to the ship’s receipt of the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy as the Navy’s most improved combat unit in the Pacific.

Roche retired as a captain in 1983 following 23 years of naval service. He soon joined what is now Northrop Grumman, serving in several executive leadership roles before his appointment as Secretary of the Air Force in 2001.

In addition to his NPS degree, Roche earned a Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, as well as multiple honorary doctorates. He passed away from natural causes at his home in Annapolis, Md., on Aug. 4.

• More about Dr. James G. Roche: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/capitalgazette/name/james-roche-obituary?pid=212056494

U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps | United States Air Force