BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE. La. -- What happens when one of the nation’s most prolific inventors connects with the most enduring bomber in history? Seeds of innovation are planted.
Dean Kamen, the inventor behind more than 1,000 devices, from stair-climbing wheelchairs to the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, immersed himself in 307th Bomb Wing culture during a visit to Barksdale Air Force Base Aug. 27–28.
The visit was the latest in several he has taken at Air Force bases to spark collaboration between For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, known as FIRST, his nonprofit that promotes STEM education, and the Department of Defense.
“The Air Force Reserve’s dual connections between the military and the technical business community make it a great way to connect and accelerate FIRST into being available to every child in the Air Force,” Kamen said.
Kamen spoke with wing leadership, STARBASE Louisiana students, and innovators within the 307th Bomb Wing about his belief in the crucial connections between developing FIRST and the future of the nation’s defense.
“It’s a win-win because while the whole country needs more technically competent and technically passionate young people coming into the workforce,” Kamen said. “The military has a critical need for smart kids who are technically savvy, because the future of our nation is going to be heavily dependent on the use of advanced technologies.”
While Kamen’s emphasis was promoting FIRST, he also spent time learning about existing STEM-education efforts at Barksdale, including his first trip to STARBASE Louisiana, which the 307th Bomb Wing sponsors.
There, Kamen met with students and faculty, including Richard Scott, the STARBASE Louisiana director, whom he described as a “force of nature.”
Scott has been the driving force behind multiple STEM initiatives in the region while simultaneously guiding a program that has reached more than 40,000 students since 1999.
“It was an honor to have Dean Kamen visit STARBASE Louisiana,” said Scott. “His passion for creating the next generation of inventors is transforming the workforce.
Kamen also spoke with unit innovators, including Master Sgt. John Slaughter, an Air Force Spark Tank semifinalist for his Pylon Loader Adapter, and Lt. Col. Brandon Wolf, who earned Department of the Air Force accolades for his role in developing the Experiential Air Refueling Lightweight simulator (EARL), a virtual-reality, air-refueling trainer designed for B-52 student pilots.
Wolf served as Kamen’s guide during a B-52 Stratofortress mission.
“His (Kamen) investment in future generations is so important, and the way in which he does it really creates a spark that goes beyond simply learning about STEM,” said Wolf. “I hope the 307th Bomb Wing gets a chance to continue to work with Mr. Kamen.”
Kamen’s first ride in a B-52 came on the heels of flights in other platforms, including the U-2 Dragon Lady and the B-2 Spirit.
So what were his impressions of the long-serving bomber?
“I thought it would be about flying characteristics, but you really can’t think of it that way,” Kamen said. “It’s really a flying logistics center — a set of systems that makes it more like a military base that can put power anywhere it needs to be on the planet.”
The day after the sortie, Kamen sat at the airport, waiting for a Louisiana downpour to pass and reflecting on his time with the wing.
“(After the B-52 flight) we all talked more about the future and kids and FIRST, and the relationship with the Air Force, than we talked about the 60-year-old airplane we had just gotten out of,” Kamen said. “So I’m excited that this might be the next step in creating an even stronger relationship with the Air Force.”
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)