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Chapter 158 of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association hosted the 2016 Ramstein Technology Exposition July 19 and 20 at the Ramstein Officers’ Club.
More than 60 companies showcased their technology at the exhibit, which included computers, information technology, communications systems and photography drones.
“We do this event twice a year,” said Capt. Frank Jamerson, 603rd Air Communications Squadron command and control systems flight commander. “We do a winter event, which is typically in the February time frame, and we also always do a summer event, which is in July.”
Jamerson serves as the AFCEA events committee chairman and was in charge of coordinating the summer exposition.
Besides the exhibits, technology-related seminars were also conducted. Representatives from different companies discussed topics with military members that could help them in their career.
“We also did two days of tech talks, where the same industry partners that are displaying their latest technology also bring their skilled engineers and teach our Team Ramstein members on topics of new and emerging technology,” Jamerson said. “They also afforded them continuing education credits for their cyber certifications that they have.
“We have had some interactive workshops as well, where members get to actually use some of these tools that the industries are showing off,” Jamerson continued.
AFCEA is a nonprofit international organization that seeks to develop networks between people involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by creating a medium for the ethical exchange of information.
AFCEA also seeks to connect the U.S. government and industrial corporations in a way similar to a liaison, said Col. Robin Gibson, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa deputy director of communications.
“We try to put the industry partners who have technical solutions and products together with the government and military organizations that have (those) requirements,” said Gibson, who also serves as the president of the KMC chapter of AFCEA. “So, we start those relationships with those folks so they can understand we can bring them together.
“We try and build those partnerships with those global partners AFCEA has corporately … and reach out across the rest of the AFCEA chapters in Europe to see what we could do to share information with them so we could build those other relationships to deliver that capability that we need to accomplish our mission,” Gibson continued.
Although organizing the expo and coordinating with more than 60 companies was challenging, Jamerson said the hard work of his team and the partnership with other organizations, which helped with the event, paid off.
“When you have a great team behind you, it’s not so bad,” Jamerson said. “I feel great about the role we played, leading the organization and coordination for this event. It was phenomenal being a part of it.”
With the conclusion of the exhibition and the tech talks, the people of the KMC AFCEA are confident that members of the KMC left with more knowledge and power to accomplish their missions.
