The JRD is unique in that its members provide on-demand support to various organizations within OUSD R&E through a flexible pool of human capital with technical expertise located across the United States. The JRD currently is comprised of 10 members, nine of which are Air Force reservists. Air Force Maj. Matthew Borowski recently joined the JRD six months ago, was drawn to the JRD based on personal experience as an entrepreneur and engineer when he co-founded a robotic fish tackle product. “The JRD is uniquely positioned to unlock real momentum—by translating emerging tech into defense capabilities faster and smarter,” said Borowski. “As serving as both an engineer and entrepreneur, I’m driven by the opportunity to help the Department move from prototypes to programs with the speed and precision our future demands.”

Momentum is happening across the JRD. This past year the JRD evaluated emerging technologies for technology platforms and developed a report with recommendations for a graduate entrepreneurship pilot program. As new priorities have emerged, the JRD will pivot to evaluating requirements for future technologies that will enhance warfighter lethality, and the graduate entrepreneurship pilot program will continue to incentivize graduate research students to pursue technical fields that are critical to national security, but also will align with the administration’s commitment to efficiency and retain our top talent. The support of these programs from JRD is advancing due to the range across core competencies within the JRD’s military and operational experiences. The lone Marine reservist within the JRD, Lt. Col. Ken Hampshire who joined this year has leveraged his experience in the Marine Corps to support the JRD.
"Working within the JRD is a natural fit, as our operating model is very similar to that of my parent unit, the Marine Innovation Unit (MIU) - leveraging civilian expertise to bring different perspectives and ideas to the defense problem set,” said Hampshire. "Aligning JRD to Secretary Hegseth’s and research and engineering priorities requires input from across the entire joint force, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to help expand our scope and bring a U.S. Marine Corps perspective." Collaborations such as these across the department will ensure we can achieve peace through strength and as Secretary Hegseth has outlined reestablishing deterrence is a key to achieving peace. As the JRD pivots to support various initiatives, the unit will benefit from the expertise and experiences from its agile team.

“I’ve found that my technical background in space and systems engineering has been a great benefit during my time at OUSD R&E,” said Air Force Maj. Daniel Fulcoly who joined the JRD in 2022. I was able to tap into my Air Force Research lab and National Reconnaissance Office experience to support projects for the Principal Director of Space Technology, and my systems engineering background when supporting the Digital Mission Architecture team.” As the department is laser focused on returning the DoD to its warfighting mission, the JRD team is critical to supporting an enduring platform of technical expertise to positively impact global security. “As a military officer and technologist, I see firsthand how the JRD bridges the operational urgency of warfighting with the speed and creativity of the commercial tech world,” said Borowski. “In a time of intensifying global competition, we’re not just reacting we’re actively helping to shape how the Department innovates, invests and adapts to meet the mission.”

JRD is committed to long-term growth and will continue to seek out officers interested in science and technology. Reserve officers between pay grades O-3 through O-5, with technical, acquisition and business backgrounds are the primary target areas to join JRD. For more information about joining JRD please visit: https://rt.cto.mil/jrd/