Tunnel 9 director addresses hypersonic workforce development

  • Published
  • By Deidre Ortiz
  • AEDC/PA
Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. --  Dan Marren, director of the AEDC White Oak site home of Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9, spoke to fellow AEDC teammates in a technical seminar July 21 at Arnold Air Force Base regarding the revitalization of the workforce at his test site.

“Several things came together over about a decade of time to have us end up where we are now,” Marren said of the current workforce at White Oak/Tunnel 9.

He explained that in 2003, the National Aerospace Commission had foreseen the skills of the aerospace Research Development Test and Evaluation workforce rapidly decreasing.

“Then in 2010 the Test Resource Management Center went a step further and outlined how the niche area of hypersonic technology was in even worse shape while at the same time would be needed in the next decade to help programs get through the DoD acquisition process. This collided with the 2006 Tunnel 9 strategic plan that essentially told management that Tunnel 9, the facility partially responsible for fielding strategic systems and missile defense, would be obsolete within roughly five years.”

This news resulted in charting a new course for Tunnel 9 with strategic components of technical excellence, capability improvement and building better relationships.

“We sought out not only to better know our customers but the S&T (science and technology) innovators that could help us re-invent Tunnel 9,” Marren said.

He added that the results from this approach surprised even him.
“While we were reaching into the S&T world, and figuring out hard problems, we found that our technical staff grew in ways we still cannot hardly believe. Many of the existing team became subject matter experts and are now leading the community in theories, analysis and test. An additional benefit was we excited a whole new generation of young students who are now taking jobs at Tunnel 9, at AEDC and in the enterprise.”

Marren made his presentation to a crowded room, and he thanked those who were in attendance.

“There’s nothing like travelling 700 miles and feeling like people might like to hear what you have to say. I was equally excited to see both civilian leadership and many folks from our new contractor leadership present at the seminar.”

Cynthia Rivera, general manager of National Aerospace Solutions, LLC, contractor of the AEDC Test Operations and Sustainment branch, took the opportunity to sit in on Marren’s talk about the evolution of Tunnel 9.

“We appreciate that Dan took the time to give the presentation,” she said. “He and the Tunnel 9 team have done a tremendous job establishing external support and university relationships that have benefited the AEDC mission. We will continue to learn from their model seeking new ways to prepare for future testing requirements, plus leverage Tunnel 9 talent and expertise at our other sites.”

-AEDC-