Crane Regional Defense Group hosts first Connect to Mission event

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane and its Tenant Commands are dedicated to meeting the needs of the warfighter in defense of our nation. Serving this mission has made NSA Crane and tenants a modern leader in diverse and technical products. One of the bases’ priorities is to provide opportunities for academia and defense industry peers to connect and hear from the base.

Crane Regional Defense Group (CRDG) hosted Connect to Mission in February at the WestGate Academy. The half-day event brought together nearly 200 current members from academic institutions and defense industry representing more than 100 businesses (small, large, and non-traditional) from 18 different states. This is planned to be an ongoing series to continuously highlight the different missions at NSA Crane and provide insight and understanding into the needs of their mission areas, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration.

The February event featured Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane), Crane Division’s Spectrum Warfare Systems Department, which houses the Department of Defense’s largest concentration of Electronic Warfare expertise, with more than one thousand civilian workers and 250 contractors. The department leads NSWC efforts in a wide variety of applied research, engineering, logistics, and maintenance support services for complex Electronic Warfare Systems and Infrared Countermeasures. 

The agenda included three interactive panel discussions, networking opportunities, and remarks from NSWC leadership. Division managers, chief strategists and engineers, contracting officers, and more covered topics from how to earn a contract, to how the divisions are assisting the warfighter today, and how attendees could position themselves to join their mission. 

CRDG’s second Connect to Mission will be held Tuesday, June 6, and feature NSWC Crane’s Global Deterrence and Defense Department, which leads NSWC efforts in a wide variety of applied research, engineering, logistics, and maintenance support services for complex 

Strategic System Programs, Microelectronic Technologies and the recently added Joint Hypersonic Transition Office.

When threats to our nation increase, so does the demand for Team Crane products and services. CRDG is poised to facilitate further collaboration between the base, academia and industry to meet the increased, modern-day needs of the warfighter. 

To learn more about the Crane Regional Defense Group or view upcoming events, visit their website at craneregionaldefensegroup.org.