Data analysis employed by NFL could soon boost life of the warfighter

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO (AFRL) — The physical and mental toll on today's warfighters is undeniable. High rates of injury, coupled with the persistent challenges of maintaining peak performance and addressing mental health concerns, demand innovative solutions. Now, a collaboration between ManTech and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is aiming to revolutionize warfighter readiness by adapting cutting-edge data analytics originally developed for the NFL.

“I was watching the Detroit Lions lose miserably, and one of those commercials that came up quite a bit about NFL Next Gen Stats came on, and I started looking into that a little bit more, “said Dr. Brian Dillard, the executive technical director for Air Force and Space Force at ManTech. “They have a separate piece for player health and safety. The NFL invests millions of dollars into its players just like the DoD (Department of Defense) invests millions into its U.S. warfighters.

“The idea was, could we take advantage of those data models AWS has for the digital athlete and create the digital warrior.”

Dr. Dillard, a disabled Air Force veteran, submitted the technology through Tech Connect, a division of the Air Force Research Lab which connects ideas to subject matter experts. The idea is a combination of model-based systems engineering and Artificial Intelligence.

“The expectation was to introduce the concept of a single analytical repository to collect data from the multitude of organizations studying human performance,” Dr. Dillard said. “There are so many groups studying warfighter performance. Having all of that data in one repository could prove to be extremely valuable to overall individual success, team success and mission success.”

All warfighters can experience the probability of physical and mental injury, which could impact the lethality of force. Applying the same principles AWS uses for NFL players would allow the DoD to build an individual model profile for each warfighter from Day 1. Profiles can be monitored for activities that lead to injury, and the data collected will provide commanders a quantitative measure of warfighter readiness.

Essentially, the data can be used in training, recovery and determining what impacts have a propensity toward suicide. If these benefits come to fruition, the idea could bring down medical and labor costs for the DoD. Additionally, each warfighter would benefit from a greater understanding of their capabilities.

The idea is to gather the data from individuals into a database through the AWS algorithms. From there, a dashboard would be made available to commanding officers to measure the fitness of the personnel they have available.

It’s a technology that has the attention of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps. ManTech is already working with the Marines to build a human performance lab in Virginia. Facilitated by ManTech, the lab will be qualified to work with AWS in collecting and categorizing the data for analysis in constructing a whole person metaphysical profile.

“If it’s something we wanted to move forward with, we would probably try to leverage the work the Marine Corps has done with them,” said Nehal Desai, an innovations program manager for the Air Force Medical Command. “It’s on our radar, and it’s potentially something we’ll get involved with down the road.

“Basically, what grabbed my attention is they are leveraging NFL data”

One issue to consider with the development of this idea would be data storage. Creating digital warrior profiles for every warfighter would surely eat up a lot of space.

“It is going to be a challenge, especially as far as the amount of sensor data that we would have to collect in order to be able to do this,” Dr. Dillard said. “But I don't think it's something we can't overcome with storage being as cheap it is right now. At the end of the day, data is data, and it can be consumed. Once it's consumed, it can be disposed of or archived on a lesser cost type of platform.”

AWS has partnered with ManTech in the past, and its initiative with NFL Player Health and Safety kicked off in 2019. In talks with AWS, Dr. Dillard said it has reduced player injuries by 20 percent. He’s hopeful for the same kind of outcome for the DoD.

“As a 100-percent disabled Air Force vet, I do not see any greater service than to give back to the warfighter,” he said. “In this particular instance, we are making investments in the area of human performance. The benefit is in the partnership with the Air Force and Space Force to ensure those who serve go in and come out of the service both physically and mentally as wholistic as possible.

“This means reduced injury, improved physical and mental health, and, ultimately, a reduction in veteran suicides.”

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.

About Air Force and Space Force Tech Connect

The Air Force and Space Force Tech Connect website provides access to current, open opportunities, meet-up events, other Department of the Air Force science and technology enterprise connectors and a way for anyone to share an idea. The Tech Connect team, comprised of AFRL personnel, connects quality, relevant ideas/technologies with Department of the Air Force subject matter experts. The team will review ideas/inquiries, provide feedback on innovative ideas and establish a dialogue with potentially interested Air Force and Space Force programs. For more information, visit: https://airforcetechconnect.org/.