CLARKSVILLE, TN − When opportunities for real-world experience intersect with cutting-edge military innovation, unique learning experiences emerge.
This is precisely what students from Austin Peay State University’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are discovering through their collaboration with Fort Campbell’s EagleWerx Applied Tactical Innovation Center, a hub for solving military challenges with practical and innovative solutions.
Bridging Education and Innovation
Eaglewerx serves as a dynamic environment where the ingenuity of academia can meet the practical needs of military operations via the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory’s Pathfinder program, in collaboration with the Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2). The program’s partnership with Austin Peay allows students working as CMI2 interns at Eaglewerx a rare glimpse into the military’s problem-solving and tactical innovation processes, offering them a chance to apply their academic learnings in real-world scenarios.
“Our collaboration with Austin Peay allows us to bring fresh, innovative ideas into military projects,” said Scott Homer, a CMI2 Pathfinder Warfighter Innovation Chief (PWIC) at Fort Campbell. “Students work on actual soldier problem sets and develop solutions with tangible impacts.”
This collaboration is part of a broader initiative within the armed forces community to involve educational institutions in military innovation, ensuring that student input contributes significantly to solving tactical and logistical issues faced by soldiers.
“We face problems where we might not know or might only have an idea of the answer based on 20 years of military experience,” said Rob Leach, CMI2 PWIC. “But the 22-year-old engineering genius could pull out something he’s read online that solves it. We try to approach these problems with solutions based on our military background and then reach out to subject matter experts, get that diversity of thought, and try to find solutions to these problems.”
A Unique Internship Experience
The internships offered through this collaboration are far from the typical roles that many students encounter. Designed to be immersive and enriching, they provide students with the chance to roll up their sleeves and tackle genuine military challenges. From software development to advanced engineering projects, students are exposed to a variety of work that demands both creativity and technical expertise.
“Students learn industry practices, work on actual problems, and collaborate with stakeholders,” said Spc. Lance Lee. “They’re gaining skills that take value straight to industry. This isn’t just theory work—it’s application. Every project provides a new learning curve, and students quickly adapt to the demands of each.”
The CMI2 interns at Eaglewerx are tasked with developing solutions that not only meet current military needs but also anticipate future challenges. This proactive approach is central to the internship experience, ensuring that the work students do has lasting value.
“We focus on projects that allow students to use their engineering skills in practical ways, such as our wheeled litter project,” said Leach. “They start with a concept and develop it into something that could be used in the field.”