The 1st Special Operations Wing Contracting Squadron at Hurlburt Field has selected the HSU Family Educational Foundation for a five-year Other Transaction Award agreement aimed at rapidly designing, developing, testing and integrating capabilities that enhance the wing’s operational readiness.
- The stand-alone, bilateral agreement provides a framework for the 1st SOW to address emerging mission demands through innovative solutions, according to a release from the wing’s public affairs office.
To activate the agreement, the contracting squadron recently awarded the CATALYST Task Order, valued at $183,600. The task order funds a multi-week annual training program designed to equip participants with advanced skills in emerging technologies, programming and data analytics.
As part of the curriculum, students complete a rapid software development sprint to build, test and demonstrate prototypes using tools such as Python and Palantir Foundry to solve real-world operational challenges within the Air Force Special Operations Command enterprise.
“True innovation doesn’t live inside a bureaucracy; it thrives where community grit, raw talent, and tactical mission meet,” said Maj. Kavon Lackey, 1 SOW Spark Cell Lead. “For years, HSU has been the heartbeat of Northwest Florida’s STEM community, and this partnership breaks down the traditional walls separating our Airmen from the toolsets they require to innovate on demand. By giving our team a creative sandbox right outside our gates, we’re empowering them to take bold, wild ideas and forge them into immediate tactical realities.”
The HSU Educational Foundation is a Fort Walton Beach-based nonprofit founded by Dr. Paul Hsu, an immigrant tech entrepreneur who came to the United States from Taiwan in 1976. The foundation’s stated mission is to promote excellence in teaching and encourage innovation, with programs spanning STEM outreach, cybersecurity education, drone technology and scholarships aimed at preparing local students for careers of global demand.
The wing says the efforts are essential to strengthening its ability to operate in contested environments, support large-scale combat operations and deliver adaptive solutions to the joint force.
“Through public-private partnerships, the HSU Foundation’s performance record has brought forward hundreds of innovative program solutions, established much-needed training and prototype projects, as well as testing and demonstrating technologies to advance national security interests,” said Col. Mark Hamilton, Commander of the 1st SOW. “With this award, the HSU Foundation will garner industry, academic, and community partner input, force-multiply on shared investment to bring STEM-forward advancement and cultivate a spirit of ingenuity.”
