May 29, 2026
The Army is testing a new approach to innovation and acquisition that places decision-makers closer to operational units and the soldiers who use emerging technologies in the field. At the center of that effort is the Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP), a pilot initiative embedded with the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg.
Colonel Tom Monaghan, Director of the JIOP, says the organization was created to solve what he calls the “last mile” challenge in military acquisition. While industry can deliver new equipment and technologies, the Army often needs a faster way to determine whether those solutions meet the real-world needs of soldiers and how those requirements should be refined.
The JIOP brings together acquisition professionals, operational commanders, industry partners, subject matter experts, and soldiers to address capability gaps identified by the corps. According to Monaghan, the goal is to improve lethality, survivability, and mobility by creating a direct feedback loop between warfighters, industry, and the Army’s procurement community.
The organization operates through three primary pathways. The first focuses on Technical Innovation Objectives (TIOs), which are capability gaps identified by the corps commander. Teams from across government, industry, and the military work together to develop solutions to those challenges.
The second pathway centers on soldier-derived solutions. Service members can submit ideas through a digital repository, where the JIOP reviews potential innovations that address existing problems or identify entirely new challenges. Monaghan says these grassroots ideas often provide valuable insight into operational needs.
The third pathway allows industry to present technologies directly to the JIOP. Rather than relying on lengthy procurement timelines and formal requirements documents, companies can submit concise descriptions of their capabilities through what Monaghan calls an “industry rapid technology nine-liner.” The simplified process encourages vendors to share ideas without investing significant resources in formal proposals.
The response from industry has been significant. Within the first week of launching the initiative’s submission process, the JIOP received approximately 400 proposals covering a wide range of technologies, from mold sensors and counter-drone capabilities to vehicles and rockets.
One example of the JIOP’s rapid approach involved a company that offered an anti-drone round. Instead of waiting months or years for a formal demonstration process, the organization arranged a live demonstration within about 30 days, allowing decision-makers to quickly evaluate the technology.
Monaghan also points to innovations developed by soldiers. One example is a modular drone case created by members of the 82nd Airborne Division. The case provides a practical way for soldiers to transport small drones from storage to the battlefield. The Army is now considering adding the solution to the standard equipment package associated with those systems.
A key feature of the JIOP is its acquisition authority. Monaghan has delegated authority from the Army Acquisition Executive to initiate funding of up to $50 million per effort on behalf of the 18th Airborne Corps. That authority enables the organization to rapidly prototype and evaluate technologies before transitioning successful efforts to larger Army acquisition programs.
The Army’s broader plan is to establish a JIOP at every corps headquarters. The 18th Airborne Corps serves as the test case, and Monaghan says early results have attracted attention from senior Army leaders. For him, success is measured by a simple question posed to soldiers: Is the equipment good enough, and if not, how can it be improved?