MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- 
Nile Wynar, Pacific Northwest National Lab, takes notes on a whiteboard during a brainstorming session at J-HACK 25-1. Sixty-six Airmen, civilians, and contractors participated in J-HACK 25-1, hosted by the Kansas Air National Guard, 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, May 12 – 16, 2025. Attendees developed solutions for command and control; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and target kill-chain automation in support of the NEXUS Operation Order.
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Matt McCoy)
Sixty-six total force Airmen, civilians, and contractors collaborated in support of J-HACK 25-1, May 12-16, 2025. J-HACK 25-1, hosted by Distributed Ground Station-Kansas, is an Air Combat Command sponsored event designed to rapidly develop solutions for command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and targeting kill-chain optimization in support of the Commander, Air Combat Command’s, NEXUS Operations Order.
Participants tackled a diverse set of challenges ranging from improving data processing and analysis for tactical operators to developing a solution that identifies airborne ISR platforms, prioritizes taskings, and generates an 8-line.
J-HACK 25-1 demonstrated the power of Airmen-led innovation, showcasing how diverse teams can collaborate to address complex problems and enhance Air Force capabilities. That collaboration was key to the event’s success.
"The Hackathon… was great for building relationships with individuals outside of our organization,” stated Senior Airman Jonathan Beemer, team lead, 129th Intelligence Squadron. “Having a common goal assisted greatly with seeing how we could help one another grow."
Staff Sgt. Cameren Duncan, programmer, 129th Intelligence Squadron, echoed this sentiment, "The biggest takeaway I had from the event was how effective everyone from so many backgrounds and from so many different places were able to work together and solve problems in a week.”
The teams addressed a wide range of challenges, each with the potential to significantly impact Air Force operations and support the joint force.
One team worked toward creating a solution to streamline the ISR collection management process.
"Our solution will massively improve the speed and efficiency at which the [units] can make collection requests to get relevant intel fast," explained Staff Sgt. Tanner Janovsky, programmer, 129th Intelligence Squadron.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Adam Hanson, left, 129th Intelligence Squadron, takes notes on a whiteboard during a brainstorming session at J-HACK 25-1. Sixty-six Airmen, civilians, and contractors participated in J-HACK 25-1, hosted by the Kansas Air National Guard, 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, May 12 – 16, 2025. Attendees developed solutions for command and control; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and target kill-chain automation in support of the NEXUS Operation Order.
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Matt McCoy)
The decision to host J-HACK 25-1 underscores the value that ACC and the broader Air Force community placed on the success of the first iteration of the Hackathon, J-HACK 24-1. To build on that success, this iteration featured a wider range of challenges and a larger, more diverse group of participants, to include Airmen from all U.S. Air Force components as well as industry partners.
A significant operational benefit from the previous J-HACK 24-1, according to Keith Gicker, ACC/A29I Deputy Chief, Data Integrations Branch, and event facilitator, was a solution that improved the efficiency and accuracy of object identification for analysts.
The impact of this Airmen-derived solution from J-HACK 24-1 is still used today.
“This [solution] was rolled directly into the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing follow-on effort to develop the silver layer of their Data as a Service (DaaS) project in conjunction with DGS-KS personnel,” Gicker added.
While the teams faced challenges throughout the week, including technical difficulties and data access limitations, they remained focused and ultimately delivered innovative solutions with the potential to significantly enhance C2, ISR, and targeting kill-chain optimization.
J-HACK 25-1 is a testament to the power of Airmen-led innovation. By providing a platform for Airmen to collaborate, experiment, and develop new solutions, the Air Force is ensuring that it is ready to meet any challenges in the future.
As Gicker stated, J-Hack is about "bringing Airmen together to solve Airmen problems," and DGS-KS is at the forefront of doing just that.
Sixty-six Airmen, civilians, and contractors participated in J-HACK 25-1, hosted by the Kansas Air National Guard, 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, May 12 – 16, 2025. Attendees developed solutions for command and control; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and target kill-chain automation in support of the NEXUS Operation Order.
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Matt McCoy)