THE JSDE GROUP

INTRODUCTION:

        The Joint Service Data Exchange for Guidance, Navigation and Control (JSDE) has had a long, interesting and extremely successful history.  Its organization now over 30 years old is composed of U.S. Government and Industry representatives that encompasses the world-wide Guidance Navigation and Control Community.

Article from On Target on JSDE

        In 1968 and prior, Newark Air Force Base, home for the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center, hosted several Inertial Navigation System Data Exchange meetings for associate Air Force planning and support organizations, development and operational organizations throughout the Department of Defense, as well for applicable industry representatives.  As a result of the Centers responsibility for maintaining the majority of inertial navigation systems entering the defense inventory at that time the Centers engineers and technicians became known as experts in solving maintainability and reliability problems.  The accumulation of engineering and scientific data computerized products that would assist developers in design of new equipment and improving old became readily accessible and in great demand.

Photo from Pueblo Army Depot - 1970

 
        In late 1968 all of the above pointed to the need for a more organized and extensive approach to insure that the Centers accumulated experience and data was being distributed appropriately and to the right places.  It also considered that besides limiting the exchange to the Centers "lessons learned" it might become more productive for all by including a look at new inertial navigation developments and technology.
 
         In 1969 the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the Centers proposal for forming a JSDE for inertial systems to operate on a staff-to-staff basis.  The Center then immediately contacted the other services, Draper Labs, A.F. Wright Development Labs and Commercial Airline to form a JSDE planning board to organize and launch the new organization.  The first planning board meeting was held at AGMC in May and the first JSDE open forum conference was conducted on 23-24 October 1969 on campus at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.  This first meeting was well attended by a cross section of the various services as well as the defense industries inertial navigation community.

      The Centers Plans and Programs Director, Earl T. Bodem, who initiated and organized the JSDE served as its Board Chairman for the first 10 years.  There were 13 conferences held during the initial 10 year period; 5 of which were chaired and hosted by the Center.  The balance held at various locations throughout the country.  Those hosted by member organizations were generally furnished assistance by the Centers staff.  Much was accomplished during this early period to build the organization into the International Forum it is today.  Membership attendance increased by leaps and bounds; Crosstalk and many other special workshops were established.   The first Life Cycle Cost Model for Inertial Systems was introduced by a Center Engineer by the name of Russ Genet and the organizations financial operating fund maintained a positive balance.
 
       Then in 1978 a circulating system of annual alternating Board Chairmen was adopted and is being followed up to the present.  The subsequent years led to a host of annual as well as biennial forums and expanded the topics presented to include all applicable emerging navigational instrument and system technologies.  Some of these are Development of Potential Inertial Instrument Technologies (e.g. Resonant Gyros, Solid State Accelerometers) and Miniaturized/Micromachined Systems, as well as Development and Maintenance of Navigation Aids (e.g. Radar, GPS, Laser and Radar Altimeters).
 
       In 1988, JSDE was reorganized under articles of association with governing by-laws as an association with a title of Joint Services Data Exchange For Guidance, Navigation and Control and from that point referred to as the JSDE Group.  The stated purpose of the JSDE Group is:
      This association shall serve the U.S. Government, Principally the Department
      of Defense, by means of sponsoring, organizing and directing meetings of U.S
      Government and Industry personnel and others associated directly and indirect-
      ly with development, operation and maintenance of equipment in the fields of
      guidance, navigation and control.
 
        For 30 plus years the JSDE has played an extremely important role in the lives of many of the Centers employees.  Throughout the years various individuals have served on the JSDE Board or provided an input which contributed to the annual meetings success.  Then when we needed monetary support to get our new Web Site underway who stepped forward with a grant to get things moving?  Of course, the JSDE Group, our first associate corporate sponsor.

        If you are interested in more detail about this as well as future JSDE activities go back to HOME and click on the ICON . . . LINKS . . . and visit the JSDE Web Page.  It has and will continue to be our practice to establish "home page links" with our affiliated organizations and our corporate sponsors.
 
        We expect you may have come to realize by visiting the other home pages on our site, the former Bases newspaper "On Target" is an important repository for the Centers past history and events.  The proceedings and noted visitors who attended many of the JSDE gatherings over the years were contained in the Centers newspaper.  Some of these articles, such as the one contained herein, will be shown periodically as well as the current activities of the JSDE Group.
 
        We suggest that you frequently visit this home page along with the JSDE Home Page Link for new information as it becomes available.