BGI News

October 2009

BGI Represented at 2009 Marine Corps Marathon

25Oct09, Washington, D.C. - The muggy, overcast, rainy weather of the three previous days gave way to a chilly 48° cloud-free Sunday morning for the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon held annually for the past 34 years in Washington, D.C. BGI was represented by MCM veteran Dave “Supa” Faehnle and MCM newbie Derek “Baffle” Ashlock, both of whom work within the Gold Division out of the Fort Worth, TX office. Supa, a United States Naval Academy graduate, was putting his tactical skills to work during the marathon while running for Run to Honor, an annual memorial event to honor USNA graduates who were lost during combat operations. Battling an aggravating heel injury, Supa ran like the trained warrior he is through severe pain and cramping to post a 4:42:45 finishing time. “The event was extremely motivating, with great crowds cheering on and a general spirit of appreciation for the sacrifice that all military members and their families make in defense of our country,” Supa said. Baffle on the other hand, although being a US Navy F/A-18 pilot, was running for his favorite charity, The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. “In my air wing, I was unofficially adopted by our Marine VMFA squadron,” Baffle continued, “That carried through to my time as an Instructor Pilot in Lemoore as the Marine Instructors there brought me into their fold as well. I was always made welcome by Marines, and this is a great way to give back to my adopted USMC family.” Baffle was able to raise over $2,320 for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Battling his own training injuries, Baffle was also running well until mile 22 when his own pain forced him to slow his pace and he eventually finished at a respectful 4:27:30. BGI would like to congratulate both Supa and Baffle on a job well done. ”

October 2009

BGI Attends Sky Ball 2009

Fort Worth, TX) BGI, LLC reached out to our military brothers and sisters by sending nine employees along with guests to Sky Ball 2009, a charitable celebration hosted on Saturday, October 24 by the Fort Worth Air Power Foundation and American Airlines. The event, held in conjunction with the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, raises money to provide financial assistance to the military family members of deployed service members from NAS JRB Fort Worth, TX as well as other North Texas military units. “Attending Sky Ball 2009 was a fantastic way to support our extended military family,” said Corbin Hughes, Vice President with BGI, LLC. He went on to say, “With so many of our current BGI employees coming to us directly from the military, it is important that we provide support to what is perhaps the most important aspect—the family members back home that stand behind each deployed service member. “ Hosted by local television personality and Chairman Mike Snyder, Sky Ball 2009 featured performances by Tony Orlando, Lee Greenwood, and Tony Amerson. Gary Sinise, the well-known acting star of CSI: New York, detailed his tireless efforts to support our troops through Operation International Children, a charitable organization he founded that collects and delivers school supply kits, toys, shoes, and other necessities to children in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Sky Ball 2009 also featured both a live and silent auction to assist in raising money to benefit military family members. This year’s honorary military unit, the 160th Special Operations Regiment from Fort Campbell, KY, presided over the “Grog Ceremony,” in which a time honored military tradition was replicated for the benefit of the attendees. BGI was well represented during this ceremony as two former BGI employees, Lt Col Keith “K2” Knudson, Commanding Officer of the 457th Fighter Squadron, and Lt Col Scott “Spike” Thomas, Commanding Officer of the 97th Training Squadron, each contributed to the grog in their own unique manner. Dean Kamen, inventor of the iBot mechanized wheelchair, told a moving story about how his inertially- stabilized mechanized wheelchair has so greatly enhanced the lives of injured and crippled service members. He also detailed his ongoing research and development of artificial limbs that move based on ephemeral inputs from the body. “BGI is proud to contribute to all of these worthy causes,” elaborated Hughes. “As a company that has a tremendously strong military heritage, it is important that we reach back to assist those that serve our country and protect our freedom.” ”

May 2009

BGI Attends ITEC 2009

BGI recently attended ITEC 2009, Europe’s premier conference and exhibition dedicated to defense training, education and simulation. Tim O’Brien and Dave Sheets traveled to Brussels, Belgium to participate in the conference held May 12-14. Comparable to I/ITSEC, though on a somewhat smaller scale, the conference provided the BGI opportunity to connect with some existing customers and to introduce BGI’s capabilities to many potential new international business partners.  The showcase of the latest in simulation and training technology allowed engagement with exhibitors and discussions on possible applications of emerging technologies in various BGI activities. “ITEC offered an outstanding venue to investigate developing training and simulation capabilities,” said Tim O’Brien, BGI Vice President. “We took full advantage of the exhibits, presentations and working groups and enjoyed the opportunity to network with senior officials of the international military and defense industry.”

April 2009

BGI Awarded SAIC Subcontract to Support Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC)

February 23rd, 2009—Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) has awarded a subcontract to BGI to provide Test Analyst support under their Engineering and Test Support (ETS-I) contract with the USAF, which runs through FY2010.  Under this task order, BGI will provide a highly experienced fighter instructor pilot with extensive test and weapons background in support of various aspects of operational test of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.  

March 2009

BGI Awarded Follow-on AMEWAS Subcontract to Provide Next Generation Threat System (NGTS) Development.

March 6th, 2009—American Electronic Warfare Associates (AMEWAS) has awarded BGI a Cost Plus Fixed Fee subcontract under their recently awarded Air Combat Environments Test and Evaluation Facility (ACETEF) follow-on contract.  Under this tasking, BGI will continue to provide Operational Analyst and Engineering support to further the development of NAVAIR’s NGTS synthetic environment.  “With a wide variety of advanced simulation integrators and DMO users relying on NGTS to meet the training needs of the Warfighter, BGI brings the right mix of operational insight, continuity and technical expertise to ensure a smooth software development roadmap for this product,” said company Vice President, Corbin Hughes.    

January 2009

BGI Visits Nellis Air Force Base for WEPTAC

Three representatives from BGI had the opportunity to attend Air Combat Command’s annual Weapons and Tactics (WEPTAC) Conference and Trade Show from 13-15 January 2009, at Nellis AFB, Nevada.  CEO Phil “Mukes” Dismukes, Vice President Chris “X” Cross, and Senior Operational Analyst Tim “Buck” Sehnem had the opportunity to attend conference sessions and show off BGI products during the visit.  We had a chance to further our relationship with the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) community through product demonstrations and briefings, and introduce our Debrief Product Suite (DPS) solutions to USAF Weapons Officers over the three-day period.  “This was a great venue for us to showcase BGI expertise in Simulation and Training to the Air Warfare Center, and entertain feedback from multiple disciplines across the Weapons Officer community.  We were also able to foster BGI’s relationship with other industry partners in attendance,” said Phil Dismukes.  Pictured below is Tim Sehnem at the BGI display table.

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