Bill seeks to modernize Department of Defense workforce

Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced last week a measure designed to modernize the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce by establishing a recruitment element and military career tracks for digital engineering.

The Armed Forces Digital Advantage Act stems from the defense industry and senior military leader recommendations urging the DoD to emphasize digital engineering and establish a career track for computer scientists in the military.

The effort also encourages additional training and opportunities to advance skill sets while protecting from pressures to rotate into unrelated roles.

“The complexity of 21st-century warfare requires that our armed forces be both technically skilled and proficient with their weapons,” Portman, co-founder of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, said. “This bill will implement the recommendations of our military experts to ensure that our armed forces make computer science and digital engineering skills a priority for recruitment and training. Prioritizing these skills will help ensure our armed forces remain the best in the world.”

Heinrich serves as co-founder of the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Much like how the military recruits for and provides incentives to individuals with foreign language skills, senior military leaders and civilian leadership have repeatedly emphasized the need for a workforce with a digital engineering skill set,” Heinrich said. “Whether it is Artificial Intelligence, 5G telecommunications services, or cloud computing, transformational digital technologies will present new opportunities and challenges for the Department of Defense. That means we must prepare the Department with a proficient and capable workforce by recruiting in the near term and training for the long term. This bipartisan bill does exactly that.”