AFCEA International Announces the 2026 Winners of Intelligence Community Award
Award for Excellence in Defense Scientific & Technical Intelligence (S&TI) Recognizes Intelligence Community Innovators
Fairfax, VA, April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A selection panel of government, industry and academia intelligence community leaders recently named recipients of the Award for Excellence in Defense Scientific & Technical Intelligence (S&TI). Sponsored by AFCEA International's Intelligence Committee, the award, which honors individuals as well as teams, was created in 2024 to address the need for—and recognize the value of—innovation in intelligence. The 2026 awardees will be recognized on the second day of the AFCEA Spring Intelligence Symposium, on April 29, 2026. Johnny Sawyer, CEO and founder of The Sawyer Group and a member of the AFCEA Intelligence Committee, will present the awards.
Individual Award Winner
Capt. John Kray, USAF, is honored for S&TI contributions in intelligence innovation and foundational military intelligence, resulting in accelerated capability development, enhanced resource management and enduring improvements to the intelligence enterprise that inform national strategic planning and increase lethality of our operational forces. Capt. Kray is a portfolio manager for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Rapid Engineering and Prototyping Division.
“Capt. John Kray exemplifies the very highest standards of leadership, innovation and mission impact,” said Lewis Shepherd, chair of AFCEA’s Intelligence Committee. “His ability to translate emerging technologies into decisive warfighter advantages has produced enduring improvements to the intelligence enterprise. Capt. Kray’s results-driven leadership, collaborative approach and relentless pursuit of excellence set him apart as the clear and deserving recipient of this top honor.”
Team Award Winner
The 13-member cross-functional group of technologists, data scientists and experts of Project SAURON came away as the lead team for integrating $3.8 billion in artificial intelligence research and development investments to develop a next-generation Digital ISR sensor that leverages human-AI teaming, generative AI and predictive analytics to forecast threat events up to a week before potential flashpoints. This capability shifts operations “left-of-boom,” giving policymakers and military decision-makers maximum decision space for proactive planning and force protection.
Together, they addressed critical gaps in situational awareness and decision-making as legacy systems struggled to detect, characterize, track and deliver timely, accurate indications and warning, often failing to pierce the fog of war and reacting to events “right-of-boom,” which hampered effective crisis response.
The team members are:
Government:
- Dr. William Fischer, Headquarters, Department of the Army-Intelligence (HQDA G2)
- Andrew Soviak, HQDA G2
- Dr. Frances Zenzen, HQDA G2
- Andrew Hoopii-Taylor, HQDA G2
- George Lockett, Office of the Secretary of War
- Dr. Wil Corvey, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
- Eric McCollough, DARPA
Industry:
- John Goolgasian, Seerist Federal
- Kristen Hajduk, Seerist
- Dr. Amir Bagherpour, Accenture
- Dr. Rick Bennet, Accenture
- Evelyn Torsher, Accenture
- Morgan Menzies, Accenture
“The Project SAURON team represents the very best of enterprise‑level innovation and collaboration,” Shepherd said. “By integrating human‑AI teaming and advanced analytics into a next‑generation Digital ISR capability, this team fundamentally transformed how the Department of War and its partners anticipate threats. Their work has delivered enduring, enterprise‑wide impact and set a new standard for predictive, AI‑enabled intelligence operations.”
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AFCEA International is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit international professional association that connects people, ideas and solutions globally. Established in 1946, the membership association serves military, government, industry and academia by developing networking and educational opportunities and providing an ethical forum. This enables military, government, industry and academia to align technology and strategy to meet the needs of those who serve. AFCEA operates under the guidance of a board of directors, international staff and committees. A large network of chapters is managed by a group of regional vice presidents. Join online.
Howard Wahlberg AFCEA International 703-631-6199 hwahlberg@afcea.org
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