Four Huskers serve as NSRI interns with U.S. Strategic Command

What started as a nine-week immersion in strategic deterrence research with the potential to brief leadership from U.S. Strategic Command resulted in two high-level briefs at the command’s headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha.

Through their leadership, diligence and skills, the 2024 National Strategic Research Institute Strategic Deterrence Interns — 11 undergraduate and graduate students, including four from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln — contributed to two research projects that will help advance the nation’s deterrence. The results of their work are multiplying forward.

The four Huskers who were chosen for the program are:

• Grady Henexson, senior in computer engineering and member of Navy ROTC;
• Hayley Hogan, junior in mechanical engineering;
• Gael Perez, junior in electrical engineering; and
• John Vonnes, senior in political science.

“Presenting our poster at the Deterrence Symposium was a great opportunity to share the research we did with world leaders and contribute to the knowledge of the threat landscape,” said Kaitlin McFadden, an intern from the the United States Military Academy West Point. “It allowed us to collaborate with the people who can then use it to help keep America and democracy safe in an ever-changing and evolving global atmosphere. I am extremely grateful for NSRI and the Symposium. 

NSRI serves as USSTRATCOM’s University Affiliated Research Center, designated by the U.S. Department of Defense and affiliated with the University of Nebraska system. To support the command’s Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations mission, one cohort of interns delivered a proof of concept for increasing radio frequency signal reliability, which will be enhanced in the coming months at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The other cohort investigated how competitor nations perceive deterrence concepts. The results of their work will be transitioned to a journal article for publication by the Nebraska Deterrence Lab at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“I think we have a game-changing workforce development initiative here that really maximizes stakeholder interests,” said Chris Luther, NSRI internship director and senior operations analyst. “For nine weeks, we immerse civilian interns and military cadets together under the guidance of a University of Nebraska professor to research a current DOD problem. In addition to getting research support for some of its hard problems, USSTRATCOM connects with key civilian talent who want to be a part of the command’s future workforce.”

In August, the interns provided technical out-briefs to members of the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Enterprise Center and J5 Plans and Policy Directorate. The next day, the interns provided a formal summary briefing to Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan, director of USSTRATCOM Plans and Policy and one of the command’s senior leaders.

Led by Andrew Harms, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and an NSRI fellow, the interns investigated concepts that could significantly reduce or eliminate unwanted effects of competing radio frequency signals within a defined spectrum. Considering how crowded the radio frequency environment is becoming with increasing demand from commercial wireless communications, “spectrum sharing” technologies like this are increasingly needed to improve both the clarity and reliability of the Department of Defense’s priority signals.

Using a software defined radio platform for demonstration, the interns developed initial algorithms for active signal cancellation using adaptive filtering techniques. The next steps are to extend the approach to other types of waveforms and systems and to test in other types of scenarios, which Harms will carry forward in his lab at the College of Engineering.

“This was an important experience because I got to learn about software defined radio and its increasing importance with the rise of people and companies using the radio spectrum,” said Hayley Hogan, a mechanical engineering major at UNL. “Being in this internship also convinced me to pursue a computer science minor and to consider going for my master’s degree in engineering.”

Michelle Black, associate professor of political science at UNO, director of the Nebraska Deterrence Lab and NSRI fellow, led the cohort of interns focused on exploring and describing how competitor nations use and understand concepts related to deterrence, including differences in language and cultural meaning. Rising to Black’s challenge, the interns developed actionable results for USSTRATCOM that will help inform their planners. They also proposed new research methods that could help defense leaders continue to understand deterrence from different perspectives.

“I have learned an immense amount about strategic deterrence, ranging from terminology to the differences between how competitor nations, specifically China, view deterrence in contrast to the Western lens,” said Edward Torres, a U.S. Army ROTC and international public affairs major at Brown University. “I think the No. 1 takeaway from USSTRATCOM’s mission is that we use our nuclear arsenal every day and that deterrence will always be an ongoing mission. Because of this internship, I am now considering entering a functional area of the U.S. Army that focuses on strategic deterrence policy when I am eligible for it.”

This year’s interns significantly contributed to NSRI’s pursuit of novel research for the nation’s warfighters and decision makers. Their work spanned direct deliverables for USSTRATCOM’s missions, ongoing research with lasting impact and personal growth through skill-building and career path refinement. In the process, the NSRI fellows advanced NSRI’s goals, enhanced resumes and developed professional skills.

“Prior to this experience, I didn’t realize just how much goes into ‘deterrence’ and everything it entails,” said Daniel Brinkman, UNO computer science graduate student. “I think everyone knows that USSTRATCOM is the nuclear command, but many people aren’t as aware of how much of that mission revolves around preventing their use. This experience exposed me to how many research positions there are within the defense space and gave me quite a few new opportunities to consider.”