News From USJFCOM: Distributed learning system program director recognized as a 2009 Federal 100 award recipient


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Distributed learning system program director recognized as a 2009 Federal 100 award recipient

An industry magazine recently named one of U.S. Joint Forces Command's civilians in a program recognizing individuals in government or industry who made contributions that have had a significant impact on the federal information technology community.

By MC2 (AW) Nikki Carter
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(SUFFOLK, Va. - March 26, 2009) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution Capability (JKDDC) Program Director Joe Camacho recently was selected as one of Federal Computer Week's 2009 Federal 100 award recipients.

The Federal Top 100 awards program recognizes individuals in government or industry who made contributions that have had a significant impact on the federal information technology community.

Camacho said he was nominated for work with the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) courseware that provides a comprehensive web-based source of joint task force and combatant command battle staff training information. It also provides initial training opportunities for warfighters before participating in joint training events or in preparation for real-world operations.

He added that JKO won three awards in the last year and much of the real recognition belongs to his staff.

"They are the ones that really do all the work," Camacho said. "I just have the privilege of standing up and receiving the award. I believe that this Federal [top] 100 [award] is really just a reflection of the program. It's recognition of the hard work that we have done and what we have achieved together as a group."

Camacho said JKO boasts about 85,000 registered users with more than 1.5 million homepage log-ins and more than 150,000 courses taken on-line during the past 20 months.

"The current implementation of JKO is based on Joe Camacho's personal strategic vision of how this Web-based training enabler could fill identified gaps in the joint training community, and his superb leadership abilities demonstrated over the last three years in the start up and continued execution of this crucial training transformation program," said Martin L. Vozzo, the deputy program manager for JKDDC.

He said JKO's future lies in advanced technology courseware.

"If you have ever taken an online course before, you might have some animation, some things you read. You might see some computer generated characters to keep interested and you'll take a test," he said. "It doesn't incorporate all the whiz-bang stuff you may see on Nintendo Wii. That's where we are going."

He said this summer the command will showcase its first virtual cultural awareness trainer game-based courseware.

According to Camacho, the new courseware will consist of a four-hour training module that includes computer-generated avatars, smart tutors, gameware and immersive learning environments, "where you will enter and want to learn about culture, for example, in the Horn of Africa."

"We want to make it to where the learner is so engaged in what is happening that they don't even know they are learning where they are having so much fun and they are retaining," said Camacho. "It's really very interactive and it's all Web-based, 24/7 global."