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All posts from Don Jewell

Don Jewell served 30 years in the United States Air Force, as an aviator and a space subject-matter expert. Don’s involvement with GPS and other critical space systems began with their inception, either as a test system evaluator or user. He served two command assignments at Schriever AFB, the home of GPS, and retired as Deputy Chief Scientist for Air Force Space Command. Don also served as a Politico Military Affairs Officer during the Regan administration, working with 32 foreign embassies and serving as a Foreign Disclosure Officer making critical export control decisions concerning sophisticated military hardware and software. After retiring from the USAF, Don served seven years as the senior space marketer and subject-matter expert for two of the largest government contractors dealing in space software and hardware. Don currently serves on two independent GPS review teams he helped found, and on three independent assessment teams at the Institute for Defense Analyses, dealing with critical issues for the U.S. government. Don has served on numerous Air Force and Defense Scientific Advisory Boards. He writes and speaks extensively on technical issues concerning the U.S. government. Don earned his Bachelor’s degree and MBA; the Ph.D. is in progress.
  • Interview: 2nd Space Operations Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Jennifer Grant

    Dec 14, 2011 No Comments

    December is typically the month when writers of regularly featured columns wax nostalgic and engage in a certain amount of prognostication. This year I enlisted the help of Lt. Col. Jennifer Grant, the 2SOPS/CC at Schriever AFB, the home of GPS, to help us with our year-end review and crystal-ball g...

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  • Product Review: The Trimble Ranger 3

    Aug 10, 2011 No Comments

    The Trimble Ranger 3 being tested in its natural environment.   First of all, thanks to all those who wrote me about the Trimble Ranger 3 and suggested I pen a review. Rules of Engagement Many of my long time readers will know that I never write a bad review, which is why I found it interestin...

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  • Space Symposium, Partnership Council Offer Valuable Information

    May 11, 2011 No Comments

    As it happens April, May, and June are watershed months for space and PNT geeks every year. In April I was honored to attend the National Space Foundation sponsored 27th annual National Space Symposium held at the incomparable five-star Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and in May, jus...

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  • Mobile Epiphany – Round Two

    Apr 13, 2011 26 Comments

    Many of you may remember my one and only software review of a product called Touch Inspect back in December 2009, by a Denver, Colorado (Aurora)-based company called Mobile Epiphany. At the time this is how I began my initial brief review of the software program: “The software is called Touch Insp...

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  • A Look at the Rugged Handheld Algiz 7

    Mar 15, 2011 7 Comments

    The warfighters have spoken. My correspondence lately has been full of questions about tablet and handheld computers. My sources at AT&T and Verizon tell me that the number of iPads in Iraq and Afghanistan have doubled in the last year alone. The problem is that Apple iPads and iPhones, for all ...

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  • Raytheon Interview: GPS OCX Program Status

    Feb 16, 2011 No Comments

    Don Jewell, our intrepid Defense editor, finally stopped traveling long enough to catch up with Robert “Bob” Canty, the Raytheon vice president and program manager for the GPS OCX program. They managed to find time for a very interesting and uplifting conversation concerning the history,...

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  • New Year’s GPS Update with Col. Bernie Gruber

    Jan 11, 2011 No Comments

    Colonel Bernard Gruber, director of the GPS Directorate.   Don Jewell (DJ), our Defense Editor, caught up with Colonel Bernard Gruber (BG), the newest director of the newly renamed Global Positioning Systems Directorate at SMC in Los Angeles, California. They discussed the current status of th...

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  • Col. Dave Madden Looks Back, and Forward into GPS Future

    Jul 27, 2010 No Comments

    I had the honor of attending Colonel David Maddens’ retirement luncheon at the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) on Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) on June 16, and it was quite an event. Just prior to it, I asked Dave if he would like to conduct an exit interview after he took a short vaca...

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