Transforming Defense Collaboration with Platform One on Mattermost
Effective, secure communication is critical for mission success — which is why Mattermost is proud to serve as the collaboration tool awardable on Platform One (P1).
A pioneering initiative by the Department of the Air Force, P1 provides open source tools and enterprise solutions that empower teams across all branches of the Armed Forces to build, deploy, and secure better software at scale.
Leveraging Mattermost as the connective tissue for collaboration modernization, Platform One supports both technology acquisition teams and operational warfighters, delivering essential tools and infrastructure for efficient and secure software management.
Mattermost’s Intelligent Mission Environment (IME) is trusted by organizations throughout the U.S. Department of Defense to power secure collaboration and workflow automation, while maintaining complete data and operational control.
With a flexible integration framework built to enable teams to customize, integrate, and extend critical toolsets, Mattermost enables organizations to centralize tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), ensuring operations benefit from comprehensive situational awareness and accelerated decision-making.
Mattermost + Platform One in Motion
Want a closer look at how Mattermost and Platform One have partnered to accelerate mission-critical communication? Explore these seven examples showcasing Mattermost’s transformative role in enhancing military collaboration across Platform One.
1. Command and Control in the Digital Age: Why Air Mobility Command Needs Asynchronous Communication
Author: USAF Major John M. Cockburn
Source: Air Force Institute of Technology
USAF Major John M. Cockburn provides a deep dive into how Mattermost enabled the DoD’s software development team to securely collaborate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining complete data sovereignty, with usage growing “significantly” over time. Building off this success, the USAF’s Air Mobility Command (AMC) moved to Mattermost because it enabled teams to share controlled unclassified information (CUI) compliantly, was available across devices and operable in low connectivity environments, and integrated seamlessly with mission-critical tools. This paper examines the journey that led AMC to Mattermost and some of the transformative impacts the secure collaboration platform has had on their missions.
…fewer passengers would have been evacuated so far by KC-10s operating out of Mildenhall if it were not for the Mattermost platform. Having our data via mobile devices while on the flight line or on crew buses has been AMAZING!!
—AMC Detachment Commander
2. Space Force Generative AI Challenge Empowers Guardians Through Education, Collaboration
Author: Linda Kane
Source: Space Systems Command Public Affairs
What will the role of generative AI be in the age of Great Power Competition — and what will those solutions look like? This article looks at the potential solutions that Space Force explored during a Generative AI challenge, including how one team’s solution leveraged Mattermost as a platform for bringing AI capabilities to critical workflows. Read it to learn more about how Mattermost helped the team reduce manual tasks, improve situational awareness, and streamline reporting.
[Space Launch Delta] 45’s solution leverages Mattermost, an open-[core], self-hostable online chat service, coupled with a tactical data cache. Its capabilities include real-time audience transcription with generative AI summaries that capture and transcribe live on-console communications. The team cited four key benefits: AI-powered automation reduces manual tasks and enhances mission efficiency; real-time transcription with keyword detection improves situational awareness; automated crew logs and after-action reports streamline after-action reporting; and applications can be used for training and skill development.
— Space Systems Command Public Affairs
3. 5th Space Launch Squadron Digital Transformation Team Wins 2021 Innovation Award
Author: Airman 1st Class Dakota Raub
Source: Space Launch Delta 45
In 2021, the 5th Space Launch Squadron Digital Transformation Team earned the Space Force Innovation Award — which recognizes teams that leverage innovative tools to increase operational efficiency and mission readiness — for leveraging three Platform One tools, Mattermost, Jira, and Confluence, to transform archaic launch operations into modern, mission-ready workflows. By creating Day of Launch channels in Mattermost, the team created secure, real-time collaboration spaces that teammates could access from their personal mobile devices, enhancing comms during critical launch sequences. Learn more about how Mattermost helps the Space Force stay connected and aligned.
Learn about the 5th Space Launch Squadron Digital Transformation Team’s award-winning application of Mattermost, Jira and Confluence to provide a more holistic view of critical information in real time.
The 5th [Space Launch Squadron] has built a legacy of mission success through transforming outdated launch site processing to the digital age. The team realized a need for innovation and applied three tools from Platform 1 to their daily operations: Mattermost – a secure messaging application, Jira – a work management tool, and Confluence – a collaborative workspace allowing easy access to shared information.
—Space Launch Delta 45
4. 349 AMW Receives AFRC’s PACE Best Innovation Award
Author: 349th AMW Public Affairs staff
Source: 349th Air Mobility Wing
In November 2021, the 349th Air Mobility Wing’s Project Mobility Team received the AFRC PACE Best Innovation Award for deploying Mattermost a secure, real-time collaboration platform. As a result of their work, 2,600 wing members can now access and share announcements, messages, and CUI on Mattermost via desktops and mobile devices, making it much easier to share timely information. Check out the article to learn more about how Mattermost has transformed communication across the wing.
“[Mattermost has] been a game changer in terms of our ability to share timely information and amplify messages across the wing. Our members now have consistent access to the information they need from a personal device, including CUI, PII and HIPAA. And they can access it from virtually anywhere, whenever it works best for them
—Ken Wright, 349th AMW Public Affairs Chief
5. Dover AFB Airmen Use App, Streamline Process
Author: Mauricio Campino
Source: 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Airmen from the 736th Aircraft Maintenance and 3rd Airlift Squadrons began using Mattermost to streamline and accelerate flight debriefs, allowing for secure and sanctioned messaging across personal and government devices. This report examines how Mattermost makes life easier for personnel — and how aircrews are wrapping up the debrief process two hours faster than they were before Mattermost.
On average, aircrews are completing the debrief process two hours faster than before the [Mattermost] app was implemented, allowing them to start post-mission crew rest sooner. “It’s really convenient having our post-mission paperwork finished by the time we land. It’s literally drag and dropping files.”
—Major Steven Beachler, 3rd Airlift Squadron Director of Operations
6. Travis Airmen Modernize the Air Force with the Digital Airmen Initiative
Author: Senior Airman Cameron Otte
Source: 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
The Digital Airmen initiative aims to modernize command and control for mobility operations and bring more digitalization to mission planning, communication, and day-to-day workflows across the USAF. This article outlines how, in 2020, airmen from Travis Air Force Base won the Air Mobility Command Spark Tank competition by integrating Mattermost into operations to enable secure file sharing, real-time messaging, and more efficient mission support across devices — even when teams are airborne.
“Mattermost is an app being utilized to replace other forms of communication such as email or workflow and was designed to help Airmen accomplish missions more efficiently.”
—Major Eric Robinson, 21st Airlift Squadron Phoenix Spark Representative
7. What We Have Here is a Success to Communicate
Author: Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Z. Brown
Source: 15th Wing Public Affairs
At Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, the 15th Wing’s TRON team — part of the Aloha Spark initiative — rolled out Mattermost during the pandemic to enable airmen to securely communicate and transfer data with colleagues, as many of them worked from home to reduce transmission of the virus. As noted in this article, the TRON team had onboarded as many as 18,000 members within three weeks, enabling seamless communication across the globe.
“Through Mattermost, we get instantaneous feedback from our customers across the DoD, which is great. We were able to communicate with people using our apps, from Safety to Command Post to the Space Force, and others who have stood up their teams in Mattermost.”
—Staff Sgt. Nate Atkin, TRON Project Manager
Curious how you can deploy Mattermost’s collaboration solutions through P1?
Contact us to see how our Intelligent Mission Environment accelerates operations and keeps your mission in motion.
Image Source: Dvidshub.net. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
