What if acquisition professionals had the chance to walk a mile in the shoes of industry?
Merge Combinator is launching the Missionized Tech Residency. In partnership with the US Army and Defense Acquisition University we are placing acquisition professionals at the point of capability creation, giving them the opportunity to step outside the system, learn firsthand, and sharpen how the Army buys defense technology.
Embedded for six months.
Not after the fact. Not through a site visit. Not through a slide deck.
For six months, these acquisition professionals will work inside Merge Combinator alongside 80+ companies building against real national security problems.
By embedding acquisition professionals in this environment, the Army is creating tighter feedback loops between builders, operators, and the acquisition system itself. That means better-informed decisions, earlier identification of real transition opportunities, and a clearer understanding of what's working.
This is both a professional development opportunity and a practical test of how the Army can deliver outcomes faster and reduce friction between program intent and mission need.
Congratulations to the inaugural Missionized Tech Residents from CPE CBRND, CPE Ground, U.S. Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal and the DEVCOM AI Integration Center.
Now back to work, turning emerging capability into mission outcomes.