EDINBURGH — Camp Atterbury is the Department of Defense's base of choice for testing new drone and aerial technology before it reaches the battlefield. It demonstrated how far the research has come by taking the drones into action.

The Technology Readiness and Experimentation initiative, or T-REX, makes Camp Atterbury a major focus of defense development research. It held a technology showcase event under the T-REX banner on Thursday.
"To learn how to use that equipment, to give feedback, soldier-level feedback, is a sense of pride and showcases the capabilities we have at Camp Atterbury," said Indiana National Guard Adjutant General Lawrence Muennich.

Emil Michael, the United States Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, flew to Camp Atterbury from Washington, D.C., to see the technology for himself.
"Really, they're some of the most innovative things we've ever done at the DoD," Michael said. "All of these systems have been developed in the last 18 to 24 months."

Both Michael and Muennich believe the research is especially important right now because the rest of the world is starting to keep pace with American military technology.
"What's happening in Ukraine is that the whole world is watching; it's a new modality for warfare," Michael said. "There's no other country that could be as ready as we."

"Our competitors and near-peer competitors have caught up with us," Muennich added. "What we're doing here is going to leapfrog us again."
-
Westfield's oldest commercial building set to move to final resting home Friday
Westfield's oldest commercial building is set to be moved on Friday morning to its permanent home just west of City Hall.
Noem out as Homeland Security secretary, Trump says
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will no longer be in charge of the department as of March 31.
Marine veteran charged after confrontation at Senate hearing over Iran war
The family of a Marine is thanking supporters after he was involved in a confrontation at the U.S. Capitol tied to his opposition to U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran.
Greenwood 18-year-old charged with child molesting
An 18-year-old is facing 15 felony charges, including child molesting, after an investigation revealed alleged crimes against at least one child, and police say there may be more victims.