Ryan Strange, an experienced program manager and commercial pilot, currently serves as a physical scientist in the Site Development Branch (HNC) and for HQ USACE Aviation Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), a program he helped create in 2017. He is the senior instructor for the Corps small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) qualification course, an aircrew training program manager for sUAS and airspace authorizations, and an aviation mission approval authority.

Mr. Strange began his career in 2006 as a field engineer supporting the U.S. Army within the Structures Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi. In 2009, he was hired on as a Department of Army Civilian in the Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences Branch at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi. As a research physical scientist, he was a principal investigator in the field responsible for managing day-to-day operations on projects with dynamic parameters. In 2016, he also developed a UAS work unit for the GSL and served as the technical lead for the program.

Mr. Strange has earned a master’s degree remote sensing and geospatial geology. He is a graduate of the USACE Leadership Development Program I and II, as well as the USACE mentorship program. He has been a licensed remote pilot since 2016 and a licensed FAA manned pilot since 2000. Notable awards include the USACE Aviation Castle Award in 2023, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Order of Prometheus Medallion in 2022, a U.S. Army Special Act Award in 2020, and an Army Achievement Medal in 2016. Mr. Strange is the author and coauthor of numerous technical reports, most recently “Waste Management and Landfill Facilities Assessment Using UAS” published by ERDC in March 2023.

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Involvement

Vision Based Navigation data collects for future weapon system algorithms UAS

Unconventional Military Countermeasures reconnaissance and data collect UAS

Impacts and Explosive Effects MRAP evaluation UAS

Water Egress Terrain Surfacing Demonstration and Assessment UAS

Rapid Airfield Damage Assessment System (RADAS) UAS

Detection of Craters, Spalls, and UXO UAS

Erosion Control and Slope Stability Change Detection UAS

Natural Resource Assessment on Military Lands UAS

Comprehensive Waste Management and Landfill Facilities Assessment using UAS

JIDO Very Long Wave Detection of UAS using Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Austere A/SPOD Entry Assessment on Airfield Runways UAS

Tailwheel Endorsement

Spin Training Endorsement

Alaskan Bush Pilot Training

Certified Level I Thermographer UAS

FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate

Basic Unmanned Qualifications Course (BUQ)

Federal Aviation Administration Private Pilot IFR Certificate

FAA High Performance Aircraft endorsement

FAA Complex Aircraft endorsement

FAA Remote Pilot Certificate

FAA Private Pilot Certificate

Basic Unmanned Aircraft Qualifications Course (BUQ) I&II

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