Connecting ORNL science with Army missions to support national security

Army Major Mike Ecklund's current assignment at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is preparing him to confront threats few people ever see, and even fewer are trained to counter.

As one of just 300 officers in the U.S. Army's Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction career field, known as Functional Area 52 (FA 52), Ecklund has spent the past year embedded at ORNL through the Army's Training with Industry (TWI) Program. At ORNL, Ecklund works alongside laboratory scientists to study how nuclear materials behave during long-term storage, translating those findings into practical insights the Army can use to assess risk, improve readiness, and inform planning for nuclear and countering weapons of mass destruction missions.

"Countering weapons of mass destruction is not something any single organization can do alone," Ecklund said. "It requires a whole-of-government approach, and the national laboratories - especially ORNL - play a critical role."

A foundation in service and science

For Ecklund, jumping into a complex problem is nothing new.

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in physics, Ecklund's first assignment was with the 57^th Sapper Company, a specialized paratrooper unit in Fort Bragg, North Carolina focused on clearing rough terrain.

"Sappers apply specialized expertise to help units succeed on the battlefield," Ecklund said. "That experience taught me the importance of constantly sharpening your skills and contributing to something larger than yourself."

Ecklund later served in combat-facing leadership roles as a platoon leader, company commander and staff officer, deploying twice to Afghanistan in support of route clearance, enabling safe transport through otherwise hazardous areas, and NATO training missions. Those assignments shaped his understanding of teamwork, responsibility and the importance of technical accuracy in real-world environments.

After earning his master's in nuclear engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2020, Ecklund turned his focus toward the broader challenge of countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) as a FA 52 officer.

"The FA52 career field struck me as the best way to continue growing and contributing," added Ecklund. "The threats posed by weapons of mass destruction are enormous, and I want to do as much as I can to help address those threats."

Training with industry at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

To carry out their mission, FA52 officers need a deep understanding of how science translates to the battlefield, something cultivated through the Army's TWI program. Under the program, officers spend one year embedded in the private sector to gain skills and experience not available through traditional military or academic pathways.

"TWI is beneficial for any soldier, but it is especially so for FA52 officers," added Ecklund. "[We] spend the early years of our careers in basic branches before transitioning to CWMD … this program allows officers to learn about how partner organizations work and the unique capabilities they offer. We need to understand each other to face the CWMD threat together."

At ORNL, Ecklund is engaged in research sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration. His work focuses on understanding the behavior of nuclear materials in long-term storage to improve the safety and security of sensitive materials.

"Working at ORNL has helped me appreciate the importance of teamwork and collaboration when addressing complex national security challenges," Ecklund said. "The military, the Department of Energy, and academia all have critical roles to play. We all need each other, and we need to support each other to defend our nation and keep America at the forefront of science and technology."

The TWI relationship is also helpful in informing ORNL's broader mission of supporting national security. By providing his firsthand experience from operational Army units, Ecklund's perspective is strengthening the relevance and impact of ORNL's work.

"There are many intelligent professionals in the military and national labs that can calculate the physical characteristics of WMDs, and FA52 officers complement that expertise by bringing their personal experience," said Ecklund. "It's important to predict the physical effects of WMD on the battlefield, but we also have to translate those technical details to make that information useful to the warfighter."

Ecklund considers ORNL a particularly advantageous assignment for FA52 officers because of the lab's leadership in nuclear science and its collaborations.

"In addition to its unique user facilities and incredible workforce, ORNL is particularly valuable because of its strategic location and strong partnerships," Ecklund said. "ORNL's unique facilities and supportive leadership make it an ideal place to work on real-world problems that directly relate to our nation's security,"

Building enduring partnerships

Embedded TWI assignments like Ecklund's are designed to forge trusted relationships between defense and scientific institutions that last well beyond the assignment.

"The Army and the labs both gain from this partnership," Ecklund said. "The Army benefits from ORNL's expertise and capabilities, and the lab benefits from understanding how their work is applied in operational contexts."

Ecklund describes ORNL as part of a broader "network of good guys" - scientists, engineers and service members working together to counter the network of threats facing the nation. Building that network includes cultivating relationships across the lab, supporting the research of fellow Army officers and cadets assigned to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and working closely with the U.S. Army's Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency headquartered out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

As he prepares for his next assignment with the Army's 20^th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Ecklund says the relationships formed at ORNL will continue to shape his work.

"We all need each other," added Ecklund. "Defending the nation and keeping America at the forefront of science and technology is a team effort - and ORNL is a vital part of that team."

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. - Liz McCrory