Jennifer Swanson has been a dedicated U.S. Army civilian for over three decades — but she’s far from sitting back on her heels or letting a new guard of technologists outpace her. Swanson remains on the cutting edge of innovation and works tirelessly to find ways to get modern capabilities into the hands of warfighters at speed.
Her latest focus? AI, of course.
The current deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software will speak to the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20. She is poised to reveal details and answer queries about an exciting new AI-powered acquisition tool. Hear from Swanson and other top defense technologists about all of the ways AI can help the DOD at the event; register now!
Who Is Jennifer Swanson?
Throughout her storied career, Swanson has risen the ranks to become one of the most trusted and prolific leaders within the Department of the Army.
Not-So-Humble Beginnings
In her earliest years with the service, she was a software engineer and risk analysis and management analyst. She briefly moved over to the Air Force for a stint as an operations research analyst, but returned in less than two years and has been with the Army ever since.
Building Momentum
Swanson was branch chief for wide area networks and division chief for communications and networks in the early 2000s, before rising to chief engineer in 2005, serving in this role with varying focus areas—including tactical command, control and communications—for the next decade.
Bringing Transformational Change
The executive made a major mark after being appointed director of the service’s Communications Electronics Command Software Engineering Center in 2017. At the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-based facility, she set in motion major modernization efforts in order to significantly bolster Army software delivery and strengthen cybersecurity, not to mention confidently steering a budget of $700 million and overseeing 3,000 personnel.
Current Role & Recognitions
Swanson’s success led her to creating the office she currently holds: deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software, or DASA DES. The position has given her a springboard to enact such policies and endeavors as the Unified Data Reference Architecture, or UDRA, a system meant to facilitate data-sharing amongst Pentagon program managers and the industrial base alike.
She also received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 2022, burnishing her reputation further and elevating her as an official member of the Senior Executive Service.
Acquisition Reform
Though a lifelong civil servant, Swanson is a consistent friend of industry and is always looking for ways to improve the acquisition process. Over the last couple of years, she has used the power of software to reimagine requests for proposals.
#CalibrateAI
In late 2024, Swanson’s team debuted #CalibrateAI, a pilot for a generative AI app built by LMI that is meant to expedite and fast-track acquisition user experience, according to AFCEA.
“By using off-the-shelf AI tools and leveraging cross-service authority-to-operate reciprocity granted by DOD CIO, #CalibrateAI will explore how we increase productivity while enhancing the accuracy of information,” she said. “The ability to query curated document sets for generating new content, along with providing citations, will ensure that our outputs are not only accurate but also easily fact-checked.”
As of November, Swanson announced that #CalibrateAI would team up with Project Athena, a “broader” genAI Army effort to evaluate the effectiveness of various programs that’s running through April.
Partner With Swanson on AI Projects
At the Potomac Officers Club’s fast-approaching 2025 AI Summit, you’ll have the chance to ask your burning questions about #CalibrateAI, understand her plan for the system going forward and tap into her expertise on the transformative properties of software. All of your favorite and most competitive GovCon colleagues will be flocking to the Hilton McLean in Virginia on March 20 — join them!
