Participants Recognized by National Guard Leadership; Prototypes Continue Operating After Training Concludes
LAWTON, Okla., Aug. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Staff Sgt. Herbert Hailey of the Oklahoma Army National Guard attended a two-day Skillquest AI Readiness Lab in May 2026 and left with a deployed AI tool projected to save 61,000 work hours annually across the Guard. The U.S. Army published an independent account of the achievement on army.mil, the official Army news website.
Hailey entered with no prior platform experience. His tool, built on the Army’s Vantage platform, automates military awards eligibility review. Within the Recruiting and Retention Battalion alone, it eliminates 483 hours of administrative work per award cycle.
Hailey’s prototype was one of several that participants continued developing after the lab. Maj. Christopher Hales built a leadership data dashboard during the course that has since been made operational, projected to save hundreds of Senior Leader hours per year. Both Hailey and Hales were formally recognized for their contributions. Soldiers leave the lab with working tools they continue to build on.
“Watching these Soldiers go from zero to working tools against their own data in two days was genuinely impressive,” said Corbin Fonville, CEO of Skillquest. “Staff Sgt. Hailey’s recognition by General Steven S. Nordhaus and the National Guard Bureau is a testament to what these Soldiers can do when they are given the right training.”
“Staff Sgt. Hailey’s initiative demonstrates the kind of innovation that keeps the Oklahoma National Guard moving forward,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, Adjutant General of Oklahoma. “Guardsmen at every level are finding new ways to solve problems, improve efficiency and allow our Soldiers and Airmen to focus on what matters most: remaining ready to support our state and federal missions.”
Skillquest coordinates AI Readiness Labs for National Guard and other military units across multiple states. Individual registration options are available for Soldiers and units interested in participating. Learn more at skillquest.io/ailab.
About Skillquest
Skillquest (skillquest.io) is an AI and coding education company serving U.S. military personnel. Its AI Readiness Labs bring participants from zero platform experience to working prototypes in two days, using real organizational data. Skillquest is headquartered in Lawton, Oklahoma.
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SOURCE Skillquest
