Coffee & Conversation with Dr. Timothy Wood
January 15, 2025 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM
On Wednesday, January 15, INSA hosted a virtual Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Timothy Wood, Deputy Office Chief, Machine-Assisted Analytic Rapid-Repository System (MARS), DIA, and Bishop Garrison, VP for Policy, INSA.
Dr. Wood opened the conversation by describing the MARS program and how it fits into the overall mission of the DIA. As the foundational military intelligence authoritative repository, MARS gets data and intelligence faster to augment the human-in-the-loop for foundational military intelligence. MARS digitizes information and makes it understandable by both humans and machines to ensure that we keep pace with the world we live in today.
He emphasized that the open-source community is highly valuable to the DIA. Dr. Wood stated that if OSINT material is relevant to the mission, the DIA will integrate it with classified sources to paint a more holistic picture. He also noted that OSINT enables information sharing which builds confidence in the intelligence that is produced. Dr. Wood highlighted that opportunities for private sector collaboration with the DIA can be found at NeedipeDIA.
Dr. Wood continuously identified time as one of the greatest hurdles to operationalizing data and cultivating a decision advantage in the field. Ensuring that analysts and overseers can consume, trace, and act upon MARS’s output is key. The hope for MARS, he emphasized, is to maintain accuracy while delivering valid, mission-relevant intelligence at an increasingly fast pace.
He closed by restating that as policy changes, the DIA is prepared to implement and execute its mission. MARS is helping it do so at an accelerated pace.
