Bio: Allen Geist is a career Air Force officer and national security practitioner with extensive operational experience across electronic combat, C5ISR, and advanced training missions. He has held senior positions including Commander of the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, Director of Operations for multiple combat and training units, and Staff Officer and Executive Officer within U.S. Strategic Command’s J8 Capabilities and Requirements Directorate. He has served as a B-1 Instructor and Evaluator Weapons Systems Officer, an Air Force Liaison Officer to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Today, he brings that operational insight to the National Strategic Research Institute, where he helps drive research and technology solutions that strengthen the nation’s strategic deterrence and counter-WMD posture.

Membership Details

Forum: The Open Group SOSA® Consortium

Country: United States

Membership Level: Associate

Q. How long have you been involved with The Open Group?

The National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska joined in July 2026.

Q. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?

As a research director at the National Strategic Research Institute, I help deliver research, technology, and operational insight that support U.S. Strategic Command’s (USSTRATCOM) electromagnetic spectrum operation (EMSO) mission. NSRI is a University Affiliated Research Center established in 2012 and sponsored by USSTRATCOM, one of only 15 UARCs designated by the Department of War.

In this role, I focus on connecting operational requirements with innovative academic and technical capabilities — ensuring the Department of War can rapidly access expertise to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Q. Why did your organization become a Member of The Open Group SOSA® Consortium and what does/will your involvement look like?

Operating effectively in the electromagnetic spectrum is critical to every Department of War mission. USSTRATCOM leads the EMS enterprise, and success in this domain increasingly depends on modular systems built on open, common standards.

Through participation in The Open Group SOSA® Consortium, NSRI stays closely aligned with current standards development and the broader technical conversation shaping future EMS and C5ISR capabilities. My involvement includes contributing operational perspective, engaging in discussions around sensors and payloads, and ensuring NSRI’s research efforts remain connected to the standards that matter for joint and coalition interoperability.

Q. How has/will membership in The Open Group benefit you, your organization, and the industry at large?

Membership strengthens NSRI’s ability to translate operational needs into relevant research by giving us visibility into emerging standards, architectures, and best practices that drive modernization across the EMS and C5ISR enterprise.

For the industry, broad collaboration around open standards reduces fragmentation, accelerates development timelines, and supports the shared national security goal of delivering rapidly adaptable capabilities.

Q. Why is it important for other organizations to join The Open Group?

The Open Group plays a significant role in advancing technical standards that enable interoperability across government, industry, and academia. A wide cross-section of participation helps ensure those standards reflect diverse operational and technical perspectives — which strengthens the broader national security ecosystem.

Q. What are your hobbies? 

Physical activity and exercise

Q. What book are you currently reading?

“Never Split the Difference”

Q. What social networks do you belong to? LinkedIn

Q. Any last thoughts? 

NSRI welcomes collaboration. You can learn more about our strategic deterrence and nuclear programs at nsri.nebraska.edu/nuclear and our EMSO efforts at nsri.nebraska.edu/jemso.

Date Published: August 14, 2026