David Buxton

Today marks Six months in as SOCPAC CTO, and it somehow feels like both yesterday and six years ago. When I stepped into this role, we were behind the curve. Legacy systems, siloed data, and slow processes held us back. In just half a year, we’ve laid a Foundational Technical Architecture that gave us a modern backbone for data, AI, and autonomy. Since then, we’ve: 1. Unified our digital foundation for secure, scalable operations 2. Embedded AI and LLMs into daily workflows to speed decisions 3. Deployed containerized AI agents across all networks 4. Integrated autonomy at the edge, moving toward true man–machine teaming 5. Shifted our culture from cautious adoption to championing innovation The result? We’re no longer catching up, we’re setting the pace. What once felt like a distant goal is now part of our daily reality. All of this happened in six months, which is why it feels so surreal. It took countless late nights, cross-functional sprints, and the relentless dedication of an amazing team. I'm humbled by the trust the organization placed in me to drive this transformation, and I'm grateful to every person who rolled up their sleeves to make it real. This was truly a team effort, from the junior analysts using our new AI tools to the senior leaders who empowered us to take bold risks. And we’re just getting started. The foundation is in place, but now we get to build on it. In the next chapter, we'll be refining and scaling these capabilities, drilling deeper into AI-enhanced decision-making, and pushing the envelope on autonomous operations. The technology will keep evolving, and so will we. Our goal remains the same: give our operators a decisive edge, making it an extension of the warfighter and keep innovating responsibly. I’m humbled by what the team accomplished in such a short time, and excited for what’s next. The foundation is in place. Now we build on it. Six months down, and the journey is just beginning.

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AI at Spotnana isn’t a side project or flashy add-on. It’s at the heart of how we build. Over the past year, we’ve made a key shift across our PODs: instead of asking “How would I solve this?”, we now ask “How would AI solve this faster, safer, and with the customer at the center?” That change has transformed how we work. We’re seeing 5x the impact with less effort, because AI isn’t just sprinkled in, it’s baked into our roadmaps, reviews, and metrics. Our stack reflects this mindset: Claude Code (Anthropic) drives backend and agentic workflows, while Cursor powers frontend changes and smart refactors. And with AI Monday demos, teams share wins, live demos, and playbooks turning individual breakthroughs into company-wide momentum. The results are huge. Integrations that once took months now go live in days. Engineers spend less time on grunt work and more time solving hard problems. Things we thought were impossible in the legacy travel stack are now shipping in weeks. What we’re learning: - AI is a multiplier when paired with strong engineering judgment. - It has to live in your product roadmap, not a lab on the side. - The real wins come from habits and workflows, not shiny models (they help big time though). - Travel tech is being rewritten, and AI-first engineering is the catalyst. A big thank you to all Spotters worldwide who’ve embraced this change. The progress we’ve made together is incredible. If you're an engineer or product leader fired up about rewiring critical infra with AI, hit me up. The travel stack's getting a full rewrite, and we're leading the charge. #AIInnovation #TravelTech #Spotnana

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