Erik B. Eldridge joined Collins Aerospace in September 2019. He is currently a Senior Principal System Engineer within the Collins Mission Engineering Operations Analysis (MEOA) Team supporting Connected Battlespace and Emerging Capabilities (CBEC) portfolio. Prior to that served on the Systems Engineering Integration & Test Team of the Collins Mounted Assured PNT System.
Erik was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and graduated from Benton Community High School. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993 where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in History (General Engineering). From Naval Postgraduate School, he earned a Masters of Science Degree in Information Warfare Systems Engineering in 2008 and completed additional post-graduate education by completion of the Lead Systems Integrator certificate program in 2017 and the Aircraft Combat Survivability Short Course in 2024.
Erik retired from the Marine Corps in May 2013 after serving 20 years as an Artillery Officer. He served in a variety of leadership, command, and staff positions within the Operating Force billets (artillery, infantry, and support organizations at Camp Lejeune, NC & Camp Pendleton, CA). He also served in Supporting Establishment at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1 as a Fire Support Instructor, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development & Integration (DC CD&I)/Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC) as a Branch Head/Capability Integration Officer, and Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations (DC PP&O) as the resident Technical Information Operations Officer at Headquarters Marine Corps (Pentagon).
Although Erik’s military career primarily encapsulated targeting, planning, and operational execution, he has extensive experience in specific areas of multi-functional information operations/warfare, including cyberspace, space, electronic warfare, special operations, military information support operations, and special technical operations. He is a graduate of numerous military training courses and professional military education venues and the recipient of numerous military awards, both personal and unit. His combat deployments include Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR during Balkans contingency operations in 1995 to 1996, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM from February 2005 to February 2006, and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM from March 2010 to March 2011.
Upon his retirement from active duty, he served 19 months as the lead government civilian Regional IO Planner for Regional Support Team One, Marine Corps Information Operations Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico focusing upon the U.S. Central Command & U.S. Southern Command area of operations. During this time period, he directly supported Operation INHERENT RESOLVE efforts and actions for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command.
In Sept 2014, he transferred to Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) as a government civilian general engineer. While at NAWCWD, he supported many developmental and integration efforts of multiple naval aviation platforms, weapons systems, and mission engineering analysis. His last NAWCWD assignment was as the Technical Project Lead for the Rapid Attack Information Dissemination Exchange Relay (RAIDER) portfolio which included several independent software applications related system/platform agnostic integration of tactical data links, standards defined roles, and enabling mission level lethality. The RAIDER Team’s efforts were recognized in 2018 receiving the Dr. Delores M. Etter Award in the Teams Collaborating Across the Naval Research and Development Establishment by ASN(RDT&E) and in 2019 receiving the NAWCWD Warfighter Support Award.
Erik is a member of the Marine Corps Association, United States Field Artillery Association, Association of Old Crows, Association of the United States Army, and National Defense Industrial Association. He is married to the former Katie Wisecarver of Yuma, AZ. They have three children and two grandchildren.
I have known NPS through my NASA work, both at Goddard Space Flight Center, and at Ames Research Center. NPS has impressed me as an organization that combines forefront education with world-class research, all targeting something very dear to my heart: National Defense. Here, as in my prior positions, I see research and innovation as a critical necessity and also a tremendous opportunity. We need research excellence to take our warfighter education to the very forefront of knowledge, to make them critical thinkers and excellent decisionmakers in their future career. Our research and innovation thrive when focused on relevant applications in the Fleet and beyond – just as NASA research focuses on NASA needs and goals. This is our north star, and my goal is to nurture, support, and incentivize it.
Going beyond my personal emotions as a former NASA leader, Artemis II is an inspiration for all, NASA, the Country, and the entire world. It shows what dedication, focus, and inspiration can accomplish at the highest level. Artemis II is a huge step to humanity’s destination: the moon. Our national goal is to lead the world to establish permanent residence there, expanding human presence beyond Earth. Looking farther out, the experience, technologies, and lessons learned in lunar exploration will be invaluable as we look toward the next objective: the planet Mars.
Naturally, we at NPS are tremendously proud that two of our alumni served on the mission, adding to the more than 40 astronauts educated at NPS. Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover are the latest very visible example of leaders shaped by NPS education. NPS is focused on conveying knowledge and analytic skills that are key for future leaders, whether they become senior military officers, or astronauts. This education has been exceptionally successful for many decades and through many changes – a testament to the quality of research and education here at the School.
NPS student experience and background is absolutely essential to all the research and development work we are doing here. Together with the advisors, students define and shape their research projects so that they are relevant for the operational environments the students come from. This direct input ensures that research remains grounded in real-world needs. In many cases results will therefore make it to applications, whether they are under water, on the surface, in the air, or in space. Lastly, as the students move on to their next deployment, they take that knowledge with them, making them highly effective capability users and decision-makers. This is the second part of the dual transition to operation of NPS research: through the development itself, and through the brains of our students.
Connections to organizations like NASA, other government labs, academia and industry are fundamental to stimulating first-rate research, to execute research in partnerships, and to bring research to the end user. NPS can point to a long list of exceptionally successful partnerships – a list that continues to grow. Because research excellence is required for education at the forefront of knowledge, these linkages also support education very strongly. Partnering is therefore critical to NPS mission success in developing the next generation of leaders, and in conducting forefront research.
The Naval Innovation Center is a key enabler for connecting NPS with sponsors and partners in a focused, mission-driven way. It brings together operational problems, faculty expertise, and student experience in a focused, mission-driven way to accelerate the development of relevant solutions. Initiatives such as the Digital Trident AI Challenge and Converge @ NPS operate within this framework, creating structured opportunities to engage partners and rapidly move from problem definition to prototype. By anchoring these activities, the NIC strengthens both research and education, ensuring alignment with real-world needs while preparing students to translate innovation into operational impact.
