On February 26, Seekr announced that it has appointed COL (Ret.) Joel Babbitt as vice president, Army and SOCOM programs. Babbitt brings more than 30 years of experience driving growth and executing large-scale U.S. Department of Defense programs, with a track record of advancing mission capabilities across command and control, tactical networking, satellite communications, and electronic warfare.
Babbitt joins Seekr from Viasat, where he served as vice president of Army strategy and business development. In that role, he oversaw major Army engagements, including initiatives supporting the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) program and a program refresh that unlocked a new $2B set of Mobile Network opportunities. He also led capture efforts across programs including Link 16, satellite communications, and electronic warfare.
Babbitt is widely recognized for his long-time role as the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Special Operations Forces – Warrior Systems at US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). In that capacity he oversaw 10 joint program offices responsible for developing, procuring, and delivering extensive materiel support to USSOCOM forces worldwide. As the Principal Program Manager for the Army’s Tactical Network, he led the development, procurement, and fielding of secure Wi-Fi to tactical Army units. As the Product Manager for the Army’s Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (WESS), he led the fielding of ground infrastructure and control capabilities for the Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) constellation and other constellations in support of the Air Force WGS Program Office, Missile Defense Agency, DISA, and US Army Strategic Command.
In his new role at Seekr, Babbitt will be responsible for building on Seekr’s existing Army and SOCOM wins and scaling them across key defense programs. He will focus on delivering decision-ready, explainable, and sovereign AI to soldiers, supporting Seekr’s mission to bring secure, fully explainable AI to cloud and on-premises environments wherever warfighters operate.
“Joel has a rare mix of strategic vision and field-level credibility, where he’s helped shape Army priorities, build coalitions that move fast, and translate complex technology into capability at scale,” said Rob Clark, president of Seekr. “As we expand our partnership with the Army and SOCOM, Joel is exactly the leader we want at the table: mission-first, program-savvy, and relentlessly focused on delivering trusted outcomes.”
“Seekr is already proving what trusted, explainable AI can do in mission environments and now it’s time to broaden that impact,” said Babbitt. “I look forward to getting trustworthy decision-ready AI capabilities in operators’ hands to solve military problems securely, quickly, at a pace previously not possible in the environments where it matters most.”
Source: Seekr
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