Curriculum Vitae

Alexander (A.J.) Beal

Communications Officer (0602) & Data Systems Specialist (8846)

Professional Summary

As a software engineer and project manager within the Digital Solutions Branch at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA), I develop government-owned software tools that directly address warfighter challenges and capability gaps. In my current role my responsibilities include:

  • Designing, scoping, developing, or integrating software systems to meet validated mission needs,

  • Researching and advising on emerging technologies for potential adoption in support of Marine Corps Force Design initiatives,

  • Collaborating with DoD, industry, and academic technologists through design forums, development partnerships, and technical conferences,

  • Engaging with Fleet Marine Force stakeholders to ensure engineering efforts are aligned with credible operational requirements, and

  • Supporting additional initiatives as directed by the Division Director or MCTSSA Commanding Officer, all in support of MCTSSA’s mission to "make Marines more capable."

Skills

  • Programming Languages: Java, C, C++, Rust, and Python

  • Scripting: Microsoft PowerShell, Bash

  • Development Frameworks: TAK Plugin Development (Gradle, Kotlin), Android Studio

  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Backends: U.S. Army Tactical Data Platform (TDP), Kubernetes, Terraform.

  • Technical Skills: Tactical network design, systems integration, secure communications

  • Leadership: Team management, operations planning, project coordination

Education

  • Master of Science in Computer Science
    Naval Postgraduate School, 2024

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
    United States Naval Academy, 2018

Professional Military Education

  • Naval War College Command and Staff Course, 2024

  • Marine Corps Expedition Warfare School, 2023

  • Marine Corps Basic Communications Officer Course, 2019

  • Marine Corps Officer Basic Course, 2018

Professional Experience

Digital Solutions Officer
Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Agency (MCTSSA)
October 2024 - Present

  • Leading operational support for tactical systems in support of the Warfighter Support Division.

  • Overseeing integration and implementation of USMC software.

Communications Officer
Seventh Engineer Support Battalion, First Marine Logistics Group
March 2020 - July 2022

  • Directed team efforts in establishing secure communications networks during deployment.

  • Managed the integration of tactical data systems to support engineering operations.

Transmissions Platoon Commander
Communications Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, First Marine Logistics Group
June 2019 - March 2020

  • Led a platoon responsible for maintaining and deploying transmission systems.

  • Developed and executed training plans for junior Marines in communications technology.

Publications

  • "Secure Extension of Tactical Networks using the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) Protocol"
    Master's thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 2024

I like to work on projects with impact, and am lucky to have latitude in my work to self-direct some of the projects I work on. If you want to work together, drop me a message.

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