4-Star General Thomas Schwartz, USA, Retired, Joins AR-Enabled Work-Instruction Software Innovator, Taqtile, as Strategic Advisor

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Decorated 4-Star General Thomas A. Schwartz, USA, Ret., has joined Taqtile as a Strategic Advisor in Taqtile’s growing global defense business. General Schwartz will advise and support the evolution and adoption of the company’s trusted Manifest platform for use in the defense industry. Current usage of Manifest by military customers includes the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, the Royal Australian Navy, and other Allied defense forces, as well as OEMs and systems integrators around the globe.

Over his distinguished career, General Schwartz has held numerous leadership positions in Korea, Germany, and the U.S. Among his roles was the command of Fort Hood in Texas, the third largest military base in the U.S., with a staff of 217,000 people, including 45,000 active military personnel. At Fort Hood, Schwartz saw the need for a better way to capture and utilize the expertise of skilled operators and maintainers.

“Years ago, I envisioned a solution enabling military personnel to perform maintenance tasks and SOPs (standard operating procedures), even unfamiliar ones, consistently and safely at high proficiency levels,” stated General Schwartz. “Taqtile has created the solution that I envisioned and has taken the idea farther than I could have imagined. As the speed with which systems and equipment become more complex, there is an immediate and acute need across our armed forces to ensure readiness and operational continuity. To this end, Manifest delivers capabilities on-demand.”

Manifest is designed to empower industrial workers and military personnel to complete often complex procedures more consistently and accurately by decreasing cognitive load and stress. Personnel responsible for Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) and preventative maintenance and inspection procedures experience exceptional benefits from the Manifest platform, including access to real-time remote assistance from experts who can guide staff through complex tasks.

“It is truly an honor to have General Schwartz involved with Taqtile. In addition to being a genuine American hero and icon, when it comes to addressing the challenges of our modern military, there are few people on the planet as knowledgeable as General Schwartz,” said Dirck Schou, Co-founder and CEO of Taqtile. “With his input and counsel, the Taqtile team will continue its journey to make Manifest more effective, deployable, and useful to our military customers.”

General Schwartz graduated from West Point in 1967 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry. He received a Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart during his service in Vietnam. He earned three Master’s degrees: one in Education from Duke University; another in Personnel Management from Salve Regina University; and a third in Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He also served as Chairman of the Board for the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), dedicated to supporting all military-connected children by educating, advocating, and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with the military lifestyle.

About Taqtile

Seattle-based Taqtile is revolutionizing how deskless workers do their jobs. Taqtile exists to empower and equip people with the tools they need to complete their jobs flawlessly, accurately, every time. By leveraging proven technologies, including augmented reality, 3D visualization, and real-time collaborative communication, Taqtile’s Manifest platform empowers deskless workers to complete complex tasks more efficiently, completely, and safely than ever before. Taqtile is the 2020 Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner of the Year and a proud member of Fast Company’s “World Changing Ideas” list for two consecutive years – 2021 and 2022. For more information on Taqtile and Manifest, please visit https://taqtile.com/.