Securing America’s future in space requires protecting vital assets on Earth and in orbit, while also pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. Former NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) SkillBridge Fellow Arthur “AJ” Thibert has forged a unique career at this intersection, merging national defense and data analytics. As a former scientist, he’s a critical thinker with a knack for translating complex research findings into actionable insights. As a U.S. Air Force and Space Force veteran, he’s adept at leading intelligence teams that support vital aerospace and satellite operations. Today, he’s combining his technical skills and military acumen to help the Navy chart another frontier: the depths of the ocean.
Growing up, Thibert aspired to be an astronaut, performing spacewalks and conducting science experiments in microgravity. This fascination with discovery led him to the University of Central Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He went on to complete his PhD at the University of California, Davis, using ultra-fast lasers to study how microscopic materials interact with light.
Even as he immersed himself in the minute world of chemical interactions, Thibert still maintained high-altitude aspirations. Once he finished his PhD, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Instead, he was recruited as an intelligence officer, putting his analytical skills to the test while aiding global drone operations. He spent 3 years at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, where he led a team of analysts who helped pilots and sensor operators track emerging threats and guide mission-critical decisions in real time.
Next, Thibert was stationed in Washington, DC, as an intelligence officer at the National Reconnaissance Office. There, he aided acquisitions by ensuring next-generation satellite technology could effectively support the military’s tactical needs.
To bolster his expertise in imagery analysis, he transferred to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in 2019 and enrolled in the Junior Officer Geospatial Intelligence Program. Through this program, he learned how to direct satellite data collection, analyze thermal imagery, write daily intelligence reports, and evaluate threats to U.S. space operations.
Around this time, the U.S. Space Force was established as the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years. Thibert applied to transfer as soon as he could; he viewed it as a natural career progression and an opportunity to protect Earth from the ultimate high ground.
“While the Air Force leverages certain space capabilities, such as the Global Positioning System, the Space Force specializes in defending space assets,” Thibert explained. “These assets include satellites and the International Space Station, as well as launch sites.”
In 2024, as his Space Force service commitment drew to a close, Thibert decided to participate in the Department of War’s SkillBridge Program, which offers military members hands-on industry training during their last 180 days of service. He set his sights on securing a fellowship at the agency that first spurred his interest in space: NASA. He ultimately accepted an offer from the OIG, working in the Office of Data Analytics (ODA).
During his 6-month fellowship, Thibert tackled two primary projects. The first involved conducting in-depth interviews with OIG special agents to understand their workflows and daily operations. The information Thibert gathered helped ODA determine which custom tools they’d need to develop to best support ongoing investigations. For his second project, Thibert learned how to use a software tool called Power BI to build data analytics dashboards. These dashboards tracked key performance metrics, allowing OIG business units to easily visualize personnel management trends and streamline decision making.
“I appreciated that these projects reflected the two main themes of my career,” Thibert said. “The qualitative interviews tapped into the people-focused, collaborative skills I developed as a military officer, while the Power BI dashboards allowed me to exercise the technical expertise I built as a researcher.”
Power BI is a useful tool to know as a government data analyst, he explained, because he remembers it was a sought-after skill when he was applying for jobs post-fellowship. “Having the OIG at the top of my resume also helped catch the attention of potential employers,” he added.
Today, Thibert is a civilian data analyst at the Naval Oceanographic Office, which gathers data about global seas to help the Navy operate safely and effectively. He uses tools like Python and ArcGIS to manage these vast data collections, performing quality control assessments and ensuring the Navy has accurate, easily retrievable marine data for its daily operations. Even now, he’s not too far from NASA—the Naval Oceanographic Office shares a campus with Stennis Space Center.
“I’m grateful for my OIG SkillBridge Fellowship, because it helped me return to my hands-on, technical roots,” he said. “Without the fellowship, it would have been much harder to transition from my managerial role as an intelligence officer to my current coding-heavy position.”
From air to Earth to sea, Thibert is once again in his element, operating at the intersection of national defense and scientific discovery to advance human exploration.
