About

I’m DJ Howard. I help organizations elevate their capabilities and unlock the full value of modern network automation.

favorite aragon photo derek howard 2025 12 01 3

I retired from the U.S. Army in 2024 after two decades of engineering, securing, and modernizing global communications networks. My career spanned everything from designing DoD infrastructure to automating mission-critical systems in highly secure environments.

After joining Network to Code, I advanced to Managing Consultant and helped enterprises adopt automation using Nautobot, Ansible, Python, and IaC best practices.

Through Battle Bridge Automation LLC, I now bring that combined military and industry expertise to organizations looking to modernize their networks. I help teams simplify complexity, automate with confidence, and build resilient, secure infrastructure that supports real operational outcomes.

Topics I Can Help You With

View my services
01.

Network Source of Truth (NSoT) & Data Modeling

I explore best practices for building and operationalizing a Source of Truth in enterprise and federal environments

02.

Automation Frameworks, IaC, and NetDevOps

I write and speak about building sustainable automation ecosystems using modern Infrastructure-as-Code practices

03.

Nautobot, NetBox & Source-of-Truth Platforms

I frequently contribute to and write about Nautobot and NetBox, including plugin development, advanced use cases, and real-world deployments.

04.

Air-Gapped & Highly Secure Network Automation

Drawing from hands-on DoD and federal experience, I discuss:
Automating networks disconnected from the internet
Building offline automation ecosystems
Secure deployment patterns for IaC tools

05.

Automation Program Strategy & Maturity

I help organizations plan, structure, and scale their automation journey with a clear roadmap and governance model

06.

Open Source Community & Tooling

I contribute to and advocate for open-source tools that drive the automation ecosystem forward. I share lessons learned from building and maintaining real-world projects

07.

Leadership, Team Enablement & Technical Mentorship

Beyond tooling, I focus on how to grow healthy engineering teams capable of owning automation long-term

08.

Career Growth, Skills Development & Professional Confidence

I discuss practical ways engineers can level up their careers through focused skill-building, modern practices, and mindset shifts.

If You Have Any Question,
Feel Free to Email
djhoward@battlebridgeautomation.com

Trusted guidance, hands-on engineering, and a proven approach to building sustainable automation ecosystems.

Let's Work Together