Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Awarded Nearly $2 Million USDOT SMART Grant

DURANT, Okla. — The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has received a nearly $2 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), marking a major milestone in advancing healthcare logistics and transportation innovation across the reservation.

Chief Gary Batton stated: ‘Our people deserve timely, high-quality healthcare no matter where they live. This SMART Grant allows us to harness cutting-edge technology—drones, robotics, and intelligent logistics—to better serve our tribal members across rural and hard-to-reach areas.’

James Grimsley, Executive Director of Advanced Technology Initiatives, said: ‘This project is a prime example of innovation meeting a critical need. By reducing dependency on rural highways, we can make healthcare delivery safer and faster.”

Stan Caldwell, USDOT SMART Grants Program Director, stated: ‘The Choctaw Nation’s success with advanced drone integration shows what the SMART program is designed to achieve—technology-driven solutions that improve safety, reliability, and quality of life.’

The initiative positions the Choctaw Nation as a national leader in rural medical drone operations and transportation innovation, aiming to improve diagnostic times, emergency response, and prescription delivery across the reservation.