A new initiative at Georgia Tech is employing engineered solutions to tackle some of the Army’s most important mission-critical challenges. Cadets from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, spent the fall semester addressing issues faced by soldiers from Fort Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division regarding equipment and training. It was all part of the first-ever Marne Innovations Workshop.

“It challenged the cadets’ critical thinking skills and their ability to analyze a problem and come up with a solution or recommend a solution,” said Lt. Col. Clifford Woodburn, commanding officer and professor of the practice of Georgia Tech’s Army ROTC. “It also put them right in direct contact with soldiers and non-commissioned officers.”

Six Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University cadets, along with three cadets from West Point, worked in teams to examine three problems that supported the division’s goal of modernizing its unit equipment and training:

• Develop a methodology to secure and protect individual soldiers’ gear mounted to the outside of vehicles
• Identify methods to better attract and account for artillery ammunition at a moment’s notice
• Develop a predictive model for gunnery performance to identify and provide pinpointed training for soldiers with the intent to get better output of gunnery scores of weapons systems

The teams visited Fort Stewart near Savannah during the fall semester to meet with the soldiers and gain valuable intel to aid in the projects. Back on campus, cadets accessed the resources and expertise of Georgia Tech Research Institute’s (GTRI) makerspaces and innovation labs to develop and test 3D-printed and wood models.

The semester-long project culminated in a four-day workshop in early January, where the cadets, along with those from West Point, presented their solutions to the division and showcased engineered prototypes.

Like any project, the cadets were met with setbacks. But the workshop-style program gave them an opportunity to tap into their various majors — be it computer science, engineering, or international affairs — to develop a comprehensive approach to the projects.

“For me, I’m a materials science engineering major,” said Cadet Edward Jennings, who also is majoring in the Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies Russian program. “I think the 3rd Infantry Division had a good title for [the program] — the Marne Innovations Workshop. So, it’s not just coding, it’s bringing everybody together to engineer a solution.”

Beyond offering an opportunity for cadets to problem-solve real-world challenges facing today’s Army units, the workshop also created opportunities for the teams to collaborate with, and receive feedback from, active-duty servicemembers.

“When going into it … I really felt like I was just a student,” said Cadet Aryanna Rogers, a biomedical engineering major. “But I was surprised at how much the soldiers listened to me. I wasn’t really expecting them to be so supportive. So, I think them allowing me to take charge really helped develop my confidence and being able to lead. I feel like it helped me get a better understanding of the Army.”

Building those characteristics is essential to being a successful commissioned officer in the Armed Forces. And it’s something that Capt. William Buckley, an Army ROTC instructor, hopes his cadets continue to harness in their careers.

“When you have soldiers and officers try to fix an Army issue, we’re only going to think of Army solutions,” he said. “[Our cadets] have that academic mindset where they think of alternative solutions.”

The Marne Innovations Workshop will continue into the Fall 2022 semester, according to Woodburn. The 3rd Infantry Division will implement the workshop solutions over the next couple of months with some support from the cadets. By September, the workshop will begin with a new set of projects.

Photos provided by Specialist (Spc.) Daniel Thompson, Public Affairs Specialist, 50th Public Affairs Detachment, 3rd Infantry Division