Project CONVERGENCE 2022

From September 28th to November 13th , ten members of 3ACS Bn, two members of 5 FS Bn and a small team from Army HQ Mil Cap Plans consisting of Lt Col Reith, Maj Shand, Capt Burns, 2Lt Champion along with Mr Andre Crawford and Mike Holman were in California supporting and testing new equipment for Project CONVERGENCE 2022 (PC22) at the National Training Centre (NTC) in Fort Irwin. This was the first time British and Australian troops have been invited to participate alongside American troops on their primary technology experimentation exercise.

Leaving the UK at 2am on a very cold morning we made our way to London Heathrow airport to get an 8-hour flight to Newark airport and our first taste of what was to come – Heat! When we first arrived in Newark it was only around 20 degrees and little did we know that five hours later when we arrived at Las Vegas Airport, the temperature would be a shocking 35 degrees; which according to locals, wasn’t too hot. Many of the troops jetlagged and carrying heavy bags, were surprised by the news that this would be our new average temperature. Over the following three days we would attempt to climatise ourselves just in time for the REME’s birthday. We struggled to find a cake that was red, blue and yellow so we settled for a very American red, white and blue but with no vehicle and 40-minute walk in the heat, ice cream cake was off the menu.

The following week we prepared for Scenario A, where five soldiers would travel down to Camp Pendleton near San Diego. Our purpose during Scenario A was straight forward and relatively easy; to set the conditions for Scenario B and to test the Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D printing equipment. In true REME style however, we stole the show by 3D printing the first ever US part using a British printer (which gained a lot of attention; particularly from the US (Gen Daly, Comd US Materiel Command). This showcased our interoperability and compatibility with US troops and equipment.

Upon completion of Scenario A, we returned back to Fort Irwin, by which time our equipment had arrived from the UK and we set about prepping all of our vehicles and equipment for scenario B. 5 FS Bn brought their Makerspace 3D printing shop to showcase their Additive Manufacturing capabilities with two very impressive printers and a sizeable workspace. Towards the end of the preparation week, we had the opportunity to go on a Blackhawk helicopter flight, sadly, after all preflight safety briefs we were told that the flight clearance had been cancelled at the last minute. We did however get to have a look around the helicopter with an opportunity to take photos.

The team also took the opportunity to travel to Las

Vegas for a short but well-deserved break before Scenario B started. Cfn Hankins demonstrated his artistic flare and painted the 20 Brigade and 3 ACS BN Insignia onto one of the rocks on the Fort Irwin Rock pile; marking their presence at Fort Irwin and PC22. A smaller 20X rock was presented to the Brigade Commander to be placed outside of his home (and Cfn Hankins was awarded a Brigade Commanders Coin for his excellent skills).

Starting Scenario B, the team was faced with multiple tasks in terms of Additive Manufacturing. The 5 FS Bn tech team were hard at work with the Makerspace, whilst 3 ACS BN Metalsmiths were hard at work recreating the same if not better results out of metal machining. This provided a great opportunity for interoperability. In order to source the steel for the projects the Metalsmith team had to travel to two different parts of Fort Irwin and in the process got to meet and work with their respective counter parts within the US ARMY.

A large part of Scenario B was creating Augmented Reality maintenance guides to test their capabilities and potential use in future ES tasks. The first guide was a simple maintenance task on a Landover Defender and was tested on US ARMY troops. The second guide saw two members of 3 ACS BN conduct a similar task on American equipment. All in all, the new technology was widely praised by both groups and has a large potential in future ES tasks and training. Upon finishing the Scenario, the troops took all the equipment out in the field for Distinguished Visitors (DV) Day where they were visited by multiple VIP’s including DCGS and several US ARMY Generals (throughout both scenarios there were an estimated 225 stars that visited). The Deployable Machine Shop (DMS) and Makerspace 3D printing equipment were of keen interest and very well received by the VIPs.

In the closing days of PC22, the remaining soldiers in Fort Irwin took the opportunity to get a photo and have a Remembrance Service; which was attended by both British and American troops with a reading by an American Padre. The team then took the time to reflect on their experiences here and excitedly pack their bags to come home. Although only six weeks had passed, the team has faced some difficult challenges, four birthdays and multiple lifelong memories having had the opportunity to travel to San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas whilst meeting and engaging with multiple US and Australian ARMY service personnel. Overall, it was an amazing opportunity which will be remembered by all troops involved.