Marne Innovation Team hosts Marne Week competition

By Sgt. Daniel ThompsonNovember 29, 2022

3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army 1st Lt. Madeline Isacco with the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, speaks to a panel of judges about expendable decoy emitters as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Competitions are a test of grit and toughness, foster readiness and esprit de corps, and are a fundamental part of the 3ID’s Marne Week celebration. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL
3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Quentin Fenderson, senior enlisted advisor of 3rd Infantry Division, passes a prototype of a 3-D printed tactical combat casualty care training aid to other judges as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Teams provide a 5-minute presentation to a panel of judges that include senior leaders from across the Department of Defense, academia and industry. The finalists are not only competing for Marne Week points, but also for the opportunity to work with one of 3ID’s innovation partners to bring their idea to life. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL
3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from all over 3rd Infantry Division presented innovation ideas to a panel of judges as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. During Marne Week, Dogface Soldiers throughout the Division participate in sports and other types of competitions to build team cohesion and competitive spirit. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT STEWART, Ga. — “Solving modern problems with modern technology,” is a common phrase said among 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers in the Marne Innovation Program, a program aimed at providing Soldiers with a place to explore their ideas and turn them into reality. This week, Soldiers from across 3rd ID put that notion to the test.

As 3rd Infantry Division kicked off its annual Marne Week celebration, the Marne Innovation Program joined the celebration by hosting the Marne Innovation Challenge at the 3rd ID Maker Space on Fort Stewart, Georgia Nov. 28, 2022.

“The Marne Innovation Challenge was an opportunity for Soldiers to present problems facing their battalion, and their ideas to solve them in a competitive environment,” said 1st Lt. Chris Aliperti, 3rd ID deputy innovations officer.

3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the 92nd Engineer Battalion staged an attachment for port repair for display that’s attached to a HYEX excavator as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Competitions are a test of grit and toughness, foster readiness and esprit de corps, and are a fundamental part of the 3ID’s Marne Week celebration. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL
3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Mark Vorndran with Detachment 3, 18th Combat Weather Squadron, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia, speaks to a panel of judges about 3-D printed tactical combat casualty care training aids as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Hosted by the Marne Innovations Program, 3rd ID’s budding engineers competed in a challenge that tested their mental agility while hopefully making a lasting impact on the Army as a whole. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL
3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Kevin Arcovio, with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Brigade, 1st Armored Combat Brigade Team, 3rd Infantry Division speaks to a panel of judges about barracks mold prevention as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. During Marne Week, Dogface Soldiers throughout the Division participate in sports and other types of competitions to build team cohesion and competitive spirit. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL

During this challenge, teams from all over 3rd ID provided a 5-minute presentation to a panel of judges that included senior leaders from across the Department of Defense, academia and industry. The finalists not only competed for Marne Week points, but also for the opportunity to work with one of 3ID’s innovation partners to bring their idea to life.

“Teams that presented today will get to work with 3ID partners that heard them pitch their ideas today to further develop their ideas,” said Aliperti. “The next step is the Marne Innovation Workshop at Georgia Tech where these ideas will be further developed by teams of Soldiers with students and researchers.”

The Marne Innovations Program started in June 2021 and made an instant impact by signing an educational partnership agreement with the Georgia Institute of Technology in August of that year. The program identifies current capability gaps within the 3rd ID then works with industry and academic partners to rapidly identify, develop and implement solutions while fostering a culture of a bottom-up innovation; solving today's problems with today's technology.

3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Salem Ezz, an infantryman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, speaks to 3rd ID Soldiers about his idea about a mold awareness tool as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Hosted by the Marne Innovations Program, 3rd ID’s budding engineers competed in a challenge that tested their mental agility while hopefully making a lasting impact on the Army as a whole. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL
3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers with the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, displayed an EGRI hover fly craft tethered drone as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Teams provide a 5-minute presentation to a panel of judges that include senior leaders from across the Department of Defense, academia and industry. The finalists are not only competing for Marne Week points, but also for the opportunity to work with one of 3ID’s innovation partners to bring their idea to life. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL
3rd Infantry Division 2022 Marne Week Marne Innovation Challenge
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Panzia Lawson, a cavalry scout assigned to 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, prepares to deploy the EGRI hover fly craft tethered drone as part of the Marne Innovation Challenge during Marne Week, Nov. 28, 2022 at Fort Stewart, Georgia. During Marne Week, Dogface Soldiers throughout the Division participate in sports and other types of competitions to build team cohesion and competitive spirit. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Thompson) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Daniel Thompson) VIEW ORIGINAL

Spc. Salem Ezz, an infantryman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd ID, has been working on a tool dealing with mold awareness.

“It's great programming software for this and working with the Marne Innovations Program because it’s something the Soldiers will benefit from — I’ve lived in the barracks and can empathize with that issue,” he said.

Ezz continued by encouraging Soldiers to get involved with programs such as this because of the potential impact it could have on present and future 3ID Soldiers.

The 3rd ID is currently on a modernization path that includes new equipment, weapons and vehicles across the division. The Marne Innovations Program complements this modernization push by focusing on enhancing and broadening its Soldiers intellectually through new industry and academic partnerships, and in new directions for problems.

Innovation fosters a culture of development for Soldiers by giving them technical skills learned through education while also giving time back to the Soldiers so they can focus on honing lethality. Those benefits contribute to any mission the Marne Division receives, whether it’s deploying, conducting garrison operations, or modernizing the force. As modernization continues across the Division, the Marne Innovations Program will provide Soldiers an outlet for Soldiers to innovate and solve problems.