Soldiers at Army MakerSpace were asked to produce 500 small blue and yellow crosses for soldiers from the 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (7RAR), to give to Ukrainian trainees when deployed on Operation Kudu.
Chaplain Luke Skipper, of 7RAR, came up with the idea of producing the crosses after seeing some of the pieces previously produced by 7RAR members at the facility.
“Several soldiers from the battalion have been using MakerSpace for some time, producing some really great items, so I knew they would be able to help make something for our deployment,” Chaplain Skipper said.
“I then canvassed what would be doable for 500-plus troops and approached MakerSpace with the idea of crosses, asking if we could do them in the Ukrainian colours of blue and yellow on their 3D printers.”
Edinburgh Defence Precinct site supervisor Caleb Durston said the crosses were created using the 3D printing capability and plastic filament available on site.
Mr Durston said it was a great use of the facility and a good example of its broad potential.
“Ultimately it will have an impact on many people; from those involved in the making to those recipients who will hopefully cherish them,” Mr Durston said.
A local Ukrainian priest blessed the crosses during a farewell to the contingent on January 8.
“The Ukrainian trainees will be able to take these small but sturdy crosses back to the frontlines,” Chaplain Skipper said.
Acting Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the crosses were a symbol of hope that the Ukrainian people would be successful in the defence of their nation and again live in peace and freedom.
“These crosses will be taken by members of the Australian Defence Force to the UK and provided to their [Ukrainian] compatriots as a symbol of the solidarity and the bonds that exist between our two nations,” Mr Thistlethwaite said.
Mr Durston said Makerspace was waiting for the next challenge.
“MakerSpace exists to enable any soldier, regardless of rank or role, to receive mentoring, and bring both personal and Defence ideas to life, while giving them access to a wide variety of emerging technology, as well as traditional tooling at no cost to themselves or their unit,” Mr Durston said.
