1. http://www.3ders.org/articles/20161031-3d-veterans-completes-first-educational-3d-printing-bootcamp-
aims-to-train-400-vets-per-year.html
3D Veterans completes first educational 3D printing
bootcamp, aims to train 400 vets per year
Oct 31, 2016 | By Alec
It’s one of the hidden problems of American society, only visible if it affects you or one of your
family members or close friends: veteran reintegration. Those men and women who have
made the immense sacrifice of serving their country in war are faced with very serious
challenges when trying to reinter the workforce, in part because they are still struggling with
what they have experienced and in part because the job market has fundamentally changed in
a few short years.
As these problems aren’t discussed openly enough and veteran agencies are consistently
struggling with bureaucratic and financial problems, the veterans themselves are now taking
matters in their own hands. With backing from America Makes and the Department of
Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation, 3D printing specialist David Schnepp (previously of
3D Systems) and Army Medical Corps veteran Michael Moncada have set up 3D Veterans, a
training program that provides veterans with free courses on digital processing, CAD design
and 3D printing – skills that can give them a head start when looking for jobs in the technical
sector.
The concept is ambitious. As the Obama administration revealed during Manufacturing Day
2016, 3D Veterans is seeking to train 400 veterans every year through a special bootcamp
that will be held at locations in Los Angeles, Carson, San Francisco, Philadelphia and El Paso.
Backed by a Google.org Impact Challenge grant, these are six-week long intensive courses
that will enable veterans to get to grips with all the tools and skills necessary to build up a
second career. Even startup creation advice is provided. Aside from veterans, active military
personnel and Transitioning Service Members are also welcome. “Our missions align with the
President Of The United States efforts to revitalize American manufacturing and encourage
companies to invest in the United States. 3D Veterans aims to bridge the gap of skilled
manufacturing workers with highly skilled Veterans,” the founders say.

2. As the cofounders explain, veterans need to be empowered to use today’s technologies and be
enabled to work towards self-sustainability, career marketability, and innovative problem
solving. To make this possible, they are already actively involving the Veteran Community and
subject matter experts to make lessons as relevant and educational as possible. “Providing our
veterans in-depth, hands-on training in 3D Printing and the various supporting technologies
such as 3D scanning and design software, gives them many of the necessary skill sets required
in the digital workplace. We are excited to work with America Makes on this very important
and high-impact initiative,” co-founder Schnepp said.
Fortunately, all partners were immediately convinced of the value of this 3D printing initiative.
“We are incredibly honored to be giving back to our veteran community through a workforce
development effort of this kind. Working together with funding partners, government agencies,
and private companies in this high-impact project for our veterans demonstrates the strength
of collaboration and the success we can realize when we work together for a common
purpose,” said America Makes Founding Director and NCDMM Executive Director, Ralph
Resnick.
And its first effects are already being felt, as the inaugural bootcamp was held earlier this
fall at St. Philip's College in San Antonio, Texas. Leading the six-week bootcamp was co-
founder Michael Moncada, who focused on project-based learning activities. “Participants will
design and create prototypes for assisted devices that can have real impact for disabled
veterans. As the program expands, these prototypes can be used to demonstrate quality-of-life
improvements and eventually become real products,” he said when kicking off the project.
Marine veteran Len Arroyo was among the select group of fifteen vets who participated in the
six-week event, and jumped at the opportunity as soon as he heard of its existence. “This is
considered the third industrial revolution, because of how fast its moving and changing our
lives,” Arroyo, 59, said, during a break. “If we continue on this path, veterans will be able to
feed their families through this program.”
With the help of two teaching assistants, Moncada taught the students about eight different 3D
printing methods, and led them through the design of several prototype prosthetic devices.
“Imagination is the only limitation,” Moncada said. “They can make anything from a cubic inch
to 10 feet wide.”

3. Retired U.S. Army Major and participant Joshua Munch quickly found a project for himself.
Having served in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was particularly struck by the difficulties faced by
those veterans who lost limbs or limb functionality due to bomb and bullet wounds. After
researching assistive items for these people, he noted that many struggle with the ‘simple’
task of drinking through a straw. “People have challenges holding a straw in a glass and end
up spilling cups trying to get to their straw because they don't have use of their fingers or
they're missing limbs,” Munch told CNN reporters.
Munch, who has served in the Army for 17 years, therefore chose to design a straw-holding
device that clips onto the lip of a cup and keeps the straw stationary. It took about a week to
prototype and just 20 minutes to 3D print, while conventional objects of that size could take
months to prototype with other technologies. Following advice from his kids, Munch further
added various animal themes and stylistic options, ending up with a viable tool many disabled
veterans can use. “If I get this out there into the veterans' community, to be able to give back
to those that you worked with and served with, that's the big benefit to it,” Munch said.
Other objects created during this pilot program include a prosthetic hand and a 3D printed
lightweight ankle attachment that enables leg prosthetics to be worn comfortably. Former
Army Military Intelligence Officer Shawn Tillman, another participant, designed a case for
organizing diabetic medical tools. While already more functional and fashionable than existing
cases, Tillman is now working to ensure that the 3D printed case also stores the crucial insulin
at stable temperatures. She is even looking into options to combine 3D printing with her new
career as physical therapist and yoga instructor.
The inaugural 3D printing bootcamp is thus a huge success, and if anything greatly improves
the confidence of veterans – convincing them that they can start a non-military career as well.
If all goes well, 400 veterans can be trained over the coming year.