DVIDS – News – LEAD staff brief Forward Repair Capability in Guam

Letterkenny Army Depot staff Kate Williams, director of strategic management, and Ashley Filling, process engineering division chief and cold spray engineering lead integrator, took significant steps toward advancing LEAD repair capabilities during a recent visit to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 22-25, 2024.

The team visited the military installation to identify a location for depot operations, starting with a pop-up cold spray unit that will house air and missile defense systems, as well as construction and other equipment used by the joint forces.

“We were there with the intention of delivering supply solutions where they are needed, starting with a technology that will have the most immediate impact on the force,” said Williams. “This was an excellent opportunity to educate stakeholders on pop-up cold spray application and other supply efforts the depot can provide.”

Cold spraying is a process in which powdered material is accelerated through a supersonic nozzle with compressed gas. This results in solidification due to the impact of the particles at high speed and strong plastic deformation.

Letterkenny-trained technicians can perform this non-structural repair on both aluminium and steel ground equipment. The process reduces the cost and time of replacement and offers the opportunity to prevent frame corrosion, improving equipment availability and soldier safety. Repairs to steel provide additional corrosion protection.

To establish the Forward Repair Activity in Guam, LEAD will acquire a “pop-up” service package. This includes equipment, a materials laboratory, and engineering services. LEAD will station a cold spray technician in Guam and is also preparing follow-on support packages to provide support capabilities either temporarily or permanently.

According to Filling, deploying portable cold sprays on Guam would enable Soldiers and assets to remain operational, save on ocean transportation, stop environmental corrosion degradation, save money and time, simplify end-user logistics, and provide logistics flexibility and Soldier training.

“The soldiers and civilians who carry out their missions in Guam have demonstrated great dedication, competence and resourcefulness,” Williams said. “They carry out their missions with a clear purpose and the knowledge that they are on the border of the free world.”

“To support them – that’s why we exist. Guam is growing and currently the joint forces are operating in a constrained environment that largely lacks the capabilities that our depot could provide.

“This is an opportunity to test our capabilities, our operational processes and ourselves, and to help our Soldiers accomplish our mission in an immediately meaningful way. If we do it right in Guam, we can make a big difference in a short amount of time.”