EXERCISE STEM CHALLENGE 2018

Ex STEM Challenge 2018 was a weeklong Cadet Camp, with the focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

The camp hosted cadets from the Combined and Army Cadet Forces, including 17 from Northern Ireland. The camp consisted of a series of activities and short lessons on how the modern British Army makes use of the wide range of technology it has at its disposal. The cadets were broken up into two groups, group one being cadets who will be deciding which GCSE subjects to choose or who have just started studying their STEM GCSE subjects. Group Two consisted of Cadets who are working towards their exams in STEM GCSE subjects and those who are studying STEM subjects at A-Level or who are studying vocational qualifications at further education colleges.

During the Camp, the cadets took part in stands hosted by the following cap badges:

Royal Signals – demonstrating a range of state of the art military communications equipment and the latest cyber security initiatives.

Royal Artillery – discussing the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for battlefield surveillance and information gathering, along with a practical session operating drones.

Royal Logistics Corps  – showing how the Army is sustained in the field, including munitions, fuels and an explosives demonstration.

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) – showing how modern equipment is recovered and repaired.

Army Air Corps – discussing rotary wing (helicopter) flight.

Royal Engineers – providing insights into how military engineering can keep an army mobile, including the use of bridging equipment.

All who participated agreed that the Camp had been another successful STEM camp and the cadets left with a wealth of knowledge, they wouldn’t have gained otherwise. It just goes to show “You can be a scientist, without wearing a lab coat”.