A U.S. Marine has developed a 3D-printed replacement for a commonly broken antenna mast used in a key military communications system, significantly reducing costs and supply delays across multiple units.
In a news release, the Marine Corps said Lance Cpl. Eirick Schule, an engineer equipment operator with 2nd Distribution Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, developed a replacement for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) antenna mast in April 2025 while assigned to the II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Innovation Campus, after identifying a recurring issue with damaged masts.
The original fiberglass mast, prone to breaking from repeated use and environmental exposure, had rendered dozens of antennas unusable. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Pine estimated the worth of damaged masts across the Marine Corps at more than $1 million.
“I went to a joint exercise in April 2025, and we looked at how many of these pieces were broken across the Marine Corps, and it was over one million dollars’ worth,” said Pine. “Since then, the II MEF Innovation Campus has taken more of an initiative in seeking out problems and helping other units with supply issues.”
The Marine Corps said Marines with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines tested the replacement mast during a monthlong field exercise and confirmed the components functioned as intended.
After seeing the success of the replacement piece, Pine said he realized the need for replacements extended far beyond a single Marine Corps unit.
Prior to Schule’s innovation, replacing a MUOS antenna mast often required ordering the entire antenna assembly, costing the Marine Corps $5,644.37 and taking more than seven months to deliver. Schule’s design costs roughly $10 and takes about 10 hours to complete.
Since its development, the II MEF Innovation Campus has produced 107 units. Of those, 40 replacement parts went to the 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
In addition, 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Combat Readiness Regiment, 1st Marine Logistics Group, has used Schule’s design to produce 67 additional replacement parts for multiple units across Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.
“With the production of 107 antenna masts since the original creation, Schule’s design has saved the Marine Corps an estimated $600,000 and over 60 years of combined supply wait time,” the Marine Corps said.
Don’t knock the 1345 MOS Community!!
Goes to show us just how much these military eqyipment contractors over charge our military because they can. Nobody is paying atrocious to these costs and when we are paying millions and billions of dollars for pieces of equipment maybe its time to start paying attention to these costs and apply some co.mon sense to them
Horse puckey. MilEgpt contractors are charging for the expenses of providing (stupid) requirements, redundant expectations, and idiotic government regulations.
If you’re willing to get “off the shelf” than buy “off the shelf.”
Give that young Marine a big bonus!
It’ll get downgraded to a NJP and duty this weekend.
Bravo Zulu!
Well the Marine Corps can kiss those savings goodbye now that this got out. Once professional politicians find out about this and the loss of revenue through the stocks they were given by the company that makes them, they will have HQ put a stop to the unit local production.