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    Soldiers tune their radio communication skill sets

    Soldiers tune their radio communication skill sets

    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Sinthia Rosario | Sgt. George F. Banks (left), a signal support specialist with C Company, Headquarters...... read more read more

    JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

    01.26.2015

    Story by Sgt. Sinthia Rosario 

    5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

    JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Soldiers from C Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, I Corps, provided hands-on radio communication training to Soldiers from I Corps at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Jan. 21. This training ensured the Soldiers had the knowledge and skill sets needed to communicate with each other during any mission using their radio communication systems.

    The instructors broke down the radio training into different stages of setups for the different communication systems utilized in I Corps. Some of these stages included the fundamentals of ASIP (advanced special improvement program), fundamentals of the MBITRs (multiband inter/intra team radio) and the setup of the OE-254 antenna.

    Step by step, the instructors explained how each system functioned and how vital it is to correctly use the radios.

    “The intent is for everybody to grasp the communication aspect and learn all the small systems needed to communicate efficiently,” said Sgt. George F. Banks, a signal support specialist with C Company. “It’s mostly small things such as a digit on the frequency that can change the whole dynamic to where you can’t talk to each other.”

    Attention to detail, learning and improving the basic skills on the radio systems are some of the key points the instructors wanted to ingrain in the Soldiers.

    Banks explained how important it is for the Soldiers to fully understand how essential communication is whether the Soldier is deployed or just on a training mission.

    “If you can’t communicate, you can’t fight,” said Banks. “You have to be able to communicate with your battle buddy and your higher echelon at all times no matter where you are or what the situation is.”

    Although many of the Soldiers from I Corps are trained to use the different radio systems, this course provided them the opportunity to brush up on their knowledge.

    “Personally, I haven’t had much hands on training with some of the radio systems provided during this training,” said Spc. Caitlyn Quinby, a nodal network systems operator-maintainer with C Company. “I usually work with the secure comms [communication systems] unlike these which are non-secure. This training was a good way for me to refresh skills I haven’t practiced in a while.”

    As the training continued, Bank’s constantly repeated himself during his part as an instructor and also provided useful tips and guidance from personal experience.

    “My goal is to get the Soldiers to know the basics, to really understand the course given,” said Banks. “That way I know that the next time around when they have to go through their trouble shoot system, they know it, they have it and they will be able to communicate with each other, their higher echelon and most importantly, be mission ready.”

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.26.2015
    Date Posted: 01.26.2015 19:04
    Story ID: 152781
    Location: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US
    Hometown: BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US
    Hometown: CAYUGA, NEW YORK, US
    Hometown: FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA, US
    Hometown: PLYMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA, US
    Hometown: ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, US

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    Downloads: 2

    PUBLIC DOMAIN