Photo By Sgt. Alvin Pujols | The audience listens to “The Network as a Key Warfighter Advantage: What More Must...... read more read more
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines from the 1st Marine Division participated in the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Western Conference and Exposition at the San Diego Convention Center, Feb. 11, 2015.
The conference is considered the premier sea services event focusing on operations in Asia and the Pacific.
Representatives from the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps were present and prepared to address the panel topic “Lower Budgets and Higher Demands: How Do the Sea Services Strike the Right Balance?”
Major General Lawrence D. Nicholson, the commanding general for the 1st Marine Division, was one of the panelists. Nicholson communicated on the topics of interoperability and the importance of relaying commander’s intent.
“For me, it’s all about power down, power down, power down,” said Nicholson. “Let’s get the information we need on a reliable network into the hands of the warfighter, who is actually going to be on the ground and doing those missions.”
The 1st Marine Division also had representation from their principle staff. Marines from the 1st Marine Division communications section, the component for command, control, communications and computer systems, displayed the tablets that Marines would use to enhance communications with the mission commander.
In the past, Marines have solely relied on radio communications, but they have to make use of the digital technology to make it advantageous to the warfighter, said Maj. Nathan B. Cahoon, a communications officer for 1st Marine Division.
“Operations looked at the various programs available and we’ve identified the requirements for a tablet for Marines to use. With that, they will receive real-time information, whether it is through text messages or imagery,” said Cahoon.
The division kiosk exhibited various forms of communications that Marines currently use on deployments, displaying the equipment on manikins wearing the Improved Scalable Plate Carrier to physically demonstrate the changes that the Blue Diamond has put into effect.
Colonel Andrew J. Murray, the commanding officer of the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School aboard Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, attended the panel to better understand what the commander’s intent is and pass it to the Marines currently attending the MCCES.
“It was important for my perspective because I have the responsibility for training our future communicators at MCCES to know what the leadership on this panel thinks is important to them from the network that supports them,” said Murray. “It’ll help us better train the Marines that are going to support them.”
“We aren’t perfect at it yet, but we are working hard to make sure our warfighters have all the information they need for mission success,” said Nicholson.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 02.26.2015 15:14 |
| Story ID: | 155495 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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