335th Signal Command Soldiers create a nationwide network, support homeland defense

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Nekeysha A. Lewis, information systems specialist, C Co., 324th Integrated Tactical Signal Battalion from Fort Gordon, Ga., cuts wire to the length needed at the Grecian Firebolt field site in East Point, Ga. The exercise had signal Soldiers create and maintain a communications network for close to 4500 subscribers who were participating in six seperate exercise in Georgia, Wisconsin and California.  

EAST POINT, UNITED STATES

06.22.2009

Courtesy Story

359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade

EAST POINT, Ga.--- Wire can sometimes be a better weapon for war than a rifle, and Soldiers with the 335th Signal Command (Theater) are practicing the art of communication to prove it.

To fight terrorists on the technological battlefield, the Army uses signal Soldiers to create and defend communication networks in the time of war and for homeland defense.

So to prepare for their wartime mission of establishing a communications network that will cover 27 countries, they need to practice on a very large scale, said Brig. Gen. Geoff Freeman, commanding general for the 359th Signal Brigade, which is headquartered at Fort Gordon, Ga.

This practice translates into a month-long, large-scale training exercise called Grecian Firebolt. The event is lead by the 335th out of East Point, Ga. and includes several of its subordinate units.

As part of Grecian Firebolt, signal Soldiers setup seven communication sites across the United States that umbrella six separate training exercises (in California, Wisconsin and Georgia): Global Medic; Pacific Warrior; Diamond Saber, Patriot Warrior; Red Dragon and the Combat Support Training Center. These exercises, in total, include nearly 4000 Soldiers from all three Army components: Reserve, active duty and National Guard, and cover a wide array of specialties like chemical warfare, combat medicine, and deployed finance.

Each of these exercises has their own specific mission, but all of them have the same need — to be able to communicate, said Col. Janice Haigler, the joint network operations control center director for Grecian Firebolt, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 335th SC (T).

Assembling and maintaining a mesh network for all of these exercises is similar to what would happen when signal Soldiers deploy, said Freeman. "We cannot model reality exactly, but this is close."

The actuality of setting up a nationwide communications network, whether oversees or stateside, requires an immense amount of preparation. Equipment has to be appropriately identified, bundled and shipped. Personnel have to assigned, briefed and supported. Plans have to be created, staffed and coordinated. Since the command has restructured, Grecian Firebolt has grown immensely, said 1st Lt. Luc J. Roy, network engineer for GF, HHC, 335th SC (T).

"This is the largest scale we have ever done this on." And with such a difference in players and the ever-changing technological advances, there had to be a lot of synchronization, said Roy. "We are not just taking out of the can solutions...and now, we have good proof of a concept."

Putting all the pieces together and creating a well-run network of computers and telephones that can support close to 4500 subscribers means there were plenty of hurdles to tackle. Those are just training opportunities though, said Sgt. 1st Class Derrick O. Borders, administration and logistics control non-commissioned officer for the Fort Gordon site, HHC, 359th SB. "The problems we find here, we will find on deployment."

The standard difficulties were not enough to challenge the signal Soldiers though, so they also asked the Army's 1st Information Command to hack into their network and test the security. This scenario is very life-like as the military network covering Iraq and Kuwait has thousands of daily hacker attempts, said Command Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Dehorty, the command sergeant major for the 359th SB.

Attacking your own network is bold training, said Brig. Gen. Lawarren V. Patterson, deputy commanding general, Network Enterprise Technology Command in Arizona. "My hats are off to you for doing that to your own network."

Testing Soldiers and their equipment is necessary training and part of homeland defense, said Master Sgt. Scott C. Jackson, network engineer for GF, HHC, 335th SC (T). "It helps Soldiers prepare because the kinds of networks we are using here, are realistic to the networks we put in place real world."

In a real-world crisis, many people think they can use their cell phones or personal computers, but this is just not true, said Jackson. "What we have learned from past emergencies, like 9/11 and Katrina, is that we cannot rely on the existing commercial infrastructure, because it is either overwhelmed or destroyed. The key is that we have to plan on there being no communications in the area and rely only on the communications that we take with us."

This build from scratch exercise reinforces the training and gives Soldiers a number of invaluable hands-on experiences. Along with spending weeks practicing their specific job skills, Soldiers are also gaining experience on how to work with each other. This integration is a critical experience for all Soldiers, regardless of component, said Maj. Gen. Dennis E. Lutz, the commanding general for the 335th SC (T). "In a deployment, we all need to talk to each other. This is all one fight, one Army."

And as the Army continues to fight terrorism, the 335th's signal Soldiers will continue to train and prepare for their call to arms.

• Date Taken: 06.22.2009
• Date Posted: 06.22.2009 13:16
• Story ID: 35481
• Location: EAST POINT, US