Photo By Staff Sgt. Brian Jarvis | Master Sgt. Mickey Shaffer, a radio frequency transmission specialist with the 271st...... read more read more
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ALPENA, Mich.—How long does it take to set up a full suite of communications gear from out-of-the case to online, in order to supply hundreds of participants in a joint-multinational training exercise with internet, high-frequency radio, high-speed voice and data-link support?
For the 271st Combat Communications Squadron (CBCS), based in Middletown, Penn., the answer is less than 30 minutes.
Having first trained in Michigan in 2019, the 271st CBCS returned this year for Northern Strike 20, the annual, two-week readiness event that brings together reserve units from around the globe, providing a fertile training ground to test emerging technologies.
Some of those technologies came from the 271st itself, as the squadron supplied communications during the exercise both to the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) and Camp Grayling Aerial Gunnery Complex, collectively part of the National All-Domain Warfighting Center in Northern Michigan.
Master Sgt. Chris Johanson, 271st CBCS non-commissioned officer in charge of information security, said that Northern Strike offers his squadron the opportunity to provide tactical communications in a field environment to real-world customers.
“We enjoy coming out here to fine-tune and hone the skills of our personnel, provide on-the-job training and be sure that we can accomplish our traditional mission,” Johanson said. “We have to be prepared for multiple scenarios as much as possible, and we always feel that our troops get better training when you take them out of the office, out of their comfort zone, and put them in the environment they’re going to operate in.”
The squadron’s Theatre Deployable Communications equipment, capable of supporting up to 1,000 users, includes: a communications fly-away kit, small communications package, flexible communications package, and PRC-160 HF antenna system.
In addition to connecting both the military’s Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) and its non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet), the 271st CBCS is prepared to implement back-up communications systems in case a server or satellite goes down—just as it did as part of a training scenario during Northern Strike.
Senior Master Sgt. Roarke Singer, 271st CBCS radio frequency/cyber transport operations section chief, noted that his squadron must be ready to deploy anywhere in the world within 72 hours, having carried out past deployments across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Stateside, the 271st can provide assistance during emergency events ranging from natural disasters to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive scenarios that could disrupt normal communications.
“Big picture, Northern Strike is training as you fight. Overseas, there may not be a hardened facility to work out of, so you have to train with whatever you’re going to have when you deploy,” Singer said. “That’s what makes this so realistic.”
While the ongoing fluidity of the exercise can make it challenging to plan ahead, Singer noted the Alpena CRTC often helps ease the logistics.
“We know the lay of the land and what to expect, there’s plenty of open space to set up our equipment and cordon off an area. The personnel here are very accommodating and easy to work with. Overall it’s a great training event for our troops.”
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2020 13:43 |
| Story ID: | 375029 |
| Location: | MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 238 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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