440th teams keep communications up

Photo By Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda | Spc. Jared Burley, a multi-channel transmission system operator with the 440th, checks a phone line at Camp Charlie, where his unit supports coalition forces in Iraq.  

CAMP CHARLIE, IRAQ

11.25.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP CHARLIE, Iraq " For coalition forces in Iraq, communication between camps is indispensable. The Coalition is spread throughout dozens of posts and small forward operating bases that rely on technical teams to provide the expertise and initiative necessary to keep them all networked.
Such teams include the 440th Signal Battalion's four-man crew stationed here, which in just three weeks has improved the communication system between this camp and others.
"Our mission is to basically maintain contact with our battalion and brigade headquarters, which are stationed at Camp Victory," said Sgt. Paul Travis, the team's chief.
"We also have local networks that provide [intranet] and voice connectivity for Coalition Forces here at Camp Charlie," added Pfc. Kelly Gillespie, a network switching system operator with the 440th.
Camp Charlie, a Polish-led base that lies approximately 100 miles south of Camp Victory in Baghdad, is home to about 1,400 servicemembers from eight coalition countries. Polish and Salvadoran forces have the largest contingencies at the camp, with Mongolians following as a close third. Americans, with approximately 40 Soldiers stationed there, have the least number of servicemembers at the camp.
"We are providing lines that they can use to connect to the rest of the world," Gillespie said, referring to over 12 phone lines that his team runs for the Coalition Forces.
The Soldiers said working for such a diverse group of customers gives them quite a bit to look forward to during their one-year deployment.
"It's a learning experience," said Spc. Jared Burley, a multi-channel transmission systems operator.
"I've only used one piece of this equipment before," he said, noting that the systems available at the camp differ from communications systems he is used to because the Army is moving toward using commercial machinery.
"The challenges are going to be getting everything connected," Gillespie said. "The equipment still needs work and we have limited support out here so we'll have to rely on our discipline."
Still, the Soldiers have surpassed every expectation. For example, just a week after they arrived at the camp, a truck took down a phone line. The team was able to restore the network within three hours from getting a complaint about the truck incident.
On another occasion, a network went down in the middle of the night. The Soldiers found the cause of the problem within minutes.
"I think all of us lost some sleep over that one," Gillespie said.
Capt. Robert Zizolfo, the commander of the 145th Maintenance Company, has a small team of American troops at the camp and is headquartered at Camp Adder, roughly 200 miles from Charlie. He said that when the truck took down the communication lines, he was surprised that the 440th's team was able to restore communication so quickly. Similar problems had lasted days and even weeks before.
"The signal mission is critical because we need the communication," Zizolfo said. "When those things are down," he said referring to the secured phones and secured e-mails, "we can't function."
Zizolfo's team uses the communication systems to track maintenance parts and to prioritize maintenance missions. It's essential that his shop functions smoothly because his unit is the only maintenance component at the camp.
"The new guys have had us up just about every day," Zizolfo said.
The 440th has teams in about 15 other camps, including at Camp Victory, Al Asad, and Duke.

• Date Taken: 11.25.2005
• Date Posted: 11.25.2005 07:19
• Story ID: 3854
• Location: CAMP CHARLIE, IQ