Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Theodore Lee | PACIFIC OCEAN (August 5, 2021) Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Shyla Mars,...... read more read more
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In the middle of the ocean, in the heat of a battle, success in communications mean the difference between victory and defeat. Behind the scenes on each ship in USS America (LHA 6) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), a division of Information Technology Specialists (IT) work diligently to carry out the guidance from above to “find a way to communicate.”
This is especially important in the Indo-Pacific region when operating alongside allies and partners during U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s (USINDOPACOM) Large Scale Global Exercise 21.
“We’re a pin-point in communication,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Robert Yingling, from Taneytown, Md., assigned to America. “If I weren’t here, you couldn’t talk.”
In contested environments, ITs constantly work across the broad range of the electronic spectrum to ensure warfighters have a myriad of ways to share vital information. In addition to traditional radio pathways, technological advances over the last few decades have opened up new avenues that ships connect with each other, from e-mail and chat, to secure voice over internet protocol, or VOIP, and even virtual teleconferences, or VTC. All of these services are configured to work, even when primary, secondary and contingency radio frequency pathways are challenged.
“We have enclaves that allow us to talk to allied nations,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Shyla Mars, from Aurora, Colo., also assigned to America. “That’s important because depending on what operations we’re currently running, we utilize that specific enclave to have communication and to do our operations that way. We make sure that we always have someone on chat that’s available to communicate both with allies and with other people on the ship so that we can ensure that we’re all getting the same information and all performing that same task.”
Cyber threats have become an increased concern and ships are no exception, which is why it’s imperative to have trained technicians aboard. Navy ITs are cyber-security professionals who scour their network constantly for vulnerabilities and fix issues before they can be exploited or critical information becomes compromised.
“Seeing that people know that you’re in the Navy and that you’re an IT, people from the outside will try to connect with you, trying to get information about our network,” said Mars. “It creates a bigger target because we are good at what we do.”
In order to qualify to become an IT, Sailors must complete a six-month technical school in Pensacola, Fla., where they learn software and hardware fundamentals, automatic data processing, system security, theory and operation. Upon completion of their training these technicians often find themselves on ships working night and day performing maintenance, troubleshooting user problems, managing network security and conducting application installations and upgrades.
“It is an extremely rewarding rate,” said Mars. “Because of our efforts, people can communicate both on and off-ship.”
The America ESG and embarked elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary unit are operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serve as a ready response force in support of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2021 19:45 |
| Story ID: | 402812 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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