Photo By Cpl. Abigail Brown | The Deployable Site Transport Boundary, housed in a terminal case, is a portable...... read more read more
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DSTB, also called “NMCI in a box,” is a portable container that packages the hardware, routers, power supply, virtual private network capability and direct connectivity required to securely connect to the NMCI network.
“It can connect to hotel internet, commercial satellite systems or a tactical transmission system,” said Maj. Daryl Hurst, network operations officer, assistant chief of staff G-6, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “The DSTB will make a secure connection capable of accessing a Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network.”
So far in the Marine Corps, the small refrigerator-sized DSTB, which initially costs approximately $73,000, is only used by III MEF, said Venice M. Goodwine, the regional contracting officer’s representative for the Far East Region Project Management under the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet, Marine Corps System Command. Goodwine coordinates the DSTB contractors for Okinawa and the Republic of Korea.
“The cost to deploy the DSTB terminal off island is approximately $22,000 per week which pays for two NMCI contractor personnel to install, operate and maintain the DSTB terminal,” she added. However, Goodwine said III MEF currently has 12 Marines accredited to deploy, install, operate and maintain DSTB which will cut out the cost for deployed contractor support.
“Today, Marines are trained to provide sustained maintenance in the field without non-military on-site support, which reduces annual costs,” Goodwine said.
“Our area of operations is very spread out, so this allows us to easily carry on our exercises,” Hurst said. “It wouldn’t be very effective for a whole brigade to use, but this is a fast solution on smaller levels.”
The DSTB has been used in a variety of annual training exercises such as Exercise Cobra Gold 2011 in Thailand and the Amphibious Landing Exercise in the Republic of the Philippines, Goodwine commented.
The DSTB, is a compact, portable option for Marines.
“This leaves a smaller footprint wherever we go since the generators and servers typically needed to start a network aren’t required,” Hurst commented.
In addition to making travel more compact, it also allows deployed Marines to keep their NMCI e-mail account which can lead to less confusion than creating a new e-mail.
“It makes everyone’s mission easier to be able to use the same e-mail,” the network operations officer said. “It allows quick access to pre-existing accounts and cuts down on confusion.”
Some of the practical applications of the DSTB include continuity of operations planning, integration with legacy and other non-NMCI networks, off-site environments such as backyard exercises or deployed units, humanitarian efforts and temporary site stand up, Goodwine said.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2011 20:17 |
| Story ID: | 64765 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 7,631 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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