Photo By Sgt. Judith Dacosta | Spc. Erika Aguilar, a 72nd Integrated Theater Signal Battalion inside plant and...... read more read more
The 32nd Signal Brigade, 558th Signal Company and 72nd Integrated Theater Signal Battalion work diligently to install fiber optic cable and maintain internet connectivity supporting communications at Logistical Support Area Anaconda.
The 558th also supports the 335th Theater Signal Command with the mission of installing the fiber-optic ring, area distribution nodes and distribution points at the LSA, said Sgt. 1st Class Phillip M. O'Cull, a 558th Sig. Co. platoon sergeant who is in charge of one of the installation teams.
"The fiber-optic ring is a big circle of fiber-optic cable that extends around the perimeter of the LSA," said O'Cull.
The distribution nodes and points are areas such as preexisting buildings that are equipped to house fiber-optic patch panels or networking systems, he added.
"Our mission is similar to that of the 558th's," said Capt. Herbert F. Brychta, the Company D commander, 32nd Sig. Bde.
"We are here to install fiber-optic cable in the infrastructure here so that it parallels that of a garrison environment," said Brychta.
The problem was that a majority of the cable work done on the LSA prior to our arrival in October 2005 was done tactically, said O'Cull.
"Wires were run up around and down - any kind of way so no one could see it," said Brychta.
For example, category five, a wire commonly attached to computers to allow Internet connectivity, would be laying outside on the ground, said O'Cull.
"Castle Heights [an area near Dining Facility 1] had a bad set-up," said O'Cull. "Cables would be run through the floors, gutters, windows and manhole systems here," he added.
"There are supposed to be holes drilled and run into buildings through a conduit or large plastic pipe," said O'Cull.
"Our goal is to make the network [Internet] more reliable and increase the data rate and speed," said Brychta. Eventually, the goal is to reduce this project to something one battalion will be able to cover, he added.
The impact of our work may not be as obvious in some places as in others, said Brychta.
"Castle Heights has Internet service right now so they may not see as much of an impact as say the west side of LSA Anaconda which is still being developed."
But the Soldiers feel the impact of their labor as teams from both companies work hard to push fiber-optic cable in and out of the manholes daily.
The cable is installed by three to 10-man teams who must physically pull the cable through the underground manhole systems throughout LSA Anaconda, said Staff Sgt. Ingram Cephus, a 558th Sig. Co. wire installer.
Together both teams have lain approximately 100,000 ft. of fiber optic cable since January.
Still, laying fiber-optic cable isn't enough to complete the mission on the LSA. Once the cable is routed into the buildings they must be separated and 'terminated" in order to provide service.
"The 72nd ITSB is taking part in the 32nd Signal Brigade's mission by helping to terminate wires," said Sgt. 1st Class Edwin Agosto, a 72nd ITSB NCO.
"To terminate wire you place a plastic single connector on two strands of bare wire," he said.
"The strands come from the large bundles of fiber-optic cable that are placed in the ceilings by units like the 558th Sig. Co. and 32nd Sig. Bde., said Agosto.
"Out of 24 to 48 strands bundled in fiber-optic cable, six will get dropped off at each building " two for Secure Internet Protocol Router, Non-secure Internet Protocol Router and Voice-over-Internet Protocol, he added.
We are helping to complete this mission because there aren't enough personnel, said Agosto.
Our main mission, however, is maintenance " so when the system goes down, trouble tickets are submitted to us. We then determine the urgency of the request and respond accordingly, said Agosto.
"The mission is large and sometimes we don't have the tools or manpower or even the training to work," said Brychta.
"We will always encounter difficulties yet it is the Soldiers that take the initiative and complete the mission," he said.
"They [Soldiers] pick up new skills quickly and that is a testament to the American Soldier's ability to think outside the box and adapt to changing circumstances," said Brychta.
The three unit's are working together to complete the fiber ring around LSA Anaconda with an estimated completion date of July 2006, said O'Cull.
Network improvements on the LSA enhance Soldiers" and individuals" ability to cross the barriers presented by land and ocean to effectively communicate with others throughout the world.
Currently, this ability to communicate in the Iraqi desert is dependant upon an odd number of units, elbow grease and fiber-optic cable.
Fortunately, the 32nd Sig. Bde., 558th Sig. Co. and 72nd ITSB are here to provide the much needed effort and fiber-optic cables to get the job done.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2006 14:12 |
| Story ID: | 6716 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 275 |
| Downloads: | 53 |
This work, Signal Soldiers maintain communications link, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
