Photo By Spc. Jason Dangel | Pvt. Allen Patz, radio transmissions operator, Headquarters and Headquarters Company,...... read more read more
by Pfc. Jason Dangel
4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div
BAGHDAD - The brain, defined as a part of the spine and central nervous system, is responsible for controlling all functions in the human body.
Just like the human brain, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division's Tactical Operation Center never stops running and operates 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.
"The TOC, or command post, manages all operations within the brigade combat team. It is where all brigade staff sections come together to bring their expertise to the fight," said Sgt. Maj. Charles Geisewite, operations sergeant major, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th BCT.
"This 'meeting of the minds' allows the brigade commander and senior staff to make informed decisions and then implement the plan from one location where all assets are available," Geisewite explained.
The TOC provides a facility for planning, communication and visualization where the brigade commander and his staff can access command and control resources, he said.
"Inside the CP, the command group has access to real-time data, voice and imagery to make critical decisions rapidly," said Geisewite, a native of Austin, Texas.
Operations in the command post range from combat operations to peace enforcement, intelligence gathering, information operations, policing, essential services and a multitude of other operations requiring a variety of skills to accomplish the combat team's mission.
"The command post is not the 'heart'; that is always the Soldiers that make up the brigade," Geisewite explained. "Everyone must work together seamlessly in order to function successfully."
United States military personnel are not the only ones involved in the 'Cobra' Brigade's TOC operations.
As described by Geisewite, the command post is joint and multi-national, meaning representatives from sister services and other Coalition Forces play key roles and vital assets to the Cobra team.
Servicemembers from the U.S. Air Force and Navy, the British army and liaison officers from the Georgian army are all key players in the mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The separate sections and individuals must work together and provide the command group with the information needed to accomplish the mission.
On any given day, the Soldiers operating in the TOC communicate with the brigade's different battalions and report all significant activity occurring in the area of operations to Multi-National Division ' Baghdad headquarters.
"Everyone working in the TOC has a part in the success of operations," said Capt. Nicholas Graham, fragmentary order coordinator, HHC, 4th BCT.
'The TOC basically consolidates all the information from all our different battalions," explained Graham. "If there is an event that happens out in our battle space, or out on a convoy or patrol, all the information is reported to us here in the TOC and we act accordingly depending on the situation."
"There is not one function that I can say is the TOC's bread and butter. There are so many moving pieces and everything must fall into place in order for us to be successful," said the native of Hanover, Ind.
Cpl. John Peters, a new member to the TOC team, who serves as command post of the future operator and radio transmissions operator, with HHC, 4th BCT, said the days can sometimes be very boring but things can change in an instant.
The young noncommissioned officer from Fresno, Calif., reminisced about his time on the ground conducting patrols during his first deployment to Iraq in 2004 and said he felt his experience on the ground helps him successfully accomplish his job in the TOC.
"Sometimes when units on the ground are reporting some kind of an incident, I can visualize what is taking place because I've been there and it makes it easier for me to record the event and pass it on to (4th Infantry) Division," he said.
As the brigade carries on with its mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the TOC will continue to provide command and control assets to all the Soldiers of the 4th BCT.
From informing and guiding units on the ground to ensuring all the components of the facility are properly maintained and functional, the 4th BCT TOC Soldiers remain an important element in the fight for the brigade.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2006 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 7188 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 234 |
| Downloads: | 33 |
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