Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michael Ellis | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Daniel Bunnell, Joint Communications Support Element radio...... read more read more
Subscribe
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.— Traditionally, the communications career field is viewed as the office you can for call for over-the-phone support or to request a technician to come work some magic at your workstation. However, there is an elite, specially-trained group of communications experts at MacDill AFB who are far from the typical information technology specialists. They train to deploy at a moment’s notice to austere environments, establishing secure communications lines.
Two teams from the Joint Communications Support Element on MacDill Air Force Base conducted an exercise at a simulated remote location July 23, 2014. As one team set-up their equipment on the base’s shoreline, another team traveled by boat to a secluded island to test their rapid-deployment capabilities.
Once at the island, the team setup non-classified, classified and other secure lines of communication.
“Basically we’re just setting up and testing our Orthogon system, which is pretty much like a big Ethernet cable,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Daniel Bunnell, JCSE radio frequency operator. “Except it’s a Ethernet connection in the sky, and we’re transmitting information wirelessly.”
The teams were given less than 3 hours to transport all the equipment and complete a transmission. They accomplished their goal with nearly an hour left to spare, which proved their readiness to support missions worldwide.
These teams constantly deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, U.S. Africa Command and other regions, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Horn of Africa.
According to the unit’s website, “JCSE immediately deploys to provide enroute, early entry, scalable command, control, communications and computers (C4) support to the regional combatant commands, Special Operations Command, and other agencies as directed; on order, provides additional C4 services within 72 hours to support larger Combined Joint Task Force/Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force headquarters across the full spectrum of operations.”
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2014 17:12 |
| Story ID: | 137355 |
| Location: | TAMPA, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 284 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Multi-service unit trains for worldwide communications security operations, by TSgt Michael Ellis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT