Soldiers in communications and electronic building run the show

Photo By Staff Sgt. Chad Nelson | Soldiers from the Communications and Electronic Maintenance, 3rd Signal Brigade, Division Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Ft. Steward, Ga., make repairs to a speaker tower, which is known as the "Big Voice," on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, March 26. The C  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IRAQ

05.25.2010

Story by Sgt. Chad Nelson 

135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Four Soldiers sat in a small, cramped classroom on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, near Tikrit, Iraq, May 25, observing a presentation with quiet diligence. They were learning about the use of the U.S. Army's Blue Force Tracker from Soldiers in the 3rd Signal Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. The BFT is critical to the movement and safety of troops when they travel off base on a mission.

A GPS-enabled system, the BFT provides location information about friendly military forces. The criticality of using the BFT on missions is evident as Soldiers are able to track their location on a map in relation to battlefield obstacles, such as damaged bridges, and the purported locations of improvised explosive devices and hostile forces. More importantly, it allows people on base to track their Soldiers' locations at all times.

"Your position is always known," said Spc. Johnny Guillory, from Greeneville, Miss., a computer detection systems repairer and instructor for the BFT training. "The [BFT] updates your location every five minutes. Without it, you'd better hope your radio doesn't go out."

These 3rd Signal Soldiers are more commonly known as communications and electronic specialists. They are not only subject matter experts on the hardware and software of the BFT, but numerous communications and electronic devices, as well.

The team works on nearly every form of electronics – from BFTs to counter radio controlled improvised explosive device electronic warfare systems, a piece of equipment which disrupts transmissions that would otherwise detonate an IED; from night vision goggles to the "Big Voice," a mass notification system that announces on-base detonations. This small, 11-Soldier group handles virtually every aspect of communication and electronics in United States Division – North, an area the size of Georgia.

The C&E team provides administrative and technical support to electronic warfare officers on other bases, and ensures these bases have the support needed to accomplish their missions, according to Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jacob Wilde of Menominee, Mich., an electronic systems technician and officer in charge of the C&E.

With a base housing 7,000 servicemembers, the job of repairing, installing and updating various communications and electronic systems can be daunting for the small group of Soldiers. Their work ethic boasts a total more than 2,100 pieces of equipment serviced to date. As a team, these Soldiers push through and ensure every piece of equipment in their realm is taken care of.

"Everybody cross trains into everybody else's job," said Wilde. "Everybody pitches in, no matter what. It's 12- to 18-hour days. We don't have 'Marne time,' because the units we support don't have Marne time, so we have to be here. We're on call 24 hours a day. It's an all day everyday mission to make sure that everything is supported."

This exhausting schedule is the only way the unit can accomplish their esteemed mission. At times, it is a "learn-as-you-go" mission, such as when they installed COB Speicher's mass notification system.

The civilians who held the contract were not able to complete the installation this system, so the C&E team stepped up – the only problem: they had never completed a project like this before, according to Staff Sgt. Rick Short, from Beckley, W.Va., C&E non-commissioned officer in charge.

Through perseverance and ingenuity, the unit installed the notification system, making it operational for the first time in two years. They promptly lost it in a building fire, but were committed to installing it a second time. Now complete, the Soldiers maintain each of the seven mass notification speaker towers weekly. These towers ensure that every person on COB Speicher knows about on-base detonations.

Their days are consumed with projects that protect individual Soldiers by maintaining effective communications systems, and the team won't pass up an opportunity to teach their fellow Soldiers how to properly operate and maintain a piece of equipment if needed. Whether it is one-on-one training or a traditional group presentation, the C&E Soldiers are prepared to assist in any way possible.

"Anything and everything electronics … we support," said Wilde.

• Date Taken: 05.25.2010
• Date Posted: 05.26.2010 22:37
• Story ID: 50330
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ