Third Army, Uzbekistan Army Signal Officers Hold Information Exchange

News: Third Army, Uzbekistan Army Signal Officers Hold Information Exchange

Third Army/U.S. Army Central PAO

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Courtesy Photo

Maj. Douglas Thornton, an instructor of the signal basic officer leadership course, explains how a Brigade Combat Team is supported with communications assets to a group of Uzbek army signal officers June 16 at Fort Gordon, Ga. The Uzbek officers travelled to Ft. Gordon as part of a week-long information exchange with Third Army signal officers. Third Army personnel regularly meet with foreign military personnel from Central Asia and throughout the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility to enhance military-to-military relationships with partner nations.

ATLANTA – Signal officers from Third Army and the Uzbekistan Army met in Atlanta for an information exchange June 14-18 and travelled to various locations throughout Georgia to gain a better understanding of how each nation’s forces conduct communication operations.

“The intent of this communications exchange was to foster interoperability between the U.S. Army and the Army of Uzbekistan,” said Cpt. Donald Ross, a signal officer with Third Army. “We hope that our efforts in these events will allow each country to learn from the other’s experiences when implementing communication schemes,” he added.

On the first day of the exchange, Third Army and Uzbekistan officers visited the headquarters of a Third Army down trace unit, the 335th Signal Command (Theater) in East Point, Ga., and observed a portion of Operation Grecian Firebolt, a month-long annual training exercise the 335th SC(T) conducts to sharpen its Soldiers’ skills at establishing a long-range communications network.

From there, the officers travelled to Fort Gordon, Ga., where they received several briefings on how U.S. forces train communications personnel in network construction, administration and protection at the noncommissioned officer, warrant officer and officer levels.

“The Uzbek Army showed great interest in observing our maintenance procedures of equipment and noting and how it varied from theirs,” said Ross. “Exchanges like these increase interoperability with Uzbekistan by exposing their communications officers to our standard operational procedures and generating discussions that allow each country to better understand how to implement our communications equipment to support multinational endeavors,” he added.

After spending three days at Ft. Gordon, Ga., the officers headed back to Atlanta, visiting Ft. Benning, Ga. to tour the Infantry museum on the way back. In Atlanta, the officers held an after action review before the Uzbeks departed.

Third Army plans to send a delegation to Uzbekistan in the near future to build on this exchange and to continue furthering the understanding of communications operations between the two nations.

“Events like these are important for sustaining friendly relations with our partner nations,” Ross said.