12th IA Signal Regiment completes communications training at COL K1

Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Thomas Harrelson, a communication specialist from Brigham, Utah, assigned to Company B, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., explains how to operate a telephone operation switchboard during a lecture, March 10, at Contingency Operating Location K1, Kirkuk. The class reviewed the operation of the radio system and provided the students the opportunity to use the radio in order to develop their understanding of the communications system. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kandi Huggins)  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, IRAQ

03.10.2011

Courtesy Story

United States Division-North

By Spc. Kandi Huggins

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, Iraq – Soldiers of Signal Regiment, 12th Iraqi Army Division concluded a nine-week communications training course with a radio-telephone operator class at Contingency Operating Location K1, Kirkuk, March 10.

The class, supervised by Staff Sgt. Thomas Harrelson, communication specialist and assistant advisor to the Signal Regiment, reviewed the steps to operate a telephone switch board.

“Once the system is done with all its start-up tests, it will ask you for a password, and after that, it’ll ask you for an ID number which is the operator number,” explained Harrelson to the class.

After finishing the start-up tests, Harrelson explained the steps to enter the phone’s information into the system, testing the phone functions, then deleting the information and disassembling the operating system.

Harrelson, a Brigham, Utah, native, assigned to Company B, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., said the course provided the Iraqi army soldiers of the Signal Regiment with an understanding of how to use their radio and telephone systems.

The nine-week course introduced the Iraqi soldiers to principles of radio theory, where the trainees learned about radio waves and usage of line-of-sight communications.

The Iraqi signal soldiers also learned to operate various radio systems during the class.

The familiarization training improved the student’s knowledge of both their equipment and their jobs, said Harrelson.

The Iraqi soldiers must be able to provide technical assistance and training for their telecommunications systems, signal communications and electronic equipment at their respective units, he said.

U.S. soldiers are also training the Iraqi soldiers to lead the next iteration of classes, he said.

“We taught [the Iraqi soldiers] how to troubleshoot radios, understand them, put them together, take them apart and program them … any and everything that can be done with a radio, we taught them,” said Sgt. Andrew Terwilliger, information systems operator, Company B, 1st BSTB, 1st AATF, 1st Inf. Div.

After Harrelson finished the review of the telephone operation switchboard, the students took turns operating the system.

The classmates assisted each other, reinforcing learning and building class participation, said Harrelson.

• Date Taken: 03.10.2011
• Date Posted: 03.23.2011 12:18
• Story ID: 67611
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION K1, IQ